The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-10
TOLD AT SANTIAGO.

trees back of the line of tents used by the
staff officers. On the trunks of the trees,
held by nails, safety pins and whitfield sticks,
were small cracked mirrors, comb cases and
other toilet articles. Capt. Brice had no use
for the pocket mirror except to note the
progress of luxuriant growth of brilliant
reddish beard until the morning when Gen.
Miles was expected. Then he rose early and
put in most of the morning clipping, scrap
ing and shaving his beard. 1t was this
sacrifice which gave us the hint that some
thing unusual was to happen, and then we
noticed that Gen. Shafter and his military
family were stropping razors and bravely
enduring the fortunes imposed by imple-
ments rusted by the ever-present dampness
of the air.
1t is hardly probable that Gen. Miles can
know what Transformation his visit made
in the camp of the American army about
Santiago, and especially among the officers.
Many well-planned surprise for mother,
wife or sweetheart was crushed beneath the
necessity to look at the best and SO sacrifice
the luxuriant growth of beard. And Capt.
Brice was one of those who sacrificed his in
tended surprise that he might appear at his
best before the commander of the American
army.
But Capt. Brice came prominently to the
front when he, DR.. Goodfellow and DIR.
Sem were sent into Santiago, some days be-
fore the surrender, with wounded Spanish
prisoners. The Spanish officers met the lit
tie party of Americans at the white flag and
escorted them into the besieged city. There
they placed before them the best they had
to eat, drink and smoke, and for time the
war was forgotten. But at length the Span
ish officers began asking the reason for this
order, the motive for that maneuver, and
generally manifested strong desire to learn
all that was possible of the American tao
tics DR.. Goodfellow acted as interpreter,
but most of the questions were fired at Capt.
Brice
"You Americans have strange way Of
fighting" said one Spanish officer. "You
shoot, and then you come forward on the
run. But, tell me, what is the strange order
Your officers shout 'Johnson's breeches,'
and then the line of soldiers run forward.
What does tJohnson's breeches mean?"
This was poser. The Americans con-
ferred, but "Johnson's breeches" was term
not to be found in tactics or in the school of
the soldier. Suddenly it occurred to Brice
that the Spaniards had heard the order:
advance by rushes," and this proved to be
the fact. The dons had had that particular
order impressed on them deeply, for when
an American officer shouted advance by
rushes'' the American soldiers advanced
every time. When we all went into Santiago
the story of "Johnson's breeches" came out,
for Brice never tired of telling it.
Capt Brice is big man physically, and
one of the best hearted fellows in the world.
Military discipline sat easily on him, for he
never permitted military discipline to come
between himself and his friends, and once
or twice he came within an ace of a reminder
from the commanding general. When he
| called on Gen. Shafter, the day he left San
tiago for Havana, he said:
| Gen. Shafter, / perhaps have not been
| all you expected of me, but I think have
| done my full duty. Lam going away now,
and I have come to thank you for all you
have done for me- and to tell you, sir, that
your entire course here has met my full APP
i probation. You, sir. had the courage to
wait. When others, who had not your fore
sight and your mastery grasp of the situa-
ton, insisted that you should needlessly sac
rifice precious lives by attempting the I'M
necessary grand-stand play of carrying the
city by storm, you, sir, had the courage to
miles of captured territory and "a 1000 pris-
oners. $4,000 of whom never have seen an
| American soldier"
| 1t afterward was reported that Gen. Shat
ter was immensely tickled by Capt. Brice's
little speech.
Capt. Brice was strong upholder of the
! volunteer. He carried on long discussions
with the regular army officers and declared
| the mainstay of the army was the volunteers.
/ One night, just before the Seventy-first New
| York volunteers had been brought to the
| front, and while they were encamped on the
| Siboney trail, Capt. Brce and DIR. Good
fellow rode back to Sboney from Gen. Shat
ter's headquarters. On the way Capt Brice
held forth at great length on the American
/ volunteers and particularly on the Seventy
J first New York While in the heat of the
talk challenge, "Halt! Who goes there"
came out of the darkness. 1t came as
/ a surprise, for the enemy was miles in the
west, and between them and the place
whence the challenge came were two d.
visions of the American army. But Good
fellow and Brice drew rein Immediately, for
| it is not safe to be Sassy" on dark night
with an inquisitive sentinel.
friends and officers" cried Brice.
| advance, officer, and be identified"
| Brice slipped off his horse and stumbled
forward and over the rough trail to where
| PlChet Oh tue SeVeIty-ilISl NEW i ofk StoOu
with the business end of his Springfield look
ing Brice in the eye. The Identification over,
1 Brice mounted and resumed:
"Now there's an example of what said
There stood young volunteer. He was
taking no chances; he knew almost whole
army was between him and the Spaniards,
but he knew his duty and he did it. Would
| q reeular-'
"Halt. who comes there?'
friends and officers" replied Brice.
advance, one of you, and be identified"
! So the doctor slid off his horse and CROPPED
forward.
Nine times did the twain. in turn, dis
mount, prove their identity and mount again
before they passed the lines of the Seventy
first New York. The regiment had gone
into camp along the road and pickets were
posted every few hundred feet and each
picket challenged the two officers.
This 'do-your-duty-or-die policy is alto
gether too unanimous" said Brice after
reaching Siboney, and thereafter he had less
70 saw about tho volupto arc