I knew Richard Harding Davis for many years, and I was among the number
who were immediately drawn to him by the power and originality of
"Gallegher," the story which first made his reputation.
My intimate association with him, however, was while he was with my
regiment in Cuba, He joined us immediately after landing, and was not
merely present at but took part in the fighting. For example, at the
Guasimas fight it was he, I think, with his field-glasses, who first
placed the trench from which the Spaniards were firing at the right
wing of the regiment, which right wing I, at that time, commanded. We
were then able to make out the trench, opened fire on it, and drove out
the Spaniards.
He was indomitably cheerful under hardships and difficulties and
entirely indifferent to his own personal safety or comfort. He so won
the esteem and regard of the regiment that he was one of the three men
we made honorary members of the regiment's association. We gave him
the same medal worn by our own members.
He was as good an American as ever lived and his heart flamed against
cruelty and injustice. His writings form a text-book of Americanism
which all our people would do well to read at the present time.