Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-07-29
mile to our front. The spaniards were

in the brush i'm the hollow somewhere be-
tween, so tired and hungry we struggled
with pick and shovel until exhausted we
would crawl out to give III zee 10 the re-
lief and drop asleep III our tracks II
seemed never ending job but we toiled
on encouraged by the sergeant who kept
saying dig like h boys it's getting
near morning" At last | finished my
last relief and crawling oil under Il tree
| slept the sleep of exhaustion. The rev
ellie in the morning To which we
awOke was volley from the. Spaniards
that sent us all scampering for the
trenches and then began ten hours of the
most exquisite agony | ever endured.
From three in the morning until one in
the afternoon we lay in those trenches
exposed to the burning rays of that pit .
less tropical sun, in trt nch four feet
deep and about eighteen inches wide
We were crowded in like sheep and had
TO sit all cramped up in order TO avoid
exposing our heads as "A target for Span
ish bullets. | stood il until about nine
o'clock when | crawled out alongside
was comparatively safe and went sound
asleep with Spanish bullets whistliug
over me. That sounds "fishy" III ad-
4 >
O'Clock our relief came out making a
dash from the brow of the hill behind
which they were lying, across an open
space OF a 100 yds. which was raked by
the Spanish fine When they came up
80 the uench hes they laid down and we
crawlCd out and they crawled in. Then
leapiug 10 our feet we started across the
open. When ! reached the shelter
could hardly stand up was SO com.
pletely exhausted. They had some hot
coffee prepared for Us aud ! ate my first
meal for 3G hours. Then | went e.
sleep and slept all the afternoon. That
night at about ten o'clock the SpaniardS
tried 10 break through our lines but
were repulsed with heavy loss. \ night
attack is one Of the most terror inspiring
things ever experienced. 1t is death
and darkness hand in hand. | was
sound asleep when ! awakod with a ser.
geant Juggling at leg and whispering
"Getup and put on your belt the Span
iards are coming" Cold chills ran up
and down my back rs | buckled on my
belt and examined my carbihe. Then
we were deplOyed along the brow of the
hill Co act a support for the men in the
trenches, all this, mind you. by whis-
pered commands passed from mouth e.
mouth. Then the ball began and up
came the Spanish blowing their bugles
and Yelling like fiends They didn't stay
long before the whitening fire from our
trenches, that is the most of them didn
stay;scveral hundred stayed because they
We're past caring whore they We're
and siXty-cight surrendered Then
when it was all over l went back TO my
hole and in ten minutes or less was
snoring again
At twelve o'clock on the third, the
Spaniards hoisted white flag and al
firing ceased. 1t was relief TO walk
around without having bullets whistling
over head or duckiug shells that sailed
by. That's an odd habit but one that
almost everyone is liable TO and that j.
to duck your head whenever you hear a
'Whistling dick" as the soldiers call the
shells that 90 whistling by.
On the morning OF the Fourth began
celebrating by capturing a Spanish Of
ticer's horse, Il knew it was Spanish by
the brandt and so | went 10 the Colone
and got an order for the mail and Dor
rowing saddle and bride ! mounted
and started for the coast twelve miles &c
our rear. | had gone but a couple OF
miles when | caught up with Il poor fel.
low who was wounded in the head, one
eve shot out believe. He was irving
10 walk down 20 the coast and having
lost his hat he was shading his head
with a limb of q tree that he carried Ovel
his head. | thought could stand the
sun better than he could so | gave him
my hat and put him up behii d me, anC
50 we lOurneyed for the rest of the way.
When | got TO the coast found that the
mail was still nine miles off so | set of
again as my horse seemed fresh and
wanted thar mail | got TO the point
where the Il. =. was estabablished, got
my mail sorted. bur il was then too late
10 start back. specially rs ! was feeling
pretty rocky from the effects OF those ten
miles bareheaded. In fact | spent a mis-.
cradle night, but was up and started
back soon after sunrise III the morning
/ cot as far as SiUoney bat had to lay
there during the heat of the day, going
back 10 camp after dark that night scarce
~ able e. lit ia the saddle. | turned
over the mail and then went to my
Troops quarters and went to sleep Tie
next MOI ming | was on the sick list and
was sent TO the hospital and from there
the Red Cross Society for a couple of
days. Then the yellow fever scare be
gan and the hospitals were all emptied
into the transports, me among the rest
| objected very strongly TO going aboard
as | was afraid they would carry me OF
from my command which in fact they
did though | kicked vigorously and even
went so far as TO undress and tie my
clothes up in bundle SO that | could
swim ashore but the doctor caught ne
just as | was about TO jump in and so
had TO come. However l didn't land
with the sick and wounded and expect
to 20 back on the same ship and rejoin
my Troop So here | an, in quarantine,
been here for week and haven't set
foot on American soil yet.
l would be glad to see a copy of the
RECORD once in a while especially the
commencement issue Send me a COPY
occasionally and l II try TO send you AN
article Address: 5. 5. BIeakwater, Old
Point Comfort. Va.
Yours, etc,
w. L. KNOX.
r. S.-We will behere a week or so.
MORTGAGE SALE:-pcrault having boon