You may not have given much thought to the Spanish-American War, but if you reflect back to your high-school history class, you might remember the story of Theodore “TR” Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. You might also remember being taught that TR was the hero and winner of the war.
However, the reality of the Spanish-American War is a bit different. Roosevelt’s combat role was later found to be overemphasized. He also downplayed the bravery and involvement of Buffalo Soldiers, U.S. Army regiments of Black troops, who served alongside white soldiers on that same battlefield. In his book about the war, TR called them “shirkers,” while history remembers the truth of their critical role toward America’s victory.
In a paper delivered at the 1998 Conference at Army Historians in Bethesda, Md., Frank N. Schubert, Ph. D. and author, wrote:
“Roosevelt augmented his campaign of self-promotion by carrying along his personal publicist. The view that Teddy Roosevelt dominated the battle at San Juan Heights still has adherents. I saw first-hand evidence last February, when I made a presentation for African American History Month at Oyster Bay, New York, the great man’s home. The draft press release announced that I would be talking about Medal of Honor heroes among Buffalo Soldiers, the black regulars who had served on the frontier and who also fought in Cuba. The notice went on to assert that these soldiers had ‘assisted’ TR in achieving victory at San Juan Hill. Clearly the text implied that the more than 2,000 black troopers dodging bullets and pushing their way resolutely forward in the Cuban sun were supporting players. TR still got top billing.”
“Lately, a competing view has emerged to challenge Teddy-centric claims,” SChubert continued. “This new assertion puts the Buffalo Soldiers at the center of the Cuban fighting, relegating Roosevelt to a supporting role. Most recently this view was stated by Edward Van Zile Scott in his 1996 book, ‘The Unwept.’ According to Scott, ‘in the Spanish-American War of 1898, veteran black troops … were more responsible than any other group for the United States’ victory.’”
Sgt. Merriman H. Ellis: Mississippi Buffalo Soldier
Merriman Howard Ellis was born to Isaiah Ellis and Hennie Fitzgerald on May 15, 1851, in Jefferson County, Miss., on Auburn Plantation. His father was born in Columbia, S.C., and his mother in Jefferson County, Miss. He married Medora Ann Jackson on June 25, 1887, and they had eight children. Ellis was also the cousin of my late husband.
Ellis enlisted in the United States Army Feb. 20, 1872, in Louisville, Ky., and retired from the Armed Forces August 21, 1901, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ellis was a Mississippi soldier who participated in the United States forces against Spain at Santiago de Cuba where he was wounded. He was top Sergeant of Company D 24th Infantry. His services were all five-year enlistments and all five discharges bear his character as excellent. On Jan. 24, 1879, Ellis was appointed First Sergeant of Company D, 24th Infantry, company No. 10. Since his appointment as 1st Sergeant, he had been in engagements against hostile Indians in Texas and New Mexico. He passed away on Nov. 24, 1926, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Ellis described the reality of the battle at San Juan Hill in a letter to his sister, Elvira Ellis Jackson, which was published in the Fayette Chronicle on Sept. 13, 1898. Another researcher, Dr. Joretha Stringer, who was doing research in the basement of the Chancery Clerk’s Office of Fayette, transcribed and emailed the original newspaper clipping to me. Second Lieutenant Arthur R. Kerwin’s official reports of the battle confirms that all of what Ellis wrote to his sister is exactly what happened:
“I will say a few words of my experience in the battle of Santiago De Cuba on July 1st, 1898, the Third Brigade of the Fifth Army Corp Fleet division commanded by Major General J. Ford Kent, U. S. A. late Colonel of the 24th Infantry. The Third Brigade consists of the Ninth, Thirteenth, and 24th Infantries, the latter a Negro Regiment of U. S. Regulars. On June 30th,1898, orders reached Headquarters for the 24th Infantry to break camp at 6 o’clock p.m. July 1st, 1898. The forward march was given a few minutes before six. After an hour’s march, we could hear the Cannonading from our batteries. (We could also hear) the volleys from the two opposing armies, onward marched our brigade to the field of battle; presently the command from our Commander to halt was given. It was found out that a white Volunteer Regiment of Infantry was lying in the path leading to the field of battle.”
“Their Commanders were trying to get them to move forward; this noble regiment still hugged the ground with their faces down and would not look up, the bullets from the Spanish still flying in every direction, but they were not doing us any harm; they were shooting too high. Our regiment commander gave the command (24th Infantry), forward, march!”
“Every man marched forward with his rifle at a trails’ arm. Our next halt waste wade in the San Juan River, climb its banks, and cut the wire fence. I tried my wire cutters; the bullets were falling so fast I ran to one of the posts and pulled it down; up went another man and down came his post,” the report continued. “My captain A. C. Ducat gave the command forward march and said, ‘1st Sergeant that was (a capital) idea of yours.’ Our company moved forward in single file and by the left flank, ‘Forward march!’ Halt!’ ‘Lay down, commence firing!’ ‘Cease firing!’ ‘Forward, double time, march to the charge!’
“Our men charged forward as if they were going to their dinners. I never saw such brave and courageous men in all my life. During this charge, our regiment commander Lieut. Colonel H. C. Liscum 24th Infantry were wounded. 2nd Lieut. John A. Gorney who died about 25 minutes afterwards. Corporal Keys, Private M. Robinson and I were wounded. All the above-named officers and men being members of the 24th Infantry.”
“While getting my wound bound up, I was fired at three times,” Kerwin wrote. “The first shot hit the ground about two feet to my right; the second just went over me about the same distance to my left; the third, passed so close to my left ear it felt like it was burning. By this time, I had discovered where the shots came from a tree nearby. I turned over on my stomach, took my rifle and took a good position and said, ‘it is to kill or be killed,’ and fired. I saw the muzzle of the Spaniard’s rifle (rise) up above the branches in the top of the named tree; the next I heard his rifle fall to the ground. An officer and three men of the Thirteenth U. S. Infantry came along. I told them what had occurred. He and his men went over to the tree to verify my statement. Afterwards, he said to me, ‘Old man, you sure got your man; he is tied by his feet.’
“This officer fired his revolver and down came another Spaniard to the ground who was trying to fight when he fell, but he was stopped by three bullets from the three men’s rifles and a blow over the head by one man. They then made an inspection of the two trees. An hour later they came back and told me that they had killed four out of the other two trees. During this time, I had crawled to the side of 2nd Lieutenant John A. Garvey, 24th Infantry and officer of my company (and a gentleman), Privet J. C. Parker, Company “D”, 24th Infantry was left to take care of the Lieut. I gave him water several times then he died. I then had Parker to look in the Lieut’s pocket; we found that he had fifty dollars in money and a check for fifty dollars more, a watch, a gold ring and several other small articles which have been sent to his mother in Chicago, Illinois. Now it comes for the wounded to be sent to the general hospital.”
“A man that was left to look after a wounded man who died came and told me to get on back, carried me three or four hundred yards to a tree, on the bank of San Juan River, so that the ambulance could get me,” Kerwin described. “The bullets were falling around us in torrents. He put me across the river and put down when a shower of bullets fell around us. Wounded men were dying in every direction; every now and then a fellow would say, Oh! I am shot and fall over dead or would ask for water. I went on one foot, hands and knees, something over two hundred yards. Then the bullets were falling all around me until three men of the Seventy First New York came out from behind a brush work they had made of their bed rolls; they carried me three or four hundred yards on a run. And may God bless those men.”
“I have been trying to find them out, but I haven’t up to the present, so I think I am among the fortunate to come out with only a wound to the foot,” the second lieutenant said. “And I will here say that America should be proud of the material her army is composed of. And there cannot be too much credit said of some of the officers and men that should be mentioned but have never seen some of their names mentioned in papers. ‘I must halt and come to a rest.’”
This MFP Voices essay does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to azia@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.
