The Washington bee., 1909-08-14
THE TENTH CAVALRY
From the Cleveland, Ohio, Plain
Dealer.

| IS angry because the COloTed troop
ers of the Tenth Cavalry are to be
assigned to Fort Ethn Allen, three
miles from Burlington. Burlington
does not want the colored soldiers in
such close proximity, does not want
the colored soldiers in such close
proximity, does not want them to
ride in the street cars, does not desire
to have anything to do with them.
Such is the reward rendered by this
Vermont town to the best and brav-
est body of troops tha has fought for
the United States since the close of
the Civil War.
The men of the Tenth cavalry are
the men who won the bloody battle Of
San Juan Hill To many Ameri-
cans the campaign of Santiago de
Cuba may appear a joke. But it was
no joke to the men who took part in
it. Ineficiently commanded, vilely
provisioned, enduring the fearful
heat of a Cuban summer, soaked by
unending rains, sick with fever,
tired, almost starving, the American
soldiers engaged in battle after bat
tie with an enemy of undoubted
bravery and ability. Not without
| complaint The ridiculous incapac-
ity of most of the leaders and the
vicious negligence of the war de-
partment were not overlooked by the
volunteers who were enjoying their
first taste of service. But if the
trained and hardened men of the
Tenth cavalry complained there is
no record of it.
San Juan Hill is on a low ridge
overlooking the San Juan Valley and
on it the Spaniards were entrenched
to block the approach of the Ameri-
cans to Santiago. At Fl Caney, on
the Spanish left. General Lawton
fought all day with force of Span
iards which he outnumbered FIVE to
one, and won only when most of the
enemy had been killed or wounded.
The main battle was at San Juan
ridge, where the slopes were covered
with wire entanglements, and the
summit crowned by block houses and
earthworks.
The Rough Riders" were in this
charge, undoubtedly. But the men
not Rough Riders who took part
in the fight, tell stories of how the
lovely combination of broncho bus
ters and kid gloved warriors from
5th avenue and Newport wavered
and would have broken had it not
been the example and support of the
black troopers of the Tenth. These
were the men who stormed the works
who never finched under the hottest
fire, who bore up the "Rough Riders"
and gained for them the credit of
winning the only important pitched
battle fought by American troops
since '65.
But the Tenth Cavalry had no one
to blow and brag about them. They
had no official press agent in high
place. Their commander wrote no
books about how he conquered Spain.
They have not held picturesque re-
unions; they have no been favored
applicants for federal jobs; they
have not even become drawing rom
heroes. They were merely profess
sional soldiers who did the work they
were paid for doing; and quite as an
incident, won the battle of San Juan
Hill.
Since the war the Tenth has been
here and there, and has just returned
from long and efficient service in the
Philippines. At Fort Ethan Allen
the men will not have much to do,
and will enjoy period of wei earn
ed rest
These are the men whom the sem
sitive people of Burlington object to
having as temporary neighbors. 1t
would be but a display of sense and
decency for Burlington to make a
festival to welcome the soldiers who
so we'll fought for the American
flag; who are above any others de-
serving of honor at the hands of the
Americans.