The Colored Regulars in the United States ArmySteward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
History
The Colored Regulars in the United States Army
Steward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
African American soldiers; Spanish-American War, 1898 -- Participation, African American
Several enlisted men among the colored cavalry displayed high
soldierly qualities in this assault, evidencing a willingness to
assume the responsibility of command and the ability to lead.
Color-Sergeant George Berry became conspicuous at once by his
brilliant achievement of carrying the colors of two regiments, those
of his own and of the Third Cavalry. The Color-Sergeant of the latter
regiment had fallen and Berry seized the colors and bore them up the
hill with his own. The illustrated press gave some attention to this
exploit at the time, but no proper recognition of it has as yet been
made. Sergeant Berry's character as a soldier had been formed long
before this event, and his reputation for daring was already well
established. He entered the service in 1867 and when he carried that
flag up San Juan was filling out his thirty-first year in the service.
All this time he had passed in the cavalry and had engaged in many
conflicts with hostile Indians and ruffians on our frontiers.
Perhaps the most important parts taken by any enlisted men in the
cavalry division were those taken by Sergeants Foster and Givens. The
former was First Sergeant of Troop G and as the troop was making its
way to the hill by some means the Spaniards were able not only to
discover them but also the direction in which they were moving and to
determine their exact range. Sergeant Foster ventured to tell the
Lieutenant in charge that the course of advance should be changed as
they were marching directly into the enemy's guns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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