Evening star., 1900-10-06
Hitherto Unpublished History Of Co.
b, First D. G. Volunteers.
FINE ENGINEERS AND BRAVE SOLDIERS
Captain LOCKER Recounts the Per-
formances of His Command.
PORTO RICAN CAMPAIGN

Of Columbia Volunteer Infantry which
was detached from the regiment while at
Tampa the 18th Of June, 1898, makes an
interesting story that has never before
been told in detail. Under Capt Henry B.
LOCKER, who is the surveyor Of the District
of Columbia, Company HI was placed on
special duty as an engineer company, and
later performed excellent work with the
expedition to Porto Rico under Gen. Miles.
Capt. LOCKER recounts the dispatch of his
command to Port Tampa and its encamp-
ment for a month on Picnic Island, where
instructions in engineering work were re-
ceived under Lieut.. Col. H. NJ. Chittenden,
chief engineer Of the 4th Army Corps, and
the concentrating and storing of vast
mass Of engineering equipment, valued at
some 100000 which was intended for the
Porto Rican expedition Of Gen. Miles.
This included pontoon bridge, about 25O
feetin length when constructed, as the
principal item. and so familiar did the men
of the company become with 1t that they
could build the entire bridge in forty min
utes. June. 49, 1898, the Provisional Bat
talon of Engineers was formed. consist
ing OF Captain Lockers company and
company Of picked men selected for their
special fitness for engineering duty from
all the companies Of the 1st Illinois Vol
unteer Infantry. which was also encamped
on Picnic Island, and whose courteous
treatment Of the District boys Captain
LOCKER acknowledges in high terms. The
battalion was under command Of Major J.
w. Sackett. 1st Florida Volunteer 1nfan-
try, an experienced civil and military engi-
neer. Captain LOCKER calls attention to the
Interesting fact that the commissioned off,
GERS, most of the non-cOmmissioned officers
and a large proportion OF the privates OF
one-half OF the provisional battalion were
drawn from the 9th Battalion, formerly the
Engineer Battalion. d. c. National Guard,
organized and drilled by Major Gilbert
Thompson, D. C. N. G.
For three weeks after Its organization
the battalion, under general control OF
Lieut.. Col w. NJ. Black, formerly District
Commissioner, who was chief engineer on
Gen. Miles staff. spent the time In con-
stant engineering drill bridge building
cask-raft building, loading and unloading
artillery. surveying the island as well as
the immense amount Of manual labor In
collecting and storing and then loading
aboard the transport Lampasas, the engi-
neering outfit for an army Of 10000 men.
The boys heard Of the destruction Of Ger
vera's fleet on July 4. and celebrated 1t
with a huge bonfire on the beach and pa
triotic exercises. The Lampasas sailed July
IA, and during the seven days required to
reach Santiago the men were drilled in
rife practice at Key West and flag signal
ing and deck drills while at sea-
Yellow fever at Santiago compelled the
Lampasas to 20 to Guantanamo bay and
there the Porto Rican expedition was found
assembled and awaiting the battalion.
Capt. LOCKER details the sailing Of the
expedition consisting of some fourteen
ships, on July %; reaching the southwest
ern Porto Rican coast July o. the sudden
change toward Guanica, as decided upon
by Gen. Miles in transit. and the dash Of
the Gloucester into the harbor to develop
its defenses. closely followed by the Nueces
and the Lampasas, which entered in the
order named as the Gloucester was shelling
the shore. '--,- .-.. ,
81" First to Reach the shore.
my company had been drawn up on the
starboard side Of the Lampasas while en-
tering the harbor.' says Capt. LOCKER. 'In
view Of the urgency Of the case 1 received
orders to get my men ashore as quickly as
possible, and no attention was paid by the
provisional battalion to the elaborate land
ing plan which had been prepared, which
presupposed time enough to get our feet
of large boats over the side. As but the
four lifeboats of the ship were available
for immediate use, they were filled to the
verge of swamping. The first boat to clear
the side was manned by part Of Company
H, and although the Nueces. containing the
regular artillerymen, had anchored much
nearer shore and had already started her
boats from the side, l wish to record the
fact admitted by all present, that the boat
carrying part Of the District OF Columbia
contingent reached the shore in advance OF
there present, and by dint Of extraordinary
energy and eagerness to get into action the
men Of Company H were the first OF the
American army to set foot on Porto Rican
soil: and of these Private Fred Stuehmann
was the first Individual The Illinois men
put their first boat ashore Immediately
thereafter Capt. Brown being the first COM
missioned officer of the battalion ashore.
the remainder Of the battalion was landed,
the whole movement being under fire OF
Spanish troops. who did not, however, sue
ceed in injur1ng any one in the boats. The
moment enough men were landed 10 eHect
an organization the battalion was thrown
out on the firing line, Capt. Brown taking
the right and my company the left or
broad plain east of the village, through
men clearing away the barbed wire fences
with machetes. which form handy addi-
ton to the equipmenD, we advanced about
half a mile to a point opposite the village
Of Guanica proper. as aistlngu,sneo gus. IN irH tha
shore, Lieut.. Col. Black meanwhile with
a squad Of my men going straight up the
road to the village end thoroughly search
ing for concealed rifiemen' and also enter
ing the barracks or government headquar-
ters few moments after the hight OF the
Spanish officers.
Awaiting an Attack.
"search was made here for papers tend
ing to show the force of the enemy IN the
vicinity, but without result. l heard no
firing by the enemy during our advance TO
the village which was evacuated by them
on our approach-and nothing of the enemy
was seen or heard for the remainder OF the
day and not until late in the night, when
reconnaissance by Maj. Webb c. Hayes OF
Gen. Garretson's staff developed the exist
ence of a large force at the Hacienda SAN
ia Decidera Of Senior Maniani. Being halt
ed and under what cover was AFFORDED by
small vegetation. opposite the village,
every precaution being taken to prevent
being surprised by volley from excellent
cover in our immediate front, received or
ders to form a company on the road to my
left and march at once to the support OF
Mai Day. In command Of all the regular
artillery troops then ashore. who had oc-
cupied an advanced position at a fork of
the road slig ltly ahead OF us. as far out
as he deemed 1t prudent to proceed until
the 9th Illinois and 9th Massachusetts,, un-
der Garretson. could be brought up. and
especially until light battery could be
placed so as to command the open country
ahead of us. Maj. Day had just received
what he believed certain information that
body Of some 500 Spanish regulars were
forming for attack upon our thin line under
cover Of hill three-Quarters Of mile to
our left and front. He had one company,