New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
OLD. BUT FULL OF FIGHT.
JOHN DICK WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CUBA
AND FIGHT FOP FREEDOM.
HE HAS HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE. AND
THINKS ONE AMERICAN CAN WHIP
TEN SPASIAEDS EASILY


TEN SPANIAEDS EASILY
"Ef was about ten years younger ia get down
my old gun and j!ne a fulbustern' expedition and
s,a-, for cub, within forty-eght hours But faint
no use I'm too oil and they wouldn't have man
Ike me along with them. | suppose though the
time was when | could Outright any two men mat
you could get together these days. his was 'he
declaration Of Oh John Dick. almost seventy years
old Of no s2s Carroll-st. as he sat in chair in
the pension office OF Butts & phillips in VIII
loughby-st. near Fulton-s;.. few days ago
Tribune reporter was present and learned that the
Old man was a pcnsioner OF the Mexican War took
part in fbusterng expedition which went 70
cuba in ISL and also served crelitaby in the civil
War.
Tho fighting fever SO developed In the Ola
man and his belgeren spirit pervasive OF every
thing in tn, pension onice. that he was requested
20 talk about his experiences Tor publication on
T. Amt much Of A story" SAID he. 81 never rz very
high in the service. but I've got my pension papers
70 show that | III in the Mexican War and the ar
o, the Rebellion "
Tell rs about the Mexican War" said the re-
porter
-, don't Seem 50 very long ago" said the old
soldier II enlisted in mo down a; Fort Hamilton.
in Company l. lst New-York Mexican Volunteers
| Colonel Ward y. Burnett commanding. our cap
tain was Morton Fairchld. and I'm the only sur
WIN member 81 that regiment who went from
brooklyn In Mexico were under command OF
| General Winfield Scott was in the battles OF
| Ccrro GorIo. Vera cruz Pueblo, Cherubusco. Mo-
Ina del Rey. Chapuliepec and the storming OF the
CITY II Mexico. hal he fun OF walking into Gen
.r1l Santa Anna's house and taking prisoners lot
OF his colorcl help. and taking away lot OF MS
household goods. Then we came back home, ana IN
1851 got another chance 10 put on my nshth
clothes heard that men were wanted to KICK up
a muss down in cuba. wen, down 20 Ne"-orieans
end enlisted with 30 other men under General
Lopez Nearly all tho men were Americans We
s,.rt.a on, on the lit;o steamer Pampcro. and
| l.,d.l a, rardcnas We druv | 800 armed Spanards
ont OF CarIenas and held the town against them FOR
,hr.. DAYS AMI three nights Finally. by steadily
! Increasing ,he!r numbers. and with the aid Of q
fore. OF cavalry. they made Il 100 hot for us. and
s-uv u. back onto our boat. which they hadn't had
sens. enough to scuiiic although they could have
don. &, easily. ANcr few days No all saw that
II VAS ag,in' 20 be h1, work FOR us 70 hold that
| town and finally the day came when the Spaniards
| began saarmins back into the city was brigade
| olar,-rnastcr ami hca!cl a detachment OF twenty
| five Americans. They had our retreat pretty near
| cut on and WHEN ! go, around behind their Inc
with nv ni,l. command ard opened on them With a
| cross nrc +, dcmoralized thousand Spaniaris In
less than two minutes. This opened a way for us
| % 90. back on the steamer and We didn't lose no
! time In doin' H. We loaded 300 muskeis. which
w. had brourh, away from New-Orleans together
with good deal Of ammunition. back onto the boat.
| and steamed away from the wharf just az those
| Sp4n.,r.ls recovered their courag" ana began 10
| MAX. too hot for 20 stay mere. We were
| sielmtu' out OF ih. bay when We ran that cHSsed
| boat onto a saniblr. Then We WIZ In purity NIX
| Tho SnanIarIs sent word TO a couple OF memo
| war and they steamed mp as close 10 us as they
could and openrl Are. Ef they hadnt been the a.
fire Lest poorest marksmcn on the face OF the ear IN,
| | wouldn't 4 br here to-day tellin about H. Ihey
shot all around that boat ana never MI ns one
| wh-r. II hurt any. We dumped everything OFT that
! W could 10 lighter her and by-and-by she hoatcd
| again The way We hustled back 10 Nr"-Orleahs
| was "A caution W" got our OVo nhshets ni'k anu
| got we'll p.i for our trouble But had nShtin'
| sireak on then. and year or two ater' whch zen
| Nicaragua, | signed papers 10 go with him AS pad
luck would have Il, | was takrn SICK me week oe-
| fore We wuz ready 80 GO and lost my chance
Il didn't have long 10 wait. though. continued Inc
| old man wipng his chin "A H;te BIT nervoIsly al
! the recollection OF BY gone days ana stunning MS
| f.-t ON IN. noor Il didn't have long to walt.
| Pretty soon after that they fired on Fort sumter,
ami | enlisted in thu 10Th New DIRK and went 20 the
| front | didn't Ike the way they were rinnin
things. and got the privilege OF returning 10 rooK
| who organizel the Third Empire Brigade when
| afi-rwarI became the 1881 Regiment. Aftr the
| battle OF Fredericksburg my time was up ana !
I nas mustered as sergeant OF the lo'l am
| had no rrgar fghiin' since then continued the
old man with a sigh but. by thunder, would Ike
| With some salt horse and haritack. MI up the old
| Cantc~u and e. down to Cuba. think an American
| can lick ten Spaniarls any time, ana II wa n
| 50 almighty stif In my tlnts. anu WASH gon OH
! seventy years old, you'd see me on my way 10
| Cuba" . -,
Then the oil man launched into TRADE against
Spanish oppression. and predicted that inc Cuoshs
would gain the ind .pcndence