And State Papers 73 



are here. On the day before the San Juan fight, 

 when we were marched up into position, the officers 

 with whom I was, lost connection with the baggage 

 and food, and I, for supper that night, had what 

 Colonel Mills gave me. And the next morning 

 Colonel Mills was with another West Pointer, gal 

 lant Shipp, of North Carolina. The next morning 

 we breakfasted together. I remember well congrat 

 ulating myself that my regiment, a raw volunteer 

 regiment, could have, to set it an example, men like 

 Mills and Shipp, whose very presence made the men 

 cool, made them feel collected and at ease. Mills 

 and Shipp went with our regiment into action. 

 Shortly after it began Shipp was killed and Colonel 

 Mills received a wound from which no one of us 

 at the time dreamed that he would recover. I 

 had at that time in my regiment, as acting second 

 lieutenant, a cadet from West Point. He was hav 

 ing his holiday; he took his holiday coming down 

 with us, and just before the assault he was shot, 

 the bullet going, I think, into the stomach, and 

 coming out the other side. He fell, and as we 

 came up I leaned over him, and he said, "All right, 

 Colonel, I am going to get well." I did not think 

 he was, but I said, "All right, I am sure you will/' 

 and he did; he is all right now. There was never 

 a moment during that time, by day or by night, 

 that I was not an eyewitness to some performance 

 of duty, som,e bit of duty well done, by a West 

 Pointer, and I never saw a West Pointer failing 

 in his duty. I want to be perfectly frank, gentlemen ; 



