The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1904-06-09
The YicissItudes Of Fame

The discussion regardmg the charge
up San Juan hill still iattles along
merrily in the columns of the New
York Sun.
But as a matter of fact there is no
confusion about it. if we are content to
follow the sober chronicle of history
and the somewhat staid official reports
The San Juan range of hills is com
posed, of course, of several hills. The
San Juan Hill was the key to the sitn-
alton. Half mile to one side of it
was Kettle Hill. Let us dispose of the
latter first. At the base thereof were
four regiments of the regular army
and one of Rough Riders. Thes FIVE
regiments charged up Kettle Hill,
which was crowned by match box, a
chicken coop, a canary cage, or some
thing of the kind, guarded by some
Spaniards. The hill was charged and
captured and captured, and the Rough
Riders bore tgeir share in the ARRAY
and Col. Roosevelt was one of the
charging troops We do not believe
that he capture it with his own fair
hands or his own fair teeth, but he
doubtless had his sha. g in it. We have
lsan idea that the regular soldiers de-
serve some of the credit for it, and
that they would have captured it just
as easily if Roosevelt had remained in
Washington or at Oyster Bay. 1t was
very minor achievement that de-
serves to rank with Fred Funston's
wading of the Rag Time river.
The real feat that day was the capt
ure of San Juan Hill, and Col, Roose.
welt had no more to do with this than
the editor of the Commoner A critic.
al stage has arrived in the American
operations; and the easiest solution OF
the difficulty was to storm San Juan
Hill. This was planned and carried
out by the officers of the regular army.
The cherge was led byrGen. Sam Haw
kins and Col. Wykoff- The latter wa,
killed, and Hawkins carried the hill al
the head of his troops. The Rougl
Riders had nothing more to do with il
than the Mulligan Guards.
The capture of San Juan Hill was thu
decisive event in the campaign of San
tiago, and Hawkins was the actual here
OF it, and is so recognized in the off
cial reports which nobody ever reads
Unfortunately for Hawkins fame, ht
neglected to carry along with him
platoon of novelists. Possibly the,
, wouldn't have cared to go where b
was going that day anyway. 1t ma,
be that he forgot all about them. A
any rate, while he executed the decis
i've movements in the battle, and per
formed the most heroic act. he has ne
er secured any newspaper recognitio
and Col. Roosevelt, whose service
were no greater than those OF secon
lieutenant, has obtained all the jour
nalistic fame next to pure reading mai
ter.
The real hero of San Juan Hill ha
been promoted to the proud position {
: superintendent of a Washington hos
pital, and Col. Roosevelt with or with
out his consent is nearly everywhel
+ regarded as the hero of San Juan Hi
He came back to this country, and 9
: the said hero he was elected governo
: Of New York. Subsequently he b,
came vice-president on the strength o
Hawkins exploit. And when Mr.. NJ,
Kinley was assasinated, he becam
president.
! Now, if Justice had been done, Hav
kins would have been acclaimed I'll
hero of San Juan, as he was. On h
r return he would have been chosen go
ernor of of his State. Then no woul
i. have been been made -presiden
: and today he would be president of IL
. Uuited States. AS it is, the man VIII
s did it is superintendent of a hospit
y and the man who didn't do it is pres
dent of the republic. Commercial Al
peal.