er of
the division commander and were passing to the front over the trail
previously taken by Wikoff's brigade, crossing the San Juan at the
lower ford. The Tenth crossed in advance and formed in close order on
the opposite side of the stream, its line facing northwest. It was
soon after, however, put in battle formation and moved to the right
until it connected with the Twenty-first. The Second Regiment crossed
the ford in the rear of the Tenth, having been delayed considerably by
the Seventh-first New York Volunteers, who still blocked the way
between the forks and the lower ford. After crossing the ford the
Second put itself in line on the left of the Tenth, the whole brigade
being now in position to support the First and Third Brigades in their
charge.

This movement of Colonel Pearson's brigade had not been made without
hardship and loss. All of the regiments came under the enemy's fire
before reaching the San Juan River and many men were killed or wounded
while the regiments were gaining their positions. The movement was so
well executed as to call forth from the division commander the
following enconium: "I observed this movement from the Fort San Juan
Hill. Colonel E.P. Pearson, Tenth Infantry, commanding the Second
Brigade, and the officers and troops under his command deserve great
credit for the soldierly manner in which this movement was executed."

Although we left Wikoff's brigade standing in line on the left of the
lower ford, we must not imagine that it remained in that position
until the above movement on the part of the Second Brigade had been
accomplished. There was no standing still in the fierce fire to which
the men of that brigade were at that time subjected--a fire which had
already cut down in rapid succession three brigade commanders. The
formation was no sooner completed than the rapid advance began. The
Thirteenth Infantry holding the right of the brigade moved to the
right and front, while the Ninth and Twenty-fourth moved almost
directly to the front at first, thus partially gaining the flank of
the enemy's position. The whole line moved with great rapidity across
the open field and up the hill, so that when the Second and Tenth
Infantry came to their position as support, the heroic Third Brigade
was well up the heights. To the right of the Third Brigade the First
Brigade, containing the gallant Sixth, under Colonel Egbert, and the
Sixteenth, was advancing also, and the two brigades arriv