The Holly chieftain., 1904-11-04

THE OFFICIAL REPORT.
Colonel Roosevelt's official report,
found at pages II and ID Of Major
General Miles Supplementary Report,
1898, contains the following:
Accordingly We charged the block
house and entertainments on the hill
to our right against heavy fire. 1t
was taken in good style, the men OF
my regiment thus being the first to
capture any fortified position and TO
break through the Spanish lines
(Every word of that statement is abso-
lutely false) After captur-
ing this hill, we first Of all directed
heavy fire upon the San Juan hill to
our left, which was at the time being
assaiIed by the regular infantry and
cavalry, supported by Captain Park
.sr's Gatling gins. By the time San
3sAss-3'eSsxas taken a large force had rs
a :. .,...-,s az t.,Jsi4. we had PRENl-
dnl occupied by the cavalry was far
in the rear of'the Sap Juan~hills, and
the reports of the engineer officerssand
the official maps are unanimous that
1t contains no entertainments what
ever, and there is no record of its ever
having been occupied by the Spaniards.
A glance at the map will show how
pFepostefouS Is SOlOuei IOoSeNeIl
claim.
Colonel Roosevelt stated in an adj
dress to the National Guard Associa-
ton Of the State Of New York, on Feb
ruary Is, 1900 Opp. Sc, 81, Official Re
port, N. G.. n. ":
GAS for the San Juan fight. it would
be an exaggeration to say it was a
colOnePs fight. 1t was a squad lead
orc OH IN hp, haiy i,,f
umn knew what he was to do when the
column started. We moved forward
8gain, crossed the river and had TO
halt within range of the Spanish bat
teries OH the hills until we got the or
der to charge. More by consensus of
opinion than anything else we went
up and took the hill"
This is the official report OF this
speech to the National Guard, but in
the actual speech he admitted that he
did not see a Spaniard; that TREY did
not know that there had been battle
until it was over.
The position of the First Volunteer
Cavalry, half mile to the right of
the road to Santiago and behind Ket-
tie Hill, is Indicated BY the reports of
Leonard Wood, colonel, First U. S.
Volunteer Cavalry, and Z. A. Baldwin,
ieuteDant-coloncl, Tenth Cavalry (see
pages 1926 and 341, of General Miles
official report. These reports are YER
batim the same. One pla gari2es from
the other. AS General Wood was some
where in the rear, he was probably the
offender:
AFTER proceeding about half way
10 the San Juan Hill from Ell Pozol
the leading regiment Trough Riders
was directed to CHANGE THE d.
RECTION TO THE RIGHT. and by
moving up TO the creek to effect june
ton with General Lawton's division.
which was then engaged at Caney,
about mile and half toward the
right, but was supposed to be working
toward our right flank. After proceed
ing in this direction ABOUT HALF A
MILE, this effort to connect with Gen.
Lawton was given up, and the First
and Tenth cavalry We're formed for
attack on the EAST HILL, with the
Volunteer Cavalry as support"
Colonel Wood says in his report Of
July e (p. 3I2l: Our first objective
was the hill with n small red.roofed
house on it." UNcttlc HID
After the occupation of the San Juan
hills by the infantry. it became nee
cssary to create entertainments TO be
captured and Spaniards TO be killed
by the political colonel, and the only
WAY to do this was to make bristIlng
iortitication out of an old kettle that
had been loft behind by the infantry
hours before.
Colonel Egbert. Sixth Infantry. saws
III his Official report. pages 3G1-5: "Thc
San Lnnr Hill Qualifications being IN
pain view, about 400 yards distant,
M...' =. 1;:r righ. and IL PROLON.