the summit of the hill between the second and
third blockhouses, and on arriving received a message by an aid of the
brigade commander to hold the ridge. Just then Lieut. Livermore
arrived, having come by way of Blockhouse No. 1. The troop now being
together, held the crest for an hour. At times the fire of the enemy
was so severe and Captain Beck's force so small that there was great
danger that he would be compelled to abandon the position, but
fortunately at the most critical juncture Lieutenant Lyon of the
Twenty-fourth Infantry came up with a few reinforcements, and
Lieutenant Hughes of the Tenth Cavalry with a Hotchkiss gun.
Lieutenant Lyon formed his troops to the left of the gun, Troop A of
the Tenth Cavalry being on the right. With this force the position was
held until other troops arrived. Soon after, the squadron was reformed
and the men entrenched themselves under fire. Troop B was next to
Troop A and advanced as skirmishers by rushes and double time, but
soon found its front blocked by other troops. Troop I advanced in two
sections, the left being commanded by Lieutenant Miller, joined in the
attack on the right of the enemy's position; the right commanded by
Lieutenant Fleming, advanced on trenches between two blockhouses, and
in so doing caught up with the rest of the troop. The first half of
the troop, after attacking the blockhouse on right of the enemy's
position then crossed the valley and attacked the blockhouse on the
left of enemy's position, and then moved forward with the First
Regular Cavalry and First Volunteer Cavalry, until the troop assembled
as a whole. When it reached the place of intrenchment there were
altogether about one hundred men at that point of the ridge,
consisting of men from the Tenth Cavalry and of the Rough Riders. It
is claimed by Lieutenant Anderson, who commanded Troop C, and who made
his way to the front on the right of the line, that after coming up on
the second hill and joining his troop to the left of Troop I, Colonel
Roosevelt and part of his regiment joined on the right of the Tenth,
and that he reported to him, placing C Troop in his command. Before
this time Lieutenant Anderson had reported to Captain Jones, of Troop
F, while they were on Kettle Hill, and the Two troops, F and C, had
been formed in skirmish line and moved against the second blockhouse.
In this movement Troop C got separated from Captain Jones, and
Anderson, with 18 men of his own troop and several