SAN JUAN HILL
By General John J. Pershing
Santiago, Cuba, was the center of some of the heaviest fighting of the Spanish-American War. The Spanish fleet had taken refuge from the American fleet in Santiago Harbor. The Spanish army had been concentrated there to protect their fleet. The American army, under the general command of Major General Shafter, invested the city. The following extract describes picturesquely the fighting three days before the Spanish fleet put to sea.
On June 30th the general order came to move forward
and every man felt that the final test of skill at arms
would soon come. The cavalry division of six regiments,
camped in its tracks at midnight on El Pozo Hill, awoke
next morning to find itself in support of Grimes' Battery,5
which was to open fire here on the left.
The morning of July 1st was ideally beautiful, the sky
was cloudless and the air soft and balmy, peace seemed to
reign supreme, great palms towered here and there above
the low jungle. It was a picture of a peaceful valley. 10
There was a feeling that we had secretly invaded the Holy
Land. The hush seemed to pervade all nature as though
she held her bated breath in anticipation of the carnage.
Captain Capron's field guns opened fire upon the southern
field at El Caney and the hill resounded with echoes. 15
Then followed the rattle of the musketry of the attacking
invaders. The firing in our front burst forth and the
battle was on.
The artillery duel began and in company with foreign
military attachés and correspondents we all sat watching
the effect of the shots as men witness any friendly athletic
contest, eagerly trying to locate the enemy's smokeless
batteries. A force of insurgents near the old Sugar Mill
applauded at the explosion of each firing charge, apparently 5
caring for little except the noise.
Now and then a slug of iron fell among the surrounding
bushes or buried itself deep in the ground near us. Finally
a projectile from an unseen Spanish gun disabled a Hotchkiss
piece, wounded two cavalrymen, and smashed into the 10
old Sugar Mill in our rear, whereupon the terrorized insurgents
fled and were not seen again near the firing line until
the battle was over.
When the Tenth Cavalry arrived at the crossing of San
Juan River our observation balloon had become lodged in 15
the treetops above and the enemy had just begun to make
a target of it. A converging fire upon all the works within
range opened upon us that was terrible in its effect. Our
mounted officers dismounted and the men stripped off at
the roadside everything possible and prepared for business. 20
We were posted for a time in the bed of the stream
directly under the balloon, and stood in the water to our
waists awaiting orders to deploy. Standing there under
that galling fire of exploding shrapnel and deadly Mauser
bullets the minutes seemed like hours. General Wheeler 25
and a part of his staff stood mounted a few minutes in the
middle of the stream. Just as I raised my hand to salute
in moving up the stream to post the leading squadron of
my regiment, a piece of bursting shell struck between his
horse's feet and covered us both with water. 30
Pursuant to orders, with myself as guide, the second
squadron of the Tenth forced its way through wire fence
and almost impenetrable thicket to its position. The regiment
was soon deployed as skirmishers in an opening
across the river to the right of the road and, our line being
partly visible from the enemy's position, their fire was
turned upon us and we had to lie down in the grass a few 5
minutes for safety. Two officers of the regiment were
wounded; here and there were frequent calls for the surgeon,
but no order came to move forward. Whatever may have
been the intention of the commanding general as to the
part to be played by the cavalry division on that day, the 10
officers present were not long in deciding the part their
command should play, and the advance began.
White regiments, black regiments, regulars and rough
riders, representing the young manhood of the North and
South, fought shoulder to shoulder unmindful of race or 15
color, unmindful of whether commanded by an ex-Confederate
or not, and mindful only of their common duty as
Americans.
Through streams, tall grass, tropical undergrowth, under
barbed-wire fences and over wire entanglements, regardless 20
of casualties, up the hill to the right this gallant advance
was made. As we appeared on the crest we found the
Spaniards retreating only to take up a new position farther
on, spitefully firing as they retired and only yielding their
ground inch by inch. 25
Our troopers halted and lay down for a moment to get
a breath and in the face of continued volleys soon formed
for attack on the blockhouses and intrenchments on the
second hill. This attack was supported by troops including
some of the Tenth who had originally moved to the left 30
toward this second hill and had worked their way in groups,
slipping through the tall grass and bushes, crawling when
casualties came too often, courageously facing a sleet of
bullets, and now hugging the steep southern declivity
ready to spring forward the few remaining yards into the
teeth of the enemy. The fire from the Spanish position
had doubled in intensity until the popping of their rifles5
made a continuous roar. There was a moment's lull and
our line moved forward to the charge across the valley
separating the two hills. Once begun it continued dauntless
in its steady, dogged, persistent advance until like a
mighty resistless torrent it dashed triumphant over the 10
crest of the hill, and firing a final volley at the vanishing
foe, planted the regimental colors on the enemy's breastworks
and the Stars and Stripes over the blockhouse on
San Juan Hill to stay.
This was a time for rejoicing. It was glorious. 15
—From an address given in
Chicago, November 27, 1898.
1. When was the Spanish-American War fought? Why? What were its greatest battles? Tell how each of the following figured in this war: Dewey, Sampson, Schley, Shafter, Wheeler, Roosevelt.
2. Imagine yourself in Lieutenant Pershing's place on the field of battle. Describe the engagement.
3. Report briefly from notes taken on outside reading on the battle of Manila Bay, or the cruise of the Oregon, or the destruction of the Spanish fleet off Santiago.
4. General John Joseph Pershing was born in Missouri, September 13, 1860. He was graduated from the West Point Military Academy; served in a number of Indian campaigns, was a military instructor; served with the Tenth Cavalry in the Cuban campaign, 1898, and in the Philippines, 1899-1903; commanded the U. S. troops in pursuit of the bandit Villa in Mexico in 1916; was in command of the American Expeditionary Forces in the World War. If possible, read an account of Pershing's early life and report on it in class.