The Denison review., 1899-06-16

lucy uduu even O0Buu On Gu0 IOIuS.
Colonel Egbert tells how the Spaniards
received this first attack. Says the re-
port: "This SUSTAINED fire from force
partially hidden by the grass seemed
at first to stun the enemy. Their fire
elackened. and I began to entertain
high hopes. But the iSpaniard is a foe
TO be respected behind breastworks.
Suddenly the blockhouse and trenches
burst out with cannon and musketry.
and the whole fire Of the hill was de-
veloped on my regiment at short range.
Hero was to be seen the value Of dis
cipline. Our line was torn with shot
and she'll Men were falling every
y where. Captain Walker. commanding
the right center company, and his lieu
tenant, Gross; Captain Torrey. COM
n,anding the left center company, and
'shis lieutenant. Purdy; Lieutenant Tur-
maniof Company r and one quarter Of
my men were down in ten minutes
from the time the heavy Spanish fire
commenced. Yet no one .blanched, and
all kept steadily firing without any
thought of stopping until the. order
should come. This it now became my
reluctant duty to give. saw that the
force on the hill. in its intrenched posi-
q tion, was entirely too strong for mine.
lands III we remained another ten
minutes. the regiment would be de-
lstroyed. ! therefore, with my adjutant.
Lteqtenant, Rennet, walked along the
line and cautioned the company COM
sman0sas to move by the flank quietly,
but rapidly, to the road again, which
was done in excellent order, carrying
!, oHr i,'1E (, dead an and wounded along with us.
J. As soon, as WE. had bestowed, these in
safety under the, overhanging bank Of
sthe river we resumed fthe fire from the
1, road u, ,ta1.ss ,i,'iil,' Neli9H
The position Of the Sixth on the road
is!was,maiptained ,untilethe reserves came
PIP on ths, grand charge. bso'nsn
Frr Colonel Egbeyt,s distinctive work was
ended, ,tbut not the career On San Juan
:fhtllof' the Sixth infantry and its com
mdhder. Esooh' after. the return to the
f6ad sarRer's Gatling battery, opened
.a,nsh9 ,ls9 Fort Jqq44, \, and q great cheering back
along San Juan river drew the yatten-
ton Of those in front. Then came q
cloud of ,skirmishers and the tall form
Of Hawkins was "a seen, With the impetu-
ous Ord by his side, leading charge
to support the gallant line in the road
son thet slope of the hill When the
charging line got abreast of the Sixth.
Colonel Egbert ordered his companies
ITO file through the openings in the fence
and join it. This new movement. like
Colonel Egbert's first advance drew, a
savage fire from the blockhopse and
from the trenches on the hill. Egbert
was shot through the lungs. hpt.as he
dropped behind he.sawi that the charge
shad gained an impetus not tobe stop
ped by all the Mausersl on San 'Juan
hill. His regiment had led off and
placed its name at the head of' the roll
obf honor in losses as well As ia gallantry
Colonel Egbert s last fight has for its
historian his daughter Bessie, who was
near the field. In letter, to friends in
America she described the Philippines
affair as a second San. Juan hill.srl Colo
mel Egbert led his new command, the
Twenty-second infantry, on a charge
fegainstithe town of Malinta.' The town
Ia surrounded by wall and is on an
'eminente. Colonel Egbert led his men
against the church, which, AS his
daughtar says. twas crowded with the
enemy 20 thick on the wall that they
toverlapped. They were ,sending,a gall
ing fire at our men as, soon as. they
came inprange. Beforeiour men got in
range they had to cross the river (again
like San Juan) and the SURGEON, who
was acting as papa b adjutaht,, says
that there were plenty Of RATS for the
officers. but that papa plunged il with
his men and the water was mp to his
breast. tt,..,,,.,oau,
IS "When they got over. the general
sent papa an order to- take the trenches
in front of the town and, then sto'charge