The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-11-03

CATION or TIE ROAD on
WHICH WE STOOD was another
hill Surmcmtcd hy Il large painted
house, This is the Hill SuBSE.
QrENTLI captured 10y the cavalry
division ana opposite to which their
lines extended. though they We're not
in sight from the road
This WAS the first opportunity Of
fcred to efficiently carry out General
Hawkins order 10 cniiladc the san
Juan lIill, upon which my regiment
and The detachment of the Sixteenth
how opened Il hot fire, TO which the
trenches responded, and this CONTIN.
UED FOR AN HOUR. Ii Will be OBJ
served that except FOR Captain Whit
all'S detachment OF the Sixteenth THE
ALONE IN its attack on the San Juan
Hill.
Here the Sixth remained. contend
ing with the hill FOR ABOUT AN
HOUR, but as we were particularly
hidden by the hedge and protected by
road trench (sunken road our cas-
ualticS Were not heavy. At the same
was ipN WIN Oui po-
sition on the road, which, being OBJ
lique TO the hill, gave only an oblque
and comparatively not effective fire.
| therefore concluded 10 advance the
regiment into the field of high grass
and weeds lying between our present
position and the San Juan blockhOuse
- AS they drew nearer We dis
tinguiShed the tall hSurc Of General
Hawkins, with his aid, Lieutenant
ord, Sixth Infantry. charging at the
head Of the sk.rmisherS and waving
their hats. As soon rs this
could be stopped by signal the min
glcd troops of the Sixth, Sixteenth,
Thirtecnth and Twenty-fourth swept
up and over the hill and it was won,
Captain Charles Byrne's Company T.,
and Captain kennon's Company Il, of
the Sixth, being among the foremost,
If not actually the very first, on tie
summit
Captain Whitall, of the Sixteenth In
fantry, says in his report, page 2S5:
During the entire action, from the
| time General Hawkins ordered my
| company forward, l never received a
command from any one until after my
| company had carried the colors to the
| blockhouse, where it was the first flag
on the San Juan Hill. AT the time Of
my arrival at the blOckhouse on the
crest Of the hill | could see no other
| men there but those of my company
and a few men from other companies
| of the regiment
Lieutenant Stedman, of the Six
tcenth Infantry, says, in his official
| report page 2S2): Il here ascertained
that the other companies of my battal-
ion were to my left, IN THIS SUNK
| EN- ROAD. / moved my company to
| the left ana went through an opening
in wire fence, which had been cut
by Cuban, who was very prominent
in the first charge. This was about
thirty PAGES from the crossing of the
creek. This put me on the right of the
front line that started 10 make the
charge across this open space. the
companies consisting of A, ID, L, c,
and G, Sixteenth Infantry.
| II led my company across this open
space some GOO yards. and the charge
was made directly in front of THE
trench occupied by the enemy. That
was little TO the left Of the block.
house directly fronting us, ana on the
crest of the hill, THE ONLY FORTI.
FLED FIELD WORRIES near this
| blockhOuse."
Captain l.. W. V. Kennon. of the
Sixth Infantry, says in his official re.
port page 2SSj: Our artillery fire hav.
ing ceased, Company l. went up the
hill, and was the first organization of
our army to reach the summit and the
fort. A number of enlisted men of
other companies Joined in the advance
and reached the crest with us. At this
time there were few Spaniards in the
blockhouse and in The trenches to the
TANKS, but the greater part were in the
rear Of the fort, retreatlng to a position
In rear"
General Kent says In his official re-
port page 1861: General Hawkins