Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-09-26

said the major. 'sbut You are not up II
your work like the regulars"
Il know that" replied Captain But
Ter, ''but we want to go."
Then ensued a telegFaphing match
between Captain Butler and the COM
manding officer. Gent Greehsy finally
decided that the Maine men should "a
and they started for Tampa a few days
after their arrival dn Washington.
From Tampa the signal mem went to
Santiago on the transport Cognanlche.
Everything was hustle and confusion
at Tampa and the excitement there
was running high. On the same ship
with the Maine men was the artillery
brigade commanded, by Gen. RantSopph.
Captain Butler secured mules and
wagons at Tampa to transport his
equipment but found that he could not
take It along with him on the ship ana
he left the outfit in charge OF Corporal
Sullivan and Private Fish.
It was few days after the destruc-
ton OF Cervera's fleet when the Co
manche reached Siboney. The place is
about II miles north OF Santiago and
here the signal men landed. With the
Maine men was balloon to he used in
taking observations. This had to be
handled with great care and Captain
Butler found some difficulty in getting
it ashore. When the Maine men had
disembarked and We're encamped al
Siboney, Captain Butler telegraphed to
Gen. Skaters headquarters at the
front and reported his arrival to Col.
Green, in charge of the signal service.
Col. Green ordered Captain Butler to
come to headquarters at once and the
Maine captain started to comply with
his orders. His horse had been left be-
hind at Tampa and Captain Butler
could not find even mule to ride upon
SO he started on foot. His path lay
through the hills and broken country
and he was obliged to tramp nine miles
beneath q burning sum. without a
guide. He took one man with him and
the two succeeded in finding headquar-
ters. Col. Green's headquarters were
with Gen. Shafter, three miles back
Of San Juan. When Captain Butler
had reached there he found that Col.
Green had gone to the front with Gen.
Shafter. There had been truce of
few hours but soon after Buffers ar
rival at the camp the firing on the
Spanish works around Santiago com
menced. Sampson's gums were boom
ing away at a great rate and the Span
iards were replying deliberately but
without much execution.
Lieut.. Brooks sof the regulars. who
was acting as ordnance officer, asked
Captain Butler to go out to the firing
line with him. Brooks had a horse.
but Butler could not find one. so8he
stole a mule and made a birdie out of
a piece of telegraph wire. on they
started and in a little w1hile they were
on the side OF a hill overlooking the
Spanish lines and in plain sight Of
them. There wasn't much to see, but
the crowd, ton this hill side began to
gather until it was quite saarge and at
tracted the attention of the Spanish
shell at the group on the hill.
1t came shrieking towards the crowd
and struck within five yards Of the
spectators Then came another and
another and all dropped Within a few
yards of the crowd. 1t was getting too
warm for comfort and the crowd be-
gan to scatter. Captain Butler says
he wanted to scatter too, but he
thought he would stay as long as his
friend the regular did. Along came
another shell and this one was closer
than any of the others. Buffers mule
vamoosed and the Maine man chased
him. Most of the crowd chased that
mule and 1 never saw such a Got OF
obr.ging people in my life," said the
captain. IAN of them seemed anxious
that I should catch my mule
After a while the firing ceased and
about 10 O'Clock that night, Captain
Butler succeeded in finding Col Green
ard reported to him. The regular sig
rial men were all worm out by hard
work. Their life had not been a pleas
ant one by any means. Might and day
without any rest the signal men were
at work transmitting messages; mes
sages from the fleet to SfDa6ter and
from Shafter to the fleet. Cipher mes
sages to Washington and others to
Shafter from Washington. Messages
from the front to headquarters and in
fact the signal men had more mes
sages to send in. day than would lie
sent to the biggest newspaper in the
world.
Captain Butler was the bearer from