The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-16

March-No Cheering as Iraln
Moved off-But When the Rough
Riders Went 1t Was Different.
Camp Wikoff, Montauk, Sept 1.-THE
scene at the Montauk station this
morning was a busy one. At an early
hour ambulances began to arrive with
the sick men of the two departing regi-
ments, who were too weak to march
from the camp. They were taken in
hand by the Red Cross nurses, who
looked after their comfort until the
trains left. At s o'clock the leading
files of an infantry regiment could be
seen coming over the top of the long
winding hill that leads to the camp
The men were marching in fours and
very slowly. As there were only about
600 men, it was at first thought that
they represented only one regiment, but
as they wheeled into position at the
rear of the station it was seen that
there were two-the Third and the
Twelfth infantry. The entire force that
could possibly march did so, and mus
tered jS5 men and twelve officers. Not
half a regiment was able to march, in
R0At was TWO nlOUlIS dBO btllti
Bates Independent brigade.
This brigade was in the thick of the
fight from the 1st day of July until the
surrender of Santiago. 1t went to the
right of the skirmishing line on July l..
That evening 1t was ordered to move to
the left. The men marched through
Cuban jungle and chapparal all that
night, and at 3 o'clock on the morning
81 ~, 1aF, Nf hD live
They had one hours sleep on the wet
ground and in the trenches. Then the
Spaniards opened fire and they were
fighting again. The brigade was offic-
tally known afterward as the First bri-
gade of the Fifth division of the Fifth
Army corps.
COL. HARSBACH TALKS.
Colonel Harsbach who had command
of the brigade before Santiago, spoke
of the 1st of July midnight march to-
day.
II shall never forget that march," he
said las long as l live. 1t was pitch
dark most of the time and raining cats
and dogs. The men were tired after
fighting all afternoon and the jungle
was thick. When we finally reached
the left of the line the men were so
dead tired that they just threw them
selves down any place; in the trenches,
on the ground, many of them without
blankets and all of them without food.
THE rain had stopped by this time
and the moon was shining down on
the field. i went a few PAGES to the
front and looked around me. The sight
was terrible. There were dead Span
iards all around me. some in groups,
some piled up like wood, and some
lying sngly, on their backs, with their
faces turned to the sky. A dead man
Is not a pleasant sight to look upon
at any time, but out there in the Cuban
jungle, with the moon shining down on
their CHASTITY faces, the effect was hor-
rible.
Il am heartily glad that the war is
over, and l shall be still more glad
when the regiment reaches Fort Shell
ing. l am thoroughly tired of seeing
sick men. We saw them at Santiago
after the flag went up and we saw
them here. We shall all be glad to get
home"
There was no cheering when the
train pulled out. a squad was de-
tailed to put commissary supplies
aboard, a bugler sounded the assem-
bly," from each end of the platform,
the men piled into the cars and sank
into their seats with a sigh of relief,
the officers more sedately got into their
special car at the rear of the train and
presently the train moved off.
ROUGH RIDERS WHOOP.
When the four troops of Rough Rid
ers who have been mustered out ap-
peared at the station in the after
noon it was different. They came with
a whoop and a yell and went away
with yell and a whoop. In the mean
time they told the other passengers
that there was going to be a hot time
tonight in New York. They were vol
unteers and soldiers, but now they are
civilians and cowboys once more. and
they say they are glad of it. They
are willingS however, to go right back
again, they assert, whenever Teddy
wants them.
The cow-punchers are particularly
enthusiastic in their praise for their
colonel.
why" said one of them, "he used
10 be just one of us. He'd come up
TO trooper in Santiago and borrow a
little bacon or hardtack just the same
is If he was private, and then he'd
go off an build a little fire an cook
his grub. He'd borry a blanket if he
wanted to sleep sometimes-an' he'd
always bring it back, too, let me tell
you that! The colonel's a gentleman,
he is; an braVe-well, say! That man
don't know what fear is"
Another Rough Rider, who was a
company X man and lives in New
York, shortly after he was mustered
out said; We'll, now that lam civil
ian I am at liberty to say what /
please and criticize whom 7 like, and
I'm glad of it," lie did so, and the
officer whom he particularly criticized
was not connected with the Rough
Riders. The majority of the Rough
Riders intend spending a week in New