Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-18
Aliseellaneous &eaaing.
WHEELER'S WAR STORIES.
TO BE CONTINUED.

WHEELER'S WAR STORIES.
Tales of American Soldiers Told by "Fight-
Ing Joe."
By Brig. Gen. Joseph Wheeler.
When I went to West Point as a
cadet, in 1856, the first thing I did was
to report to Colonel Robert E. Lee,
who was at that time superintendent
of the military academy. Reaching
his Office, knocked at the door, and
when, in response to q summons
to "Come in" I entered, one of
of the handsomest men I ever saw rose
from a table, walked around it and put
a hand upon my shoulder in a kind and
fatherly manner. I told him that I
had come to report and, with few
pleasant words, he bade me welcome
and sent me along to the adjutant.
RECoLLECTIoNs OF GEN. R. E. LEE.
I never met the great leader of the
Confederacy during the war in which
we both served but my schoolboy
recoliections of him are even more
valuable to me on that account. He
was very dignified man and could be
stern on occasions; but extremely kind
hearted. His ideas of duty were in
flexible, and his son, Austin Lee, who
1t that time was a cadet at the Point,
was treated by him with no favorable
discrimination the fact, indeed, was
rather the opposite. Once the boy
got into serious trouble, and his entire
class had to come to his rescue with
persuasion and pledges in order to re.
deem him from punishment. Colonel
Lee remained at the Point for year
after went there, and was then made
a lieutenant colonel of cavalry.
FACING YELLOW FEVER.
I witnessed great deal of fighting
during the Civil war but not any in
which the men on either side showed
more bravery than I have seen them
exhibit recently in Cuba and in the
Philippines. Never shall I forget the
occasion when, yellow fever having
broken out at Slboney, the Twenty
fourth infantry volunteered to 60 back
and nurse the sick-to encounter, in a
word, plague ten times more terrify-
ing than any human enemy they could
be called upon to face in battle array.
Though very few, probably not over s
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 position they marched against
it with as much precision as if on pa
rade or executing mapeuvres. Each
soldier seemed to feel it privilege to
he there, and to be imbued with de-
teruination TO conquer.
ON PARADE IN BATTLE.
1t was the same way in the Philip
pines. 1 recollect in particular an in.
stance at Porac, in the capture of which
took part on the 28th day of last Sep.
rember. Six hundred men of the
Ninth infantry were ordered to take
d very strong position, to do which
they were obliged to advance 1900
yards through open fields, every step
of the movement being 10 such order
as if the troops we're at drill. have
seen armies of other nations but the
more opportunities I have had to COM
pare them with our own soldiers the
more impressed I 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.
A REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE.
One of the most remarkable Incl
dents of the San Juan fight had to do
with two officers of the Tenth cavalry
William II. Smith and
Lieutenant William E. Shipp. These
young men had entered West Point
together, one of them from North
Carolina and the other from Missouri.
They were roommates at the Point,
and remained such through the course
at the military academy, entertaining
for each other friendship more de-
voted than that Of most brothers. Be-
ing graduated together, each of them
returned to his own home and married.
Both entered the same regiment, re-
newing their intimacy. They went to-
gether into the battle of San Juan on
the first day of July, 1898, and both
were shot and killed in the same hour,
falling within few yards of each 9th
or. When the list of killed was printed
in the newspapers their names were
consecutive. Each of them left a
widow and three children.
A BABY WITH A FLAG OF TRUCE.
Speaking of touching incidents re-
minds me of one of the most pathetic
scenes witnessed in the Philippines.
When the insurrection began General
Luna, who was the comnander.in-
chief of the rebel armies, ordered all of
the native villages in the neighborhood
of the scene of hostilities to be burned
and drove the people before him.
After the capture of Tarlac and the
dispersion of the insdrgent troops, these
unhappy folks began to return to their
homes, and on my expeditions would
meet bodies of men, women and chill
dren, from half-a dozen to one hum
dred in a bunch, coming back. They
had been living in any way to pre-