Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-20
Not an Ambuscade for the Rough
Riders.
CAPT. THOMAS TELLS OF TEE BATTLE
Enemy Was Known to Be Ahead
Before the Firing.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS

,
as the trough riders,' is at the Raleigh,
where he was seen by Star reporter to-
day. Captain Thomas is the son of Judge
Thomas, governor of the Indian territory,
and was one of the first to volunteer his
services in the famous cavalry regiment.
After Captain Capron was killed Lieu
tenant Thomas took command of Troop l.,
and while about to lead his men in des-
perate charge on the Spanish forces he
was shot down, receiving Mauser bullet
in his right leg below the knee.
He reached New York few days ago on
the Olivette. He will shortly leave here
for his home in the Indian territory, where
he will remain until his wound, which
makes it necessary for him to use crutches,
heals. He is anxious to rejoin his regi-
ment. and to see some more active service
before a flag of truce is sent up by the
Spanish government and peace is re-estab-
ished.
Lieut.. Thomas is much averse to talking
about his own adventures while a. the
front. but those who saw him on the field
of battle. in the midst of the hottest fight
ing that has occurred between the Amer
lean and Spanish forces, tell many stories
of his personal bravery. He was induced
by Star reporter today to relate some of
the incidents of the rough riders trip from
the coast to La Guasima. where the first
battle between the Americans and the
Spanish took place.
From the Coast to La Guasimn
Our trip from the point of landing
said Captain Thomas, ito Sboney, dis
lance of about eleven miles, took about
three hours and was over a trail that was
very muddy in parts and crossed a number
of streams. Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt on this
trip had his mount, but as we were not
mounted, he walked over the trail with us,
x mo r.Ar- 1nlNv hat NIn
act, but it indicated feeling of comrade-
ship he had for the members of the regi-
ment. and it touched a tender place in the
mems hearts.
'Lawtons command had gone over this
trail before us and the SDaniards had re-
treated SO that We didn't get glimpse of
the Spaniards on that march.
"a few men, who had been i'll on ship
board with measles and had recovered only
a short time before. were still weak and
had to drop out Of the line but they reach
ed Siboney a little while after the main
body of our regiment got there. We got
to Siboney on the evening of the I'D and
with our shelter tents. were very c0mf0rta-
BILE until the next morning, although it
rained
We We're UP at 4 o'clock. had breakfast
at and then. on the morning of the 9th
of June. started from Siboney across a
high hill leading to La Guasma. where the
regiment had its first fight.Th battle last
ed two hours and forty minutes, though to
a
very much shorter time. AS were ad-
vancing We were constantly expecting a
fire from the Spaniards. We were not am
pushed at ALL
After We had gone about two miles on
that trail we came across the body of
dead Cuban, and after that we kept an es-
pecially sharp lookout. Troop l. formed
the advance guard, and we had skirmishers,
out ahead of us, and to both the right and
lett The SkfrmiSherS ahead of US were
about 80 yards from the main body of our
nen. and it was one of these advance
skirmishers who discovered the Spaniards
Thomas E. Isbell, Cherokee from Vinita,
lnCian territory, was the one to make the
dis .overy of the Spanish force He fired
tht first shot in that battle and dropped
Spa niard- Isbell was wounded seven tim IS
ana then managed to walk back to the field
hospital two and half or three miles
away to get his wounds dressed.
Knew What Was Ahead
'As soon we learned that the Span
iards were in advance of us we deployed
the men six feet apart, advancing into the
firing line. The Spaniards had some ma
chine guns ahead of u.s. and our men re-
ceived the full force of this fire. There was
also firing from the right and the left We
were at this time upon the knoll of hill
the Spaniards being about us at lower ele-
vations. Before Isbell discovered the Span
iaI DIS blockhouse had been SEEN and we
knew what was ahead of u.s.
1T was probably. half or three-quarters
of an hour after the firing began that
Capt Capron was killed. and perhaps
twenty minutes after that l was struck
as we were about to make a charge Our
men had been instructed to save their
ammunition and not to shoot unless they
saw something to shoot at. Our men and
the 10Th Infantry afterward buried about
100 Spaniards, and great numbers of their
killed and wounded among them were
carried to the rear. so that the fire on our
side must have been pretty accurate"
When asked to relate some of the scenes
taking place about him before he was
struck he replied:
'One of the worst things 1 saw was
man shot while loading his gun. A Span
ish Mauser bullet struck the magazine of
his carDire and going through the maga-
zine the bullet was split, part of it going
through his scalp and part through his
neck. This was Private Whitney, and
from his neck down he was a mass of
blood. He was taken back of the firing
line and had recovered before we lett Sib-
cney, and was again back in the ranks.
Capt. Cnpron's Death.
Capt Capron showed great pluck on
the field of battle, and refused to leave
even when he was MORALLY wounded We
were 1t that moment depioying AMI lying
down. He was struck in the left shoulder
the ball coming out of his abdomen. He
lived one hour and fifteen minutes after
being shot.
HE was taken back to the field hospital
by some of our men, About twenty min
uIes after that Mauser ball struck me in
the leg"
When asked what the sensation was at
the time of being wounded he replied:
My leg felt as II 1t had been struck by
some heavy body. l. felt paralyzsd. and
then l fell to the ground. There was no
great pain experienced at the time but
fifteen minutes later the pain was very
great"
Was any grooming heard among the
wounded menT' he was asked.
MOT at ALL" he replied. II didn't hear
any one utter a sound showing they had
be en- wounded. There was not whimper."
Capt. Capron was about fifteen feet from
Lieut. Thomas when he was struck and
the command of the troop passed to the
latter.
Lieutenant Thomas spoke especially of
the bravery of Colonel Wood during the
battle. He said he showed himself abso-
luteIy fearless. The flag near him received
several bullet holes through 1t, but he
stood beside his horse. directing the move
ment of the troops with the utmost cool
ness.
"a very touching incident happened dur
ing the fight. Captain McCllntock was
struck IN the left leg, two Mauser bullets
entering his leg just above the ankle A
r,riyate who had been Sick for aop,a DOVE