The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-01
GALLANTRY IN ACTION.
Gained Former First GeOrGians Rec
ommendatfon. for Promotion.

/ Capt owen T. Kenan of the Twenty
mimi Volunteer Infantry has been recon-
mended for promotion 10 the rank OF bre-
/ vet major. His gal.antry in action at
I san Mateo. where Gen. Lawton was
I killed gained the recommendation for
/ him. Some months ago the Morning News
/ had an account of this battle which was
| gained from a letter written Col.Jordan
! +. Brooks by Capt Kenan.
| Col Sargent and Maj. Hawthorne both
1 recommended that Capt Kenan be adj
/ vanced in rank 1t will be recalled that
/ C0Ft. Kenan. who is from Macon. was a
| maj in the First Georgia Regiment dur
/ ing the war with Spain. After the mus
/ ter out of that command he secured an
appointment as captain in one of the inn
mune regiments, which position he held
until the muster out of the regiment.
I Later. when the additional volunteer force
was organized he secured an appointment
as captain in the Twenty-ninth. and it is
70 his old rank of major that he is now
likely to rise.
Capt. Kenan, it will be recalled by those
who read the story he sent of the battle
of San Mateo was wounded in the abdo-
men, though very slightly, his belt buckle
preventing the bullet from making an
entrance into the body. He fell, but soon
arose, recovering from the shock of the
blow, and led his men through the rest of
the Tight
The Army and Navy Journal speaks of
the gallantry displayed by Capt. Benan
and others, two paragraphs from the pa
per being as follows:
For the gallantry and pluck displayed
by Capt Kenan in the fight after being
wounded he is recommended for a brevet
as major L. S. V. For fearless and gal
liant conduct in the fight the report rec
ommends First Sergeants Frank Clutches,
II. and William B. Bonham, f, Twenty
ninth Infantry, for commission as second
lieutenants in the volunteer forces. Both
of these soldiers were as fearless and gal
liant and brave as it was possible for men
to be- The American casualties were l
killed, 8 wounded and 1 missing.
Mel. Hawthorne's report accompanies
Col. Sargents'. In discussing the work of
mis- battalion he says: A bullet struck
Capt Owen T. Kenan, Twenty ninth Vol
unteer Infantry, in the abdomen, though
luckily, being Il slanting blow did not
penetrate his body, but remained fast in
his waist belt. The blow was a severe
one, but yet in spite of his pain this officer
in few minutes resumed control of his
company, at the time under heavy
fire. l call your attention to this special
act of gallantry with the respectful re
quest that you recommend owen T. Ke-
nan for brevet as major, U. S. v"
First Sergeant Bonham, mentioned
above is a brother of Mr.. Frank Bon
ham, formerly of Savannah. Mr.. Frank
Bonham served in the Second Georgia
during the war with Spain as first ser
geant of Company L. Sergt. W. B. Bon
ham was first sergeant of Company of
the First Georgia during the Spanish war,
and be will be readily recalled by all
who served in that regiment and by many
others to whom he was known. He paid
several visits 10 his brother in Savanna h
before the call for volunteers was made,
and in this way he became known to a
number of Savannahians and was well
liked.
A performance of Sergt w B. Bon
hams that attracted considerable atten-
ton was his leading his company across
a stream in the Philippines, while a fierce
fire was directed against them by the
Filipinos. He was the first man in the
water and the first out on the opposite
shore. For this he was commended, and
the brave deed had much to do with the
recommendation for his promotion to a