The record-union., 1898-06-26


trail and thickets. A barb wire fence
also ran along the left side. The dead
body of a Cuban was found on the side
of the road, and at the same time Cap
tain Capron's troops covered the out
posts, the heads of several Spaniards
being seen in the bushes for a moment
1t was net until then that the men
were permitted to load their carbnes.
When the order to load was given they
acted on it with a will, and displayed
the greatest eagerness to make an at
tack
At this time the sound of firing was
heard a mile or two to the right, ap-
parently coming from the hills beyond
the thicket 1t was the regulars reply
ing to the Spaniards, who had opened
ON them from the thicket. In addition
to a rapid rifle fire, the boom of Hotch-
kiss guns could be heard.
Hardly two minutes elapsed before
the Mauser rifles commenced to crack
in the thicket, and a hundred bullets
whistled over the heads of the Rough
Riders, cutting leaves from the trees
and sending chips flying from the
fence posts by the side of the men. The
Spaniards had opened, and they poured
disastrous effect. The troops stood
their ground with the bullets singing all
around them. Private Colby caught
caught sight of the Spaniards, and fired
the opening shot at them.
Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., was the
first man to fall. He was shot through
the heart, and died Instantly. The
Spaniards We're not more than 200
,rIS,
of them could be seen.
The men continued to pour volley af-
ter volley into the bush in the direction
of the sound of the Spanish shots, but
the latter became more frequent and
seemed to be getting nearer.
Colonel Wood walked along his lines,
displaying the utmost GOODNESS. He or
dered troops to deploy into the thicket,
and sent another detachment into the
open space on the left of the trail. Lieu
tenant Colonel Roosevelt led the former
detachment and tore through the brush,
urging his men on. The shots came
thicker and faster every moment, and
the air seemed filled with the singing
and shrieking sound of the Mauser bull
let's, while the short pop of the Spanish
rifles could be distinguished easily from
the heavier reports of the American
weapons. Sometimes the fire would
come in volleys, and again shots would
follow each other in rapid succession
for several minutes.
Captain Capron stood behind his men,
revolver in hand, using it whenever a
Spaniard appeared. His aim was sure,
and two of the enemy were seen 70
fall under his fire. Just as he was
hot
shouting orders to his men at the same
time, his revolver dropped from his
grasp and he fell to the ground with
a ball through his body.
His troop was badly Disconnected for
a moment, but with all the strength he
could muster he cried: Don't mind
me, boys; go on and fight"
He was carried from the field as soon
as possible, and lived only few hours.
Lieutenant Thomas Of the same troop
received a wound through the leg soon
afterward, and became delirious from
pain.
The troops that were in the thicket
were not long in getting into the midst
of the fight The Spaniards located
them, and pressed them in hard, but
they sent a deadly fire in return, even
not see the enemy.
After ten or fifteen minutes of hot
work the firing fell off some, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Roosevelt ordered his
men back from the thicket into the
trail, narrowly escaping a bullet him
self which struck a tree alongside his
head.
1t was evident that the Spaniards
foI ho iocr
position, but the fire continued at in
tervals. Then the troops tore to the
front, and into more open country than
where the enemy's fire was coming
from.
About this time small squads COM
menced to carry the wounded from the
thicket and lay them in more pro-
tected spot on the trail. until they
could be removed to the field hospital.
Colonel Wood also ordered his Hotch-
kiss gun into action, but the trooper
who rode the mule upon which a part
of the gun was packed had been
stampeded. His animal broke into the
woods in the opposite direction from
the Spanish fire, and the gun conse-
quently could not be used.
1t was Just before the change in po-
shall, the correspondent of the New
York journal and Advertiser was
dangerously wounded. He was back
of the troops, and a ball struck him
in the small of the back. The sur
geons were unable to tell this afternoon
whether or not he would recover.
During the fight in the thicket sew
eral of the troops did some wild shoot
ing into the troops ahead of them, and
a part of the American loss is due to
this fact AS soon as the position had
been changed the Americans poured a
more terrific fire than ever into the
Spaniards as they got them into more
open country, and could be seen bet
ter.
1t was not long before the enemy
gave way and ran down the steep hill
and up another hill to the blockhouse,
with the evident intent of making a
final stand there.
Colonel Wood was at the front direct
ing the movement, and it was here that
Major Brodie was shot. Colonel Wood
and Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt both
led the troops in pursuit of the fleeing
Spaniards, and hail of bullets was
poured into the blockhouse.
BY the time the American advance
got within 600 yards of the blOckhouse
the Spaniards abandoned it, and scat
tered among the brush up another Mill
in the direction of Santiago, and the
battle was at am end.
During all this time just as hot q fire
had been progressing at General
Young's station. The battle began in