Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-25
RAP AT ROOSEVELT
Senate Throws Out His EuIogy
of Gen. Hawkins.
MISTAKE, SAYS M'cUMBER
Thereupon Letter Is Taken From the
Printed Records and Re-
turned to Committee.

Walked right in and turned around
and walked right out again was the
course in the Senate taken by the letter
Of ex-President Roosevelt Iauding Brig
Gen. Hamilton 8. Hawkins long a resi-
dent of this city.
Senator du Pont presented the Roose-
welt eulogy. of Gen. Hawkins to the Sem
ate. to have it printed. but the clerks
the committee on pensions on a bill to
grant Mrs. Hawkins. the widow Of the
general. a pension OF 500 per month
But it develops that the senator's on the
committee on pensions had not accepted
Mr.. Roosevelt's word for the courage dis
played by Gen. Hawkins in battle
Senator McCumber, chairman of the
pensions committee. rose in his place in
the Senate as soon as he discovered the
report in the Record, explained that a
mistake had been made and asked that
the Roosevelt letter be given back to
the committee. The record of it will,
therefore, be stricken from the perma :
nent Congressional Record, and the
printed reports in the document room
containing the letter have been with
drawn.
Mr.. Roosevelt's eulogy of Gen. Haw-
kins, strongly Rooseyeltian in charac-
ter. was written out of his own expert
ence.
What Col. Roosevelt Says.
Il was in the same army during the
Santiago campaign and was an eyewit.
ness Of Gen. Hawkins actions," Col.
Roosevelt said. II was ranking officer
at the front among the dismounted cav
airy who took Kettle hill, and after
ward the right portion of the San Juan
ridge. and from Kettle hill we were
eyewitnesseS of Gen. Hawkins charge
on the San Juan bl0ckhouse and the in
trenchmentS around 1t, and We kept up a
rife fire on the Spaniards in the trenches
until the foremost Americans were so
near the trenches that we dared not any
longer shoot.
"Gen. Hawkins at the time of the San.
tiago campaign saw men who were his
juniors in rank promoted above him, but
he made no complaint; on the contrary he
gladly took charge of the brigade ASSIGNED
his whole duty. His opportunity came ir
the assault on Santiago, where his bri-
gade performed the most notable feat of
the day. 1t was part of the left wing
of the army which was under Gen.
Wheeler: having been put across a little
river this left wing was marched toward
the right a half or three-quarters of a
mile from the Spanish entertainments OH
lilS lilS, 0PpoASh WttA tAA.' ANoo -
connecting with the right wing under
Gen. Lawton, which was engaged at Ell
Caney.
'0The Spaniards opened fire from the
trenches and the brigades composing tha
left wing were brought to halt by tLis
fire. and finally, as far as know with
out any general order, moved forward to
the attack on the trenches. The most
important point of the attack was that
portion of the San Juan range of hills
upon which was situated what we called
the San Juan bleckhouse and the trench
es surrounding it. This point was at
tackled by Gen. Hawkins with the 9Th
and 18th regiments Of United States in
fantry, assisted. as understand, by other
troops.
"sen Hawkins led his two regiments
himself in the charge, in the course Of
u,hich they lost between oIle-fourth and
cne-affh Of their numbers, took them
Straight up the hill, and drove the Span
iards at the point Of the bayonet out OF
The hlockhouse and trenches, thus taking
the most important point In the line OF
defense taken by the army that day:
"C,en. Hawkins showed signal gallantry
and eficiency, and think that his deed
marked him out as standing In a unique
noeition among his comrades that day In
the heaviest fight In which the army was
engaged during the entire war with Spain,
and the war In the Philippines after
: rard0