Lt. Eli Al. Helmick of the 10th U. S.
Infantry
Writes Home Just Before the
Battle of San Juan Hill
Contributed by Florence West
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Click
here to read a letter to Lt.
Helmick's wife, written by Capt. Robert Van Vliet, also of the 10th U.
S. Infantry
General:
The following notes were written by Eli Helmick just before the 10th U.S.
Infantry took part in the action at San Juan Hill, on the far west end of
the line. Helmick eventually became a major general in the U. S. Army, and
Inspector General of the U. S, Army from 1921 to 1927. The text is
interesting in that it shows the feeling and attitude just before the
battle.
The Letter:
"June 30th
“It is the night before the battle, and I am writing hurriedly for it
is late, and we are to get out early tomorrow morning. No one
knows what will take place tomorrow, but that we will do something seems
certain. The men are singing and raising a great racket; you would
not think to hear them that we are on the eve of a possible
battle. Curiously, I do not feel at all nervous or excited.”
July 1st
“The regiment broke camp at 6:45 o’clock, A.M., and advanced slowly
along the road to the front. We could hear firing to our
right. It was Lawton at El
Caney. About 11 o’clock A.M. we halted opposite one of our
batteries which was firing on a Spanish position to our right and
front. Shells from the Spanish field guns came close over our
heads, or certainly seemed to do so. I was mounted on Sport, my
big bay horse, and for once I would like to have been on a pony. I
hoped the colonel would dismount, but he did not, and I could not.
The Spanish shells were falling to the rear of our battery position
where an old gray mule was quietly browsing about, not the least
disturbed by the shells. How I envied his quiet unconcern.
It was my first experience under hostile fire, and I must confess I was
nervous.”
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Information provided by Florence West.
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