The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-01

men around him had too much to do
looking after the Spaniards to pay at
tention to the dend major, and after
time the burial squad took him away.
Some one doubtless recognized him
and identified him and placed mark
az his grave, but of those who witness
ell his heroism none could carry the
credit of the deed to where it belonged.
In the first brilliant account of the
battle of Ell Caney by Captain Lee OF
the English army there was reference
to deed of heroism called by the au-
thor one OF the most daring of the
campaign. Other writer's have refer
red to it, but the name of the hero
has never been revealed. This was
the cutting Of the barbed wire fence in
front of the Twelfth infantry on it's
advance to the stone fort. The line of
the Twelfth was long and the advance
necessarily slow on account of the
stubborn defense Of the Spaniards and
the delay caused by getting in range OF
the American guns firing from the rear
over the infantry lines.
Finally n charge was ordered across
open fields inclosed by wire fence. A
check at. that point might be fatal to
the assailants, and volunteers were
called for to cut openings through the
wire. Two men responded. They
era WED forward under cover, but at
the time of cutting the wires We're ex
posed to Spanish fire Neither was
hit The commanding officer of the
regiment at Montauk said that officer
who handled this work that day was
away from the regiment, and no one
In camp could give their names. He
personally saw from a distance the
men at work and considered it a brave
deed, but was too much absorbed In
the charge to inquire who they were.
When the regiment retired to its post
at Jefferson Barracks, Mo-, safe from
the glare of publicity and lionizing, the
identity of the men was made known
by their commander, Captain Haskell
Of Company III. One of them, Cor
poral James L. Mcmillan, told his sto-
~, dwelling particularly upon the
bravery of his comrade. Private ]. w.
Smith Mcmillan piloted Company IL.
through the gaps his pliers had made
In the wire fence.
Captain Tutherly, commanding q
squadron of the First cavalry, told me
OF a very modest hero of his own COM
pany. This was Sergeant Karsten.
Karsten was wounded in the charge
by a bail in the shoulder. Feeling some
strange sensat ton, he tore off his shirt,
examined the hurt and said it WASH t
enough to send him to the rear. Con-
tinuing In the line, he was soon over
come by @ nuInbness OF the arm, which
prevented him handling his Krag. In
stead Of going to the surgeon, he used
his sound hand in caring for the
wounded on the field. Karsten was
! too old to be commissioned from the
| ranks and received no reward for his
| pluck. In fact, it is the temper of the
| regular not to seek reward for simply
| doing a soldiers sworn duty.
Soldiers of the noncombatant class
come in for many very hard scorings
| but when one of these gentry gets q
!
chance to face the music he does it like
hero. The assistant surgeon of The
| Twenty-frst infantry. Captain II. G.
| Fisher, gives q modest story of how
he helped the wounded on the firing
line at San Juan Hill. Having learned
that the regiment was to attack the
blockhouse Captain Fisher Went for
ward and caught up with the men
awaiting orders on the bank of a
| streap. Says he: The bullets were
dipping about. Captain Ebstein called
Get down, doctor!' and the doctor got
Gown and listened to the hornets
Soon some one called out that ] ieuten
ant Meade, just from West Poi.t, was
/ wounded, and, keeping low till got
TO him, dressed the wound in his
forearm, through which bullet had
passed, both Of us lying down. Their
came staff officer to say that General
Kent ordered the Twenty first to gair
an important hill, and they started
ahead AT double time. About that time
was CALLED to dress some officer OF
| the Sixteenth. lying in the roadway
wounded and when could go on the