The Ordway new era., 1914-01-30

lnb.Q &l heights toward where lay
kS8MI the Spanish rifiemen de-
TNN Tending Santiago de Cuba.
At what since came to
be known as Bloody
Bend" In the path OF the American
advance there was a break In the
foliage. Directly in the line of the
Spanish fire 1t lay. And SO thick was
the jungle that the advancing troops
had to cross this open space.
Unframed in warfare. many un-
trained even In what is now regarded
as primary principles of combat, brave
but untaught and unprepared as
Americans ever have been in the
earlier stages of their wars. the new
enlisted men from New York and
Michigan and Oklahoma and Arizona
and all the union met here the su-
preme test
Scores fell before the enemy's fire.
What was needed most was intelligent
leadership, and skilled leaders were
rwoefully few. The sacrifice OF life
went on, for lack of knowledge to
cope with an unexpected military sit
uation. s5--
There came on the scene First
Lieut.. Albert L. Mills. First United
States cavalry, holding rank as cap
tain and assistant adjutant general OF
volunteers. and attached to the stan
of General Shafter. Four years at
West Point and 10 years as subal-
tern officer of cavalry serving in the
far westward. studious. working
years-united with natural capacity
and fitness, had made him cool. re-
sourceful. skillful. trained military
leader. He knew the business of war.
At once he began to bring order out
of chaos. He showed the men how
to take cover. He directed return
fire. The advance. temporarily check
ed. was resumed.
Then a Spanish bullet crashed
through his head II tore away one
eye and temporarily blinded the other.
But he refused to leave the spot where
he was SO urgently needed. Sight
less. bloody bandage wound about
his brow. he remained and continued
his work of directing the troops as
they came along.
The scene has been perpetuated in
picture and in written description. II
stands out as one of the most vivid
and splendid Incidents OF the war of
1898. u.
For distinguished gallantry In ac-
tion near Santiago de Cuba. July 1,
1898. In encouraging those near him
by his bravery and coolness after be-
ing shot through the head and entire
u without sight" That Is the nota-
tion on the record In the war depart
ment in explanation Of the award OF
the congressional medal of honor to
this officer
I Was he any more brave than scores
/and hundreds of others who partici-
pated In the operations at Santiago?
Probably not. but he. better than SO
many others. knew how to do the Job
which the American forces had set
iout to accomplish on that day. 1t
was his knowledge. his military skill.
quite as much as his coolness and his
disregard of his own sufferings, that
brought him distinction.
The government at Washington.
these lessons fresh In itsmind, con-
cluded that the man who had done
what Mills had done at Bloody Bend
was the sort of man needed to train
future army officers. So. advancing
him to the rank OF colonel, the war
department In the autumn of 1898.
whom his one remaining eye had
healed. sent him to West Point as
superintendent Of the finest military
academy in the world. There he re-
mained for eight years.
In 1904 he was advanced to the
grade Of brigadier general. Now. after
two years of departmental command
In the Philippines and three years OF
Alike duty In the department of the
gulf. general Mills is back at his old
occupation of supervising the training
of young Americans in the business
of war.
But 1t is In \ larger field. Instead
of directing the intensive training oi
several hundred prospective onicers Of
the regular army he is in charge oi
the federal activities that assist the
National Guards OF the various states
In attaining military proficiency. Ap
proximately 100000 National Guards
men are the material with which he
is working. 1t is a larger force than
the regular army.
Something ingrained in the fiber ol
English-speaking peoples makes them
opposed to the maintenance of large
standing armies. They ever have pre-
ferred to put their dependence in q
citizen soldiery. But modern condi
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