The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-05-25
CAPRON, OF THE FIRST
ARTILLERY
a Brave and Picturesque oficer, As Seen
BY Volunteer ct Santiago.

"a campaign, Capron's battery was
returned to the United States and was
sent to jefferson Barracks, st. Louis.
A volunteer contributes to the New
York Sun these interesting reminis-
cences of brave and picturesque Of
ficer:
The army officer whose personality
most impressed me during the Santiago
campaign was the late Capt. Allyn
Capron, ST., of E battery, First artil-
lery. From July 8 until early in Au-
gust my company was camped on
Misery HILL" as we called it, right
alongside Capron's battery. I saw q
great deal of him and his men. Capt.
Capron was short, stout, broad-shoul-
dered, stockily- built man with IRON
gray hair. Evidently between so and
60, he was straight as a ramrod. He
had a neck like bull, the back of a
wrestler, and a head that was a cube.
His men danced when he gave a COM
mand, but never tired of Dragging
about him. One of his privates said to
me:
when a thing goes wrong the old
man may cuss the entire battery into
hemorrhage, but he never sticks de-
cent man into the guard house or gets
him fined"
A few days after the San Juan en-
gagement l met an artilleryman whose
enlistment had just expired. | forget
his regiment and battery. remarked
that l supposed he would get back to
the states as soon as possible and bid
good-by to soldering.
"You bet!" he replied, and then add
ed: 'Unless I can get in Capron's bat
terry. I'm on my way to see the old
man now"
One of the yarns that travelled the
rounds Of the encampment before San
tiago went this way: 1t was one of
the three days of the San Juan fight.
Capron was. leading his battery up
road toward the front when he came
upon battalion of men lying down
along the roadside. While the rest of
the regiment went on, faint-hearted
major had kept this battalion back. AS
Capron rode stiffiy by paying no
heed to the drop shots that fell
around him, the quaking major got on
his feet, and, saluting, asked:
Lieutenant, what shall do with my
men?"
Damn your impudence!" thundered
Capron, "are you so badly frightened,
sir, that you cannot see that I'm cap
tain? Tell your men to go to the front,
and then by -, sir, go home. sir. and
get under the bed, sir!"
One morning on Misery Hill l wit
messed a sample of Capt. Capron's meth
ods with his men. 1t is a time honored
custom in the regular army to give
rookie, or new recruit, much more than
his fair share of fatigue duty. The
regulations protect each man, but it
takes the recruit some time to learn his
rights. On the morning in question
Capron's men had received orders to
build their entrenchments higher. A
corporal had put lone private at work
carrying gunnysacks of sand and pill
ing them along the battery trenches.
The poor fellow staggered back and
forth with the heavy bags, fairly drip
ping with perspiration. The other men
of the battery were scattered about in
the shade of the trees, taking their
ease. Capt. Capron emerged from his
tent, and, with a grim smile, surveyed
the scene. Then he shouted:
you, sir! Come here, sir!''
The rookie marched up, sack on back.
AS he said himself, ''he was scared
stiff" Capron looked him over sternly:
drop that sack, sir!"
Tho rocruit Jronrol nc = had
been red hot.
"Stand at attention, sir!"
The order was obeyed with evident
apprehension as to what was coming
next.
Don't you know your rights, sir?
Because you are willing horse they
are working you to death. One man,
sir, doesn't do all the work of battery.
The first sergeant will instruct you.
That will do, SIR"
By the time Capron had completed
his reprimand and reentered his tent
q dozen privates had carried a sack
each to the trenches, and the rockies
morning task had been completed in
about three minutes.
At the engagement at Las Guasimas
Capt. Allyn X. Capron, of the rough
riders, son of Capt. Capron, ST., was
killed. His body was left for time
where 1t fell. His hat was placed to
cover his face, and black rubber pom
cho thrown over the body. Only the
rough, mud-clotted shoes protruded
from beneath the poncho. Word was
sent to Capt. Capron. Sr., and he soon
reached the scene of the engagement.
White-faced, but upright, he stood for
a moment, looking down at the black,
forbidding outline in a by-path, all that
remained of the last of three promising
sons. STOPPING, he lifted the hat from
the dead boys face, and, gazing at him
with moist eyes. said:
swell done, boy!"
Then replacing the hat he turned on
his heel and marched stifIy away.
During the bombardment of Santiago