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Note.—­Since the above was written, General Daggett served with great distinction in the Philippines and in China, and was retired as a brigadier-general—­a hero of four wars.  A bill is now before Congress to make him a major-general, an honor to which he is most justly entitled.

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As soon as the line reached the top of the hill it was fired on from the town, which had before been masked by the hill; the fire was of course returned, and this was the first fire from the battalion directed at the town.  About five o’clock firing had ceased, the battalion was assembled and marched away.

     (Sd) H.W.  FRENCH,
     First Lieutenant, 17th Infantry (late Second Lieutenant 25th
     Infantry).

     A true copy: 

     H.G.  LEARNARD,
     Capt. and Adj. 14th Infantry. 
     Manila, P.I., March 30, 1900.

I certify that in the action of El Caney, Cuba, July 1, 1898, the company I commanded, i.e., H, 25th Infantry, directed its fire almost exclusively on the stone fort and the trench a few yards from its base.  That very little of this company’s fire was directed on the town and none before the fort was carried.

     (Sd) VERNON A. CALDWELL,
     First Lieutenant, 25th Infantry.

     A true copy: 

     H.G.  LEARNARD,
     Capt. and Adj. 14th Infantry. 
     Tayug, Luzon, Philippine Islands,
     April 17th, 1900.

     To Those in Military Authority.

     Regarding the battle of El Caney, Cuba, July 1, 1898, I
     hereby certify: 

1.  From about 1.20 o’clock P.M. to the time of the capture of the town of El Caney, I was in command of two companies—­C and G—­forming part of the 25th U.S.  Infantry firing line.

     2.  From about 2.55 o’clock P.M. to the time of the capture
     of the town, very nearly the entire 25th Infantry firing
     line was under my observation.

3.  From about 2.55 o’clock P. M. to about 3.20, the time of the surrender of the stone fort to the east of the town, the fire of the entire 25th Infantry firing line within my sight was directed against the fort.

     4.  During this period of the battle the 25th Infantry firing
     line was about 150 yards from the stone fort.

5.  From the time the firing line began firing—­about 1 o’clock P.M.—­to the time of the surrender of the stone fort—­about 3.20 P.M.—­the companies under my command and all others under my observation concentrated their fire on the fort.

6.  About 3.20 P.M., I was standing about 150 yards from the stone fort, and I plainly and distinctly saw a Spaniard appear in the door of the fort, and, for two or three seconds, wave a white flag at the 25th Infantry firing line, and