Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-20

From the accounts popularly accept
ed of the charge up San Juan hill one
CLEANS that the rough riders, led by
their colonel initiated and carried
home the charge. clinching the victory
by heroic defense of the crest. This is
not the view of the officers and soldiers
outside of the rough riders. The regi-
ment did well-for volunteer regiment
unusually well-but deserves no more
praise than the others. After describing
the march down the road to the San
Juan river Roosevelt tells in two Off
cial reports and in his magazine narra-
tive how the charge originated and the
part the rough riders took in it. In his
magazine story he says az sent mes
senger after messenger to try to find
General Sumner or General Wood and
get permission to advance and was
just about making up my mind that in
the absence of orders | had better
march toward the guns. when Lieu
tenant Colonel DOrst came riding up
through the storm Of bullets with the
welcome command to move forward
and support the regulars in the assault
in the hills in front.
Roosevelt says that the instant he re-
ceived the order his CROWDED hour be-
gan. He formed the regiment in col
umn of Troops, deployed in skirmishing
order, and took his place with the rear
Somehow-the reason given is not clear
he forged his way to the front of his
own regiment. The Ninth cavalry was
in frcnt, the First regulars in the left of
the rough riders In his narrative the
colonel says. ''And these went up 'Ket-
tie hill with my regiment. kettle
hill is the name given 10 the outlying
spur of the ridge which was first cap
tured Roosevelt's first report is not SO
clear as his second. and this last states
distinctly "We charged the blockhouse
and intrenchments on the hill to our
right against heavy fire. 1t was taken
in good style, the men of my regiment
thus being the first to capture any for
titled position and to break through the
Spanish lines =
This statement is in the report dated
July 20, and from similar verbal ones
probably originated the extravagant
claims made for the rough riders. Get
ting into position. Roosevelt says he
waved his hat and gave the order to
charge the hill in front-that is, "Ket-
tie" hill. This is his literal statement
of what followed:
"Out of my sight. over ON the right,
Captains McBlain and Taylor of the
Ninth made up their minds independ-
emily to charge first about this time,
and almost at the same moment Colo
nels Carroll and Hamilton, who were
off, | believe. to my left, where we
could neither see them nor hear their
men, gave the order to advance. But of
all this | knew nothing at the time
The whole line, tired of waiting and
eager to close with the enemy, was
straining to go forward, and it seems
that different parts slipped the leash at
almost the same moment. The First
cavalry came up just behind and partly
mixed with my regiment and the
Ninth. > Having previously stated in
this narrative that the Ninth and First
went up "Kettle" hill with the rough
riders, it is clear that Roosevelt claimed
too much in his official report in saying,
my regiment thus being the first to
capture any fortified position.
The real difficulty is to find among
all the statements just what the rough
riders did as regiment. There was
gallant work and heavy loss. Roosevelt
carries the narrative to critical point,
then rambles off into statements of
what the Ninth or Tenth or First or
Third regulars did One may CLEAN
from his account that the Tenth cavalry
actually led the charge ON "Kettle'
hill. but farther on the verbose colonel
says that the guidons of some of his
Troops were first planted on the hill In
the same sentence he says. ION the ex-
treme right Of the hill, at the opposite
end from where we struck it, Captains
Taylor and McBlain and their men Of
the Ninth were first up Now the
right of the hill was where the house.
miscalled blockhouse by Roosevelt,
stood 1t was not a blockhouse. There
were some trenches. but the Spaniards
made no defense The loss sustained by
the charging columns was due to firing
from the main ridge. kettle hill was
not in the Spanish line of defense, but
was an outwork, and its capture did
not constitute break in the enemy's
line, as claimed by Roosevelt
The capture of "Kettle" hill was gal
lantly done, and it was timely, for it
proved a vantage ground for attack ON
the real Spanish positions beyond it
But the rough riders seem to have had
no specially brilliant part in it. The
regiments place was on the right of
the second line. Roosevelt and the two
companies with him went mp the left
or southeast knee of the hill; hence
marched obliquely across the field. 1t
was said in camp that Roosevelt lost his
bearings and, mistaking San Juan fort
for the red house on ''Kettle' hill,
practically abandoned his regiment.
For this reason he deals in generalities
in his report, and really accounts for
but four of his eight troops, two only
of these being with him personally
The most important events of the day
for the cavalry followed the capture of
'Kettle" hill Roosevelt's S first report
says: when the men got their wind,
we charged again and carried the sec
ond line of intrenchments with rush
| Swinging to the left, we then drove tho
! Spaniards over the brow of the chain Of
] hills fronting ON Santiago. Bearing in