Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-05-04
THE HERO OF SaR JUAN HILL.
General Hamilton $. Hawkins the Guest "f
.Inh.p George GRAY.

oeneral Hamilton s. Hawkins the Guest of
Judge George Gray.
Had one beer visitor To brandy
wine Park Tuesday afternoon week, ono
might hayo saen two inen seated on
bench engaged in auiet conversation as
they drank in the beauties OF tho
restful scenery. The stouter Of the two
would be quickly recognized as Former
Senator. now Judge George Gray; h;s
companion, tall and erect, gray haired
and dignified, was none other than the
hero Of San Juan Hill, Brigadier Gen
eral Hamilton S. Hawkins. Gen. Haw-
kins was placed on the retired list last
October, having attained the. age
limit. lie is now the guest of Judge
Gray, who is his brother-in law, and
may eventually make this his home.
Mrs. Hawkins is also here.
In 1.-THE Fight for Santiago, F"
Stephen Bonsal gives Gen. Hawkins
the highest praise for his work on the
memorable first of July last. He was
then in command of the First Brigade
Of the First Division, Fifth Corps. In
the appendix to his book. Mr.. Bonsal
draws parallel between the santiago
campaign and the siege of Schastopol,
and says with reference to the battle
Of July lst:
LAS at the battle of the Alma, so
at San Juan, the whole affair depended
upen the success of an infinitely small
number of the troops engaged. At the,
Alma these were the five battalions
under Codrington, who stormed the
Great Redoubt, and captured it in
defiance not only OF the plan of battle,
but also OF every axiom of war. The
very same thing was done at San Juan
by Gen. Hawkins, though admittedly
this desperate move was the only
remedy that remained by which the
situation could be saved. Codrington
saw that if something desperate was
not done, the army, huddied together
under the enemy's works, would be
annihilated, and SO did Hawkins; and
with this knowledge he directed and
led the forlorn hope which, had it
not led on to victory, would have ended
in disastrous defeat, perhaps not
only OF his own command, but of the
whole army. His was an action of
eclat. the inspiration OF which came
| in critical moment, and it was exc
| cuted with the greatest gallantry under
heavy ire. Ii was feat of arms for
which. in other countries, where there
Is greater appreciation of military
merit and more gratitude than is to be
\ found in the government of our Re-
public, would have been recognized
and honored by the bestowal of the
| highest military honor which it is in
| the rower Of a government to give to a
| deserving son. In Austria it would
have been recognized by the bestowal
Of the Cross of Maria Theresa, which
was devised for just such an action as
| that of Hawkins, when, upon his own
responsibility, he improyised the move
meat which turned in a favorable
dirtction the adverse tide of battle.
- However niggardly the
| government may act, the facts which
are SO honorable to him and to the
service cannot escape history, and Gen.
Hawkins will leave record in tn,
military annals Of our country seconc
| to no mans, and he will live long il
the memory Of the survivors OF the
Santiago campaign as the man who
led and directed in person the advance
and the charge of the two infantry
brigades which changed confusion anC
defeat into glorious victory. He more
than any other man is the hero Of Sar
Juan Hill, and yet up to the presen
writing. December, 1898, Gen. naw
kins. who led the charge up San Jual
Hill and who captured the San Juai
Fort, has received merely the sam,
promotion and the same honors as tn
commander of the other brigade, who
by ordering a retreat at most critica
moment in the advance, endangered
the safety of the whole army. Thi
truly is an instance where virtue is it
own reward.