Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-01-04
DOOM OF FORT SAN JUAN

off toward the Ell Caney road Parker
took his gnns up the hill, and, under
the direction of cavalry officers, used
them with good effect. 1t was believed
at the time that the Spaniards were
ready for counter attack. The Ninth
cavalry on the right of the line, being
only one battalion strong, asked for help
from the infantry, and finally Kent sent
to its assistance some of the blockhouse
victors--namely, the Thirteenth infan-
try.
As San Juan blockhouse was situated
on the crest of the bridge no advance
was made by Wikoff S and Hawkins
troops. They intrenched the line from
the San Jnau road the Sixth cavalry
position, southwark, using for this work
the Krag Jorgensen bayonet, which is
simply very heavy knife with blade
about an inch and half wide. Haw-
kins' brigade, which had lost the heavi-
est Of any in climbing the hill and was
also weakened by the detection of some
hundreds of volunteers, had been
strengthened early in the day by the
Twenty first infantry from Pearson s
Second brigade. This regiment had been
detached by General Kent to assist
Hawkins, but owing to the crowded
road had not got into position in time to
charge with the Sixth and Sixteenth.
However, it lost under the fire at the
creek and also in ascending the hill
close upon the heels of the other regi-
ments.
Meanwhile what Of the crest south.
west of the blockhouse, the region
which seems to have been most easy for
attack by the Spaniards? Kent's Second
brigade, under Pearson, as before stated,
had orders to rest its left upon a green
knoll on the same ridge with block.
house 600 yards south. With that Pear
sons orders stopped. When this bri-
gade, consisting of the Second and
Tenth, crossed the creek, the fire had
somewhat abated. Still the battle was
roaring on the right and men were drop
ping all around. Wikoff was lying dead
in the bed of the stream. In order to
advance it was necessary to break the
line into columns of tours. The water
was two to three feet deep and the
banks lined with thick brush. Entering
the field, the column was struck by
heavy fire, but il swept on, passing San
Juan blockhouse on the left of Wikoff's
and Hawkins troops, driving the Span
iards from hill to hill to their trenches
over the crest Taking position on the
crest at distance varying form 400 to
1000 yards from the advanced Spanish
trenches and batteries, the brigade held
out against a terrible fire. The men lay
down under the shelter of the crest and
fired steadily, not having time to in
trench
The experience of Pearson is an ex-
ample of the complications that may
impel subordinate to anticipate his
chief After the brigade had established
itself on the front line, TO the left of
the captured blockhouse, one of Kent's
aids came up with an order to Pearson
to make the very move he had already
carried out. During the day Kent had
modified his original orders to Pearson.
If is of course impossible to depict
the condition of the troops in the line
when night closed in Words fail to ex-
press it The heat was awful; the men
were soaked through and through; they
had had no food since morning and no
prepared meal then and had none that
night, excepting in few cases where
packs were brought up from the bed Of
Continued next week.