The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-02
|" .Jim., said a friend. .nuu yourself

Jim, SAID q friend, pull yOurSeI
together; there is work to be done
"One gun was on the steep side of
the hill, and the sandbags could not be
built up high enough to protect the
men. The shrapnel had dislodged the
insurgents from the bridge for the time
being Lieutenant Webb next shelled
blockhouse No. 6, preparatory to a
charge by the Coloradoans. The shells
did their work, and soon we saw the
Colorado line coming out of the brush
up. on, into the blockhouse, where they
found little resistance
After the next shot shouted Lieu
tenant Webb, everyone come out and
wheel that gun over here, under the
porch
''All the men not working the gun
lay under the protection of the thick
walls of the house. The bullets pat
tered like rain on the, tin roof, and
whizzed threateningly past the corner
where the mem lay. To wheel the gun
into that position seemed like counting
death for every man.
Now, then, cried the big sergeant.
run for it,
The men ran crohching around the
angle of the wall and wheeled the gun
into place. Another man fell, shot
through the lungs. The gun worked
smoothly now, and dropped shrapnel
and shell on bloekhouse No. opposite.
The gunner and first sergeant stood in
the open all the. time No breastwork.
protected them. It is a miracle that
they were not shot. The rest of the
men ran out to wheel the gun into po-
sition after each shot, and then sour
ried back to shelter The man who
carried the ammunition bag ran back
and forth. His was dangerous job.
JIM shouted the big sergeant,
give that bag to someone else. You've
risked your. life long enough; let some
one else try it now
1.-THE men behind the wall did not
move rapidly enough to suit the SER
geant.
If anyone thinks L have a soft
place, and I'll carry that bag! roared
the sergeant
Five or six men jumped forward to
take the bag.
That's right, my babies chuckled
the giant sergeant,
"THIS BATTERY HAD HEROES"
Beyond the San Juan bridge the in
surgents still held a small village A
great puff of smoke and a roar from
the right of San Juan hill told US of a.
gun the insurgents had rolled into po-
sition. Lieutenant Webb trained one
of his 3.2-inch guns. on the spot. The
Shell started on its course across the
plain to the hill opposite. One could
hear it painting all the way. A sharp
crack, a flight of earth and stones in
the ernbrasure told of it's arrival. That
was the last we heard from the insur-
gent gun. The enemy had to be dis
lodged near San Juan bridge, and we
threw shell and sl1rapnel into the
place. AT last word came to Lieuten-
ant Webb that the Nebraska regiment
was about to charge over the bridge,
and he then sent his shells higher up
the hill. We saw a company of Ne
braskans huddled behind q wall near
the bridge. preparing for the dash.
Suddenly they started. They went in
twoS and threes crouching as near the
ground as possible and We're met in
the middle of the bridge by storm of
bullets. Across they got, however, and
took shelter behind the great water
pipe which supplies Manila with wa
| ter. After a number had collected here
they tried the hill, but the fire was so
severe they could only get little way
up.
| Just then two Nordenfeldt guns, I'M
der Captain Gibbs, came rumbling over
| the bridge to their rescue, followed by
a battalion of the Tennessee regiment
| commanded by Colonel Smith. AS this
battalion reached the bridge Colonel
Smith fell from his horse and died of
apoplexy. There was no time for de-
lay, and the battalion, in column Of
! tours, trotted across the bridge and
| joined in the attack. Then Nebras-
kans, Tennesseens, and the two Nor
denfeldt guns went up the hill of San
Juan del Monte hand over hand. 1t
was a joy to see the insurgents move
| out as the Americans came on. At u
o'clock the troops had reached the top
of the HILL where the reservoirs of the
city are. and there they rested and
! ate their well-deserved dinner and took
| their well-earned rest, after as pretty
| a fight as [ have ever witnessed"