Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-09

| July 5 and arrived at Key West early IN
the morning Of July 3. The pumps on
board the Catania gave out and the feet
Of transports and warships sailed, leaving
the District regiment behind. They finally
sailed, under convoy of the L. :. s Wasp,
at pm. July q arriving at Siboney
July 10.
Taken on the Cafanfa.
The captain and fourteen men were
taken off by boat of the L. S. S. Machias
which then was ordered to take part in
the bombardment of Santiago, and sailed.
leaving the rest of Company X on board
the Catania- This part of the company
was finally landed In a borrowed pontoOn.
manned by its members, the last trip be-
ing made at 10 pm.
After supper they started inland TO Join
the regiment, camped temporarily at La
Quasina. or Graveyard Hill, as II is now
called. This was the scene of the first
fight of the Rough Riders. and where their
dead are now buried They arrived there
at am. and reveille was sounded at 800
m, and "a $50 they started. in light
marching order, for the front. After
forced march of ten miles they arrived at
the trenches in front of Santiago occupy
ing the right center of the American lines
There was an interesting incident in the
tramp from Siboney to the camp at La
QU2sina. Every man carried pick
shovel and I'll the extra rations that he
could find place for in his tent roll This
was in addition to his heavy marching
equipment. When they started for the
front the blanket rolls and blouses were
left behind, and they were afterward sent
Tor.
At Santiago.
Santiago was reached on July IL. That
was the only day the company was under
fire. Firing was going on throughout that
day. 1t was heard continually as they an
preached the lines. The firing was princi-
pally by sharpshooters and artillery The
s,,e,
pany was seated under the hill, and We're
in no great danger. Some Of the men wan
dered upon the ridge to view the enemy's
lines and thus made targets OF themselves
for Spanish bullets. However, no one Was
injured, though several had narrow escapes
After learning that the company would be
located there for some time one Of the first
thirgs the boys did was to build arbors and
shacks of bamboo. palm, twigs, grass. etc.
in order to protect themselves from the
broiiing sun, and, as they imagined, the
rain.
On the night of the 18th they suffered q
most terrific storm-a storm that was a
revelation to the men. Water came down
In torrents. OF course. the shacks were of
no avail. On the contrary. they were bet
ter protected outside. without any cover
ing. The grass and other materials used
in the construction OF these shacks held
the water until there were several buckets
full overhead. This water, without warn
ing, would suddenly deluge the men. The
shacks We're deserted. and the men passed
the night in standing around trying to
escape some of the fury of the rain by
holding on to one another. Some of them
had ponchos, but even these did not serve
to keep out the wet Most of the ponchos
had been left with the blanket rolls and
blouses-
During the nights of July II, 10 and IA
Capt. Young was on special duty by Col
Harries' orders, acting principally as a
guide for the working parties making
trenches Being an old hunter and familiar
with underground and woods, he did not
find ii difficult in finding his way through
the underbrush
Co. h on Guard Duty I'm Trenches
Company K was placed on guard duty on
July II, in the trench nearest the city of
Santiago. and within $50 yards OF the Span
ish trenches. At night the Spanish scouts
and patrols would come up to the lines of
the District regiment the latter ap-
preached their lines. The regiment went
up so close to them that they could hear
the Spaniafds' voices they talked among
themselves. Patrols were sent out all night
TO prevent SURPRISES The portion of line
which the District soldiers occupied was
recognized as the weakest, and the place
where the Spanish would first select
through which to make a dash
Spanish side about o'clock on the after
room of July IL. On the night of the 11th
the regiment WAS instructed by the briga-
der general commanding the trenches that
there was no nag Of truce He Instructed