The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-08-18
(IOrOntO Mail and Emnira \

| ''"'o Pl'ylh coloIS HylnS, people
cheering, on the mile of great ship
that lay along the wharves, gang
ways out. Last night by the ligh,
OF the few lanterns, | watched ar
army OF wounded men in ragged anc
faded uniforms, with arms, heads
feet swathed in bandages, disembarL
and pass, limping, halt, bowed over
on litters, in ambulances, in cabs
through lines of people who stood
there silent, looking at them. Nc
bands. no flying colors, no cheering.
Pride and grief filled every heart toe
full to permit the tongue to give ex.
preston. Never in the whole course
OF my life, never at any pageant, any
| procession, did | feel anything like
the thrill pass through me when the
| first man, with the sleeve and side OF
his shirt cut away and half his body
wrapped about by linen cloths, moved
slowly and painfully along between
| two stalwart marines.
Armed with passes, | was permit
ted to pass by the soldier who was
guarding the long dock. AT its fur
ther end lay the transport Iroquois,
with her load of broken down men.
The hospital corps aided by marines
and volunteers. was moving hurried
" forward, carrying litters. At the
foot of the wharf the Red Cross am
balances stood in bunch, supple
mented by street cars, cabs. open
carriages, wagons-every vehicle that
Key West could turn out. Very few
but those engaged in the work of
at the side of the big transport. There
was no hustle, no clamor, no con-
fusion. Lieutenant Mark, of the
marines, would cali out all order.
two men would mount the steps lead
ing to a lower deck. while two more
waited at the foot of the ladder
These were so placed to aid the
wounded and relieve them of their
baggage and accOutrements. At
little table on the lower deck sat Il
couple of men taking down the names
and issuing tickets. Each man got
his billet to the convent hospital.
The poor fellows could be seen de-
scending painfully, the little ticket
caught between their teeth, their
arms or legs helpless, their whole
bodies limp and dropping. And yet
these men had. many of them, walked
fifteen miles from the front to the
coast. along the cruel road in San
tiago, under the blistering rays of
the fierce Cuban sun. And now they
were done up. Tired, broken, weary
men, coming home to rest. There
was not murmur from any of them.
More than half of the poor fellows
were keeping up bravely, to show
how little they cared about wounds.
Scores of them expressed to me per-
sonally their hope that they would
be made we'll quickly and sent down
to the front again. The record they
brought with them was the glorious
record of splendid fighting, magnif
cent courage, and many, many, many
wounds.
Again one saw in the sporadic light
of moving lanterns heaps of baggage
thrown about the wharf; guns, cart
ridge belts, canteens, and everywhere,
lying, crouching, thrown down prone,
soldiers. Not now shouting ION to
Cuba" Not singing or laughing. or
cheering as they toiled on, sweating
and dusty, in the heat of Southern
midsummer day. These men, wound
ed, weary. sitting on their little bum
dies. their forms dropping, their
limbs handaged, presented thous
and times more heroic. more touch
ing picture. They had given cheer
As the ship came in and home was
sighted Just one long cheer after
that silence. and waited with dorred
patience to be told off in squads for
the hospital.
Not that they were not chattv and
cheerful individually. livery man /
spoke to gave me some bright story
of the fighting, spoke some word Of
gladneSs at sight of home. or said
cheerfullv how he hoped to be all
right in a couple of weeks and down
again at the front. No man seemed
daunted; no man lacked heart and
courage. Bodily pain and sickness !
less figures on the stretchers were
dreadful to see. but the fighting heart
was here, and the brave spirit and |
untinching front. take off my hat
to YOU soldiers of the great republic
Moving about among them heard |
many little story. Come over to |
the light and I'll show YOU the finest
relic of the war" said soldier, half
of whose body was bound up in white
cloths We stopped to the lantern.
See this" He took something from
his pocket with his sound hand and !
gave it to me- 1t was Mauser bull
let which had struck cartridge in |
his belt, and imbedded itself there. /
forming a perfect cross. That cart
ridge saved my life," said the man. |
Il m pretty we'll chewed up. but |
wouldn't be talking to YOU here to-
night if that Mauser had got under
nv belt"
In squads those wounded who were
able to stagger along somehow were |
to the waiting ears What |
a march. They fell into line, indeed, |
and faced about at the word of COM
the step. This man hop
ping on one foot. holding the other
bandaged one well up from the |
ground; that one on crutches impro-
vised out of his krag-Jorgenson and
a small, weak stick which some one
had lent him. Another stumbling
forward with dropping head. between
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