The Republican journal., 1898-10-06
A Rough Riders Experiences.

representative OF The journal called on MT.
Hodgdon last Friday and found him in good
spirits, although at times he is weak and de-
pressed as result of complication of dis
eases contracted in the army from exposure.
Mr.. Hodgdons discharge papers show that
lie was private of Troop A., First U. S.
Cavalry, and was enrolled April 80, 1898, for
> years, or during the war. He was born in
Petaluma, Calf, and was at the time of en-
listment, % years and 9 months old. He
was a resident of Prescott, Arizona. and by
occupation a miner. The discharge gives
the list of battles in which he participated
as Las Quasinas, June "a; San Juan, July
81 and the siege of Santiago following. His
character is marked excellent"
MI Hodgdon has number of mementos
of the war, some brought from the scene 0
the conflict and others presented to him
since his return. Those which he prizes
most highly are his discharge papers and
the hat which be wore throughout the ser
vice. The latter is heavy soft grey felt,
with broad hrim, and bears upon the front
the crossed swords of the cavalry with the
figure l above, denoting the regiment. and
the letter A below denoting the troop. The
words Rough Rider are branded in one
side of the crown. He had few of the cart
ridges used in the rifles of Rough Riders,
and The Journal extends thanks to him for
souvenirs. Other relics he brought home
include handsome cane of a rare southern
wood, presented to him by a New York
millionaire, silk flag from a Broadway
merchant; a silver cigar case, inscribed " To
Happy Jack, from his friend Pelham Oar
lington" and the newspaper notices of him
self, his regiment and his colonel.
He was known among his comrades as
"Happy Jack of Arizona" the name being
given him on account of his cheerful dis
position and his ability to keep the company
in good humor by storytelling In speak
ing Of him, the New York World of Sept. II,
said In the crowd is Happy Jack Hodg-
don of Troop A. He comes from Arizona,
and is tie most popular trooper in the regi-
ment. : 1t was he who brought a
package of ice cream into the theatre the
other night and offered it. with true western
galantry, to his fair companion" Another
a new and pleasing custom into New York
theatres.
The Rough Riders, MI Hodgdon said,
were armed with the Jorgesen rifles, which,
while not 80 rapid of action as the Mausers,
Will which The Spaniards at Santiago were
armed, are Of greater power. Both carry
what is called humane" bullet, which
does not nutilate the flesh or cause blood
poisoning. The JOrgesens are of 30-calibre I;
the ball is s inches long, Of lead covered
with steel; and the whole cartridge is 3
inches long: centre fire. The ball when it
first leaves the rifle takes a spiral course, re-
volving very rapidly, and making a hole
about an inch i'll diameter After going
about 500 yards the course Of the ball
straightens. and after that it makes hole
only of its own diameter. II Will kill at ?
miles, and will penetrate feet of solid oak,
but will be stopped by Is inches of blue
sand. The soldiers often slept behind low
mounds of this sand not over 2 feet in thick
ness and We're perfectly protected from the
Mauser bullets of the sharpshooters. Mr.
Hodgdon had some of the brass jacket bull
let's which We're taken from the Spanish
soldiers, and which are prohibited by the
rules of civilized warfare They are wicked
looking missiles, aside from their poisonous
nature, being Is and 40calIbre.
When the Rough Riders landed at Baiquiri
they We're weakened and cramped by their
fourteen days on shipboard. Twelve hum
bred men We're on single transport. The
$50 Rough Riders landed under heavy fire,
which, thanks to the poor craftsmanship OF
the Spanish gunners was not disastrous. In
36 hours after landing they made forced
march OF y miles to Siboney, defeated be
tween 900 and 5000 Spanish soldiers, and
took a fortified hill that the Cubaus had
been trying i'll vain To capture for three
growth was so thick the soldiers could sec but
a few yards perhaps feet ahead and they
Were obliged to crawl On the ground. 1t was
through this tangled underground that the
barbed wire was strung. OF the 10, 600 nip
pers issued to the army in Cuba, the Rough
Riders, who We're most in need of them, got
but %. These intrepid troopers, however,
ulu tne Desl Jney could W1uhOuI tnem. one
man would raise the lower strand as high as
possible and hold it up with his gun while
others crawled under. An attempt to climb
over was met with a shower OF bullets from
the trenches just beyond. Through all this
fighting the troopers had only their rifles.
Their revolvers and swords had been taken
from them by orders from some laundering
officials when they landed in Cuba and had
most need OF them. There was considerable
fighting done at close range, and had the
men been supplied with revolvers they might
have done much more effective work. In
one place in the woods Mr.. Hodgdon came
upon large negro in the U. S. uniform
stabbed in the back dead. In front of him
were five Spaniards, each with a broken
head, while the negros ritle-stock showed
that it had been used as club The barrel
and magazine of the rifle We're empty
Many soldiers say that while they have
fired many shots in battle they do not know
positively whether or not they ever killed a
man. Mr. Hodgdon knows of killing one,
and his experience through the rest of the
service is like that of others-he does not
know. At the battle of San Juan a sharp
shooter in the top of cocoanut tree was
dealing death to whoever appeared upon