[History of Negro Soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest by Edward A. Johnson]@TWC D-Link book
History of Negro Soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and Other Items of Interest

CHAPTER V
11/45

Woe to the Spaniards who showed themselves above the trenches when a colored regiment was in good range.

MAGNIFICENT SHOWING MADE BY THE NEGROES--THEIR SPLENDID COURAGE AT SANTIAGO THE ADMIRATION OF ALL OFFICERS.
They were led by Southern Men--Black Men from the South Fought Like Tigers and end a Question often debated--In only One or Two Actions of the Civil War was there such a loss of Officers as at San Juan.
[TELEGRAM TO COMMERCIAL.] WASHINGTON, July 6, 1898.
Veterans who are comparing the losses at the battle of San Juan, near Santiago, last Friday, with those at Big Bethel and the first Bull Run say that in only one or two actions of the late war was there such a loss in officers as occurred at San Juan hill.
The companies of the Twenty-fourth Infantry are without officers.

The regiment had four captains knocked down within a minute of each other.
Capt.

A.C.Ducat was the first officer hit in the action, and was killed instantly.

His second lieutenant, John A.Gurney, a Michigan man, was struck dead at the same time as the captain, and Lieutenant Henry G.Lyon was left in command of Company D, but only for a few minutes, for he, too, went down.


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