Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-20
STORY OF CUBAN WAR
BROWN ADDRESSES
THE VERMONT ASSOCIATION.

Personal incidents of the campaign in
Cuba with the Rough Riders, under Col.
Roosevelt, in 1898, were related last even
ing by Henry A. Brown, chaplain of that
troop, at meeting of the Vermont State
Association of the District Of Columbia,
held in the parlors of the Washington Club,
ITO I street northwest. Chaplain Brown
talked for over an hour. and held the at
tention Of his audience to the close.
A brief business meeting was held, after
President Edward L. Temple raped for
order, following which Chaplain Brown
was introduced He opened the recital by
quoting from his talk with Bucky O'Neal
in Prescott, Ariz., when the regiment was
being formed. At that time he was asked
to be chaplain for the Rough Riders, but 1t
was some time afterward that he received
the appointment He Joined the others at
San Antonio. Tex. Soon after reaching
there he started out to find the headquar-
tiers of the regiment, to report for duty.
He said he finally located man whose
hair looked as If 1t had been shorn with
horse-clippers and the distinguishing fea-
lures Of whose face were the square jaw
and the teeth. He stepped up and intro
duced himself.
I'm Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt; but I'm too
busy to talk with you now" replied the flu
ture President.
Receives Advice.
When the chaplain met Col. Wood, that
officer said: your principal business will
be to tend to your own business. The
speaker regarded that as good advice.
1t was remarkable, Chaplain Brown said,
how everybody wanted to claim Roosevelt
as an acquaintance. He went to store in
the city, he said, to buy some clothes, and
the storekeeper recognized him as being of
You know Col. Roosevelt he said to
Chaplain Brown. II used to know him and
his family. too. His name used to be
Roosenstein. but he changed it to Roose-
velt."
In San Antonio the chaplain conducted
his first Sunday service, he said. At that
point in his address Chaplain Brown stated
that the men of the Rough Riders attended
the volunteer Sunday services almost to q
man during the campaign, and he added
that he heard less profanity and vulgarity
among the men of that regiment than
among the same number of men elsewhere.
From San Antonio the regiment moved
to Florida, and arrived at Tampa after
some delay. There was much wire pulling
among the companies there to see who
would go to Cuba, 1t was understood
that all could not go. When the orders
were finally issued and the companies that
were to go marched away, the chaplain
said. the men of the other companies wept
like children.
0reaCeSC OF Expeditions.
The expedition of transports and war
ships that sailed for Cuba was described
by the speaker as one of the grandest
sights he ever saw. In that connection he
told of an incident aboard the transport
A group Of men were talking of the expedi-
ton, and one remarked that it was the
greatest ever sent out from this country.
why, it's the greatest ever sent out by
any country" stated Happy Jack one Of
the leaders among the boys.
"Oh, no." interrupted man who had ap-
preached the group. THE Spanish armada
was larger
Happy Jack could not back down before
his admirers, and he replied after a mo-
ment's thought:
Don't you know that those old Bible
stories are not always authentic?'
Chaplain Brown told of the hardships ex-
perienced at the landing, with the breakers
twenty feet high, but he stated that the
soldiers finally got ashore without accident
and the regiments bivouacked for the night.
In the march up to the battle of La Quasi
mas Chaplain Brown was behind his regi-
ment. AS he followed the men, he stated,
he found the ground carpeted with the blan-
kets, knapsacks and even canteens which
the volunteer soldiers had thrown away.
The regulars would not do that, stated the
speaker, but the volunteers always do.
Carloads of such articles were thrown away
on that march AS he caught up with the
regiment which was fighting that first
"
Riders had been ambushed and cut to
pieces. He said he began to see wounded
men coming back from the front and soon
found eight dead colored soldiers lying in a
row. Then he realized that it was war.
Capt. Capron's Death.
After the first battle, he said he accom-
panied Col. Wood on trip to see the dead
and wounded. The first body they came
upon was that Of Capt. A.. X. Capron.
After turning back the blanket that COW
cred his face, Capt. Brown said, that
stern soldier, Col. Wood, put his head on
the chaplain's shoulder and wept. The
burials took place the next day, and every
man in the regiment knelt for the prayer
and later Joined in singing Nearer My
God, to Thee and Jesus, Lover of My
Soul" on that battlefield
The captain next told of the march on to
Ell Caney. He stated that he was standing
with Bucky O'Neal when the latter remark
ed that there was no bullet made to kill
him and blew a puff of cigarette smoke
from his lips, when Mauser bullet drove
between his lips and teeth and penetrated
his throat, coming out the back of his neck,
killing him instantly. He described other
scenes when bullets struck all about him.
The closing scenes the speaker passed over
quickly.
A vote in appreciation of the chaplain's
address was given and Mrs. N. D. Exnicios
delighted the audience by singing Angus
w Roerlai :Allab "