Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-20

Of the piau II battle. nedecided 10 await
developments as advised by General
Skaters aid -ie-camp. The fire was still
hot around The ford, and. placing his
men under cover, he ssaid till / o'clock,
when Colonsl MeDerby further ID.
structsd hinl NV SKATER j express order
70 turn over one gun TO Lieutenant
Miley Of the corps stair and take the
others forward beyond the ford. where
the dynamite gun is, and go into action
at the best point You can find. At that
hour the whole line beyond San Juan
river had been developed by the caval-
~, and the brigades of Hawkins and
Wikof, the latter being depioyed In
front of Fort a Juan.
The Gatlings were drawn by mules.
and after crossing Parker kept in the
main road. which ran between the fort
and the hill which the cavalry attacked.
This road was between the two attack
ing columns and free from troops. After
crossing Parker oanght mp with some
cavalry officers accommodating on the
road toward the fort, which still belched
fire in all directions and stubbornly re-
sisted h assaults upon it. Said he to
Captain Boughton Of the Third cavalry
"Show me a Spaniard. I have been all
the morning looking for them and
haven caught sight of N yet" Guild
ing the young soldier toward the fringe
Of trees lining the road, the captain
pointed ont the fort and trenches which
the men of Wikotf's and Hawkins
brigades We're trying to silence, saying,
"There are Spaniards in plenty"
Parker's own story of what followed
is very modest, what might be looked
for in the narrative Of a hero telling Of
his W exploits. He says:
The battery opened at ranges OF 900 to 800
yards at LIS p. M. The enemy at first CON
centrated his fire upon us, but soon weakened,
and in five minutes was clambering from his
trenches and running TO the rear. We fired as
rapidly as possible upon the groups thus pre-
sented until | saw a white handkerchief waved
by one Of my own regiments, the Thirteenth
infantry, and at the same time Captain Lam
dis, First cavalry, said "Better stop. Our
own men are climbing the ridge" l ordered
the fire to cease at l s23l5 p. M, and a moment
later saw our own troops were within lN
~ tAo VI tA4t itt > Fft& V&tk&R Ahk tktV
crest of the hill. The firing had been contin-
ued by the battery until our own troops were
within 100 yards of the enemy > trench. a fact
made possible by the steep slope Of the hill
upon which he enemy had been.
At the time my battery went into action /
had no support, and the position l took was ut
least 100 yards in front Of any of our troops
along this part of the line The infantry and
cavalry had been pounding away for two
hours on these positions, and in S13 minutes aft
or the Gatlings opened the works were ours.
Inspired by the friendly rattle of the machine
guns, our own troops rose TO the charge, while
the enemy, amazed by our sudden and tre-
mendous increase of fire, first diverted his fire
to my battery, and then, unable to Withstand
the hail of bullets, broke madly from his safe
trenches and was mercilessly cut by fire from
these guns during his fight.
Although San Juan hill and fort had
fallen, triumph was by no means as
sured. The Spaniards had simply fallen
back to o second line, and from there
they opened a fearful fire upon the
Americans around their old trenches.
This was taken by the wise heads as
the precursor of a countercharge. Park
err at nee moved his guns forward at q
gallop and joined the skirmish line on
the very crest. In order to get room for
his Gatlings, he compelled the cavalry
skirmishers to give way right and left.
and, being shorthanded from loss Of
men, impressed soldiers of other com
mands to help work the pieces.
The Spanish oountercharge at San
Juan hill didn't take place. Parker
raked every hiding spot with bullets
for some time. About A o'clock a force
of Spaniards numbering 400 came into
view of to the right of the road where
Parker was. apparently aiming at the
salient III front Of the cavalry. The
range was about 600 yards. and after a
few revolutions of the bullet sifters the
enemy disappeared. At SHUTDOWN there