The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-01
,roppsd oct Of their saddle. ca every

droppst oct % their sad1ses ca every
Then the shock came. TIE rife s~<nx
cezset aid there was mixture * fash
sword hzyoretz ard sworss. white hats
arsc black he&6S-an IN comparative -
iencs- Taking advantage Of the crssz-
ION Q, the Ere, rode closer up. New I
could see the expression os faces ard
could hear the rznf1nx czstnlian oaths
hurled AZ each other hy both struggling
sides. There we're no mere vIvss. Creams
began 20 rise. ard heard the crunch 81
r1zchsts going through some mans
skull
I saw Cart Bos.z. % Corners body
guard. kin a Spanish soldier. His horse
had been killed. On foot he was vfc!ousiy
ionge1 at He grzzped the bayonet with
hts left hand. detected Il. and with ore
gie2msng downward stroke sent bis ma
cnese through hss enemyss hat ard skull
A b1riy negro killed a soldier By ore cut
Al this same instant that he himself re-
ceived the soldiers bayoret Ia his brcast-
mortal wound.
Two men were IN a oeathlock. each hold
ting the others right arm Here quickly
dashed my ha, OF 70 keep from being ''rraa-
chetteG't by q struggling Cuban who
thought ! must b@ Spaniart- Always In
battle the Cubars remove their hats. In
rnschets charge II fs a case OF '-whsr-
ever you see a hat. hit tt
OF q sudden Gomez and several OF his
men broke through this side OF the square.
and again II looked ar though the Czlnzns
would annihiiate the Spanish column. A
few soldiers started TO run Col Perada
shot one o. then-
Then Viva E.panaY' came from N.
other side OF the square. Some OF San
chez's recruits from Las villas had rot
supported their leader. who. with a hand
81 -
lighting against tremendous odds. The
victorious sp4niarcs on that side faced
about and charged with the bsyonet into
the Cgoans On the inside OF the square.
The latter cut their way back through the
ranks they had already broken. The tide
was thus turned and the Cabans resreafed.
Gomez and Maceo rallied some OF their
men and again charged the troops. Col.
Perada had lost many men and retreated
into the town. taking his wounded. bat
leaving some OF the dead
His loss was about 20 killed and wounded.
The cuhsns had twenty killed and fifty
wounded
During the battle observed the effect OF
different firearms. The modern small
nickel-steel high-expiosive bullet acts diff
ferently from the old-sgyGe Ieadsn bail or
large caiiber
The first man killed was Crux Oiivera,
one Of the travest OF Gomez's stafr saw
him. put his hand over his heart and started
TO hts assistance. lie said lightly: 1t IS
nothing" His face did not change its ex-
precision. but he COMMANDED 10 droop and
then fell dead The ball went through his
heart from right TO left
saw a man shot through the brain on
December who is now again fighting
with Gomez. The Mauser ball entered an
inch above the right ear and left an inca 10
the right CT and an inch above the left ear
You can't defect one OF these bullets. SO
10 must have gone right through the brain.
lie was supported IN his saddle for seven
hours under a hot sun before he reached
and smoked cigarettes / gave him the
tobacco.
The modern bullet makes a hole less
than quarter OF an inch in diamsnter
and cuts clean path. whether through
bone or muscle In fact, with modern
antiseptics and good field hospitals. which
the Cubans lack. a man must be shot
through the heart 10 be killed by one OF
these bullets. Many men have been shot
In the lungs and recovered
The wound made by modern rife ball
through a muscle Is worse than cut by
a sharp knife IN the same place. Gomez
had horse that, with five bullet holes In.
him. bore himself spiritedly. 1t was the
sixth bullet that killed the animal.
hard 10 heal-they are generally severe
and Jagged Trained 10 It's use from In
fancy. the Cuban farmer hits an awfully
hard blow with this heavy sword knife.
They invariably strike at the head. and
good swordsman could parry almost all
their cuts with the high parry"
Tho bayonet is at best a clumsy pom
II can be easily grasped and put aside by
the hand. So the infantryman has hard
time.
The Spanish soldiers are brave and high
~ disciplined. They only lack brains. and
they are needed 10 properly use the mod
ern rife. The loading motion tends TO
throw the piece upward. and it is so easy
20 fire mechanically that unless one care
fully points each shot the fire is too high
The Spanish soldiers will stand up and
fight. but they shoot Ike machines. and
consequently very badly.
Lack OF cartridges renders the Cuban
forces more accurate. When a man has
but few cartridges he tries TO make each
one count