, 1900-10-11
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
ARE THE BEST FIGHTERS IN
THE WORLD.
Gen. Wheeler, tho Veteran OF Three
Wars So Declares IncIden of tho
san Juan Fight-A Confederate Hero
--Hravcry In Spanish War.

No man should be more capable Of
giving an estimate of the American
soldier than Brighten. Joseph Wheel
er, the veteran of three wars. In n re-
cent statement he says that the Amer
leans are the best fighters that the
world has ever produced. He says: |
witnessed a great deal of fighting dur
ing the civil war, but not any in which
the men on either side showed more
bravery than | have seen them exhibit
recently in Cuba and in the Philip
pines. Never shall | forget the occa-
sion when, yellow fever having broken
out in SibOney, the Twenty-fourth in
fantry volunteered to go back and
word, a plague ten times more terrify-
ing than n human enemy they could
be called upon to face in battle array.
Though very few, probably not over )
per cent, of the men who went to at
tack Santiago had been under fire be-
fore, they behaved like veterans. In
every case where they were ordered
to take a position they marched
against it with as much precision as
If on parade or executing
Each soldier seemed to feel it a privi-
lege to be there, and to be imbued with
a determination to conquer.
| have seen armies of other nations,
but the more opportunities | have to
compare them with our own soldiers.
the more impressed | have been with
the superiority of our own fighting
men. The Americans are the best
fighters in the world today-the best
the world has ever produced.
One of the most remarkable Incidents
of the San Juan fight had to do with
two officers of the Tenth Cavalry
Lieut.. William II. Smith and Lieut..
William +. ShipD. These young men
had entered West Point together. one
of them from North Carolina and the
other from Missouri. They were room
mates at the Point, and remained such
through the course of the Military
academy, entertaining for each other a
friendship more devoted than hat of
o brothers. Being graduated to-
gether each returned to his own home
and married. Both entered the same
regiment. renewing their intimacy.
HtS vent together INTO the Ddllle at
San Juan on July l, 1895, and both were
shot and killed in the same hour, fall
ing within a few yards of each other.
When the list of killed was printed in
the newspapers their names were con-
seCutive. Each left a widow and three
children.
To my notion the hero If the civil
war on the Confederate side was Sam
Davis. the scout. He was caught in
Tennessee with papers of importance
on his person and arrested. A young
fellow and Of fine appearance, his case
excited sympathy on the part of the
Federal authorities. and he was in
formed that if he would tell who gave
him the papers they would give him a
fine horse, with equipments. and a pis-
toll, and send him under safe escort to
the lines. He refused and was SEN
fenced to death as a spy. Up to the
very scaffold they begged him to yield,
urging that a mere boy like he ought
not TO sacrifice his life for such a trife,
but he shook his head and was hanged.
Gen. Dodge, who was in command of
the Federals. was so struck with ad-
miration at such noble fOrtitude that
he sent his W check for s25 as a ON
tribution to a fund for a monument to
the scout. with words of praise for his
character.