Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-08-13
OULORED FIGHTERS AT SANTIAGO

OOL0RBD FIGHTERS AT SANTIAGO.
Testimony is multiplying of the
bravery of the colored troops at SAN
TIAoo DE CUBA July LIST and 2d 1898.
Testimony is adduced TO show that
these "marvels of warfare" actually
fought without officers ard executed
movements under CALLING fire which
would have puzzled recruit on pa
rade ground. The Boston Journal of
the S1st in its account gives the fol-
lowing interview-Mason Mitchell
(white) said:
I'VE were in a valley when we start
ed, but made at once for trail run
ming near the top OF ridge called La
Quasina, several hundred feet high.
which, with several others parallel to
it, extended in the direction of Santa
go. By a similar trail near the ton of
the ridge to our right several compa-
MES OF Negro troopers of the Ninth
and Tenth United States Cavalry
marched in scout formation, as we did
We had all idea about where the Span
iards were and depended upon Cuban
scouts Co warn us but they did not do
it At about S 80 O'Clock in the morn
ing we met volley from the enemy,
who were ambushed, not only on our
ridge, bu, on the one to the right, be-
yond the Negro troops, and the Negro
soldiers were un Ter a cross fire. That
is how Capt. Capron and Hamilton
Fish we're killed.
1t says:
Handsome young Sergt. Stewart
| the Rough Rider protege of Henry w
Maxwell, when he was telling of the
| fight in the ambush, gave it as his
| opinion that the Rough Riders would
have been whipped out If the Tenth
Cavalry (colored) had not come up iusr
in time to drive the Spaniards back
I'm Southerner, from New Mexico
and / never thought much of the mig,
ger before. Now l know what they are
made Of / respect them. They Ger.
tainly can fight like.the devil and they
don't care for bullets any more thar
they do for the leaves that shower
down on them. I've changed my opin
ion OF the colored folks, for all OF the
men that 1 saw fighting. there were
none TO beat the Tenth Cavalry anC
the colored infantry at Santiago, and ]
4 OOkl 1uluO saying so.
The testimony continues:
"Priv. Smith of the SIEVE 1tv-firs,
Volunteers, speaking about IL impress,
sion his experience at Santiago had
made upon him, said:
II am a Southerner by birth, and
Tever thought much of the colored
man. But, somewhat. now feel very
| differently toward them, for l mel
them in camp, on the battle field and
that's where a man gets to know 9
man. never saw such fighting as
those Tenth Cavalry men did. They
( didn't seem Co know what fear was
| and their battle hymn was 'rhers III be
| a hot time in the old town tonight.
That's not thrilling hymn to hear on
the concert stage, but when you are
! lying in a trench with the smell of pow
der in your nose and the crack of riff as
| almost deafening you and bullets tear
| ing up the ground around you like
hugh hailstones beating down the dirt,
| and you see before you a blockhouse
from which there belches forth the
machine gun, pouring q torrent of lead =
| en- missiles, while from holes in the
ground you see the leveled rifles of
| thousands of enemies that crack out
death in ever-increasing succession
and then you see body of men go up
that hill as if it was in drill, so solid do
they keep their formation and those
men are yelling 'There'lI be hot time
in the old town to night singing SIS il
they liked their work, why, there's an
appropriateness in the tune that kind
OF makes your blood creep and your
nerves to thrill and you want to get up
| and go ahead if you lose q limb in the
attempt. And that's what those mig
gers did. You just heard the Lieuten-
: ant say, Men, will you follow me2'
; and you hear q tremendous shout an
swer him, You bet we WILL and right
HD through that death-dealing storm
you see the men charge. that is, you
I see them until the darned Springfield
J rifle powder blinds you and hides
them.
"And there is another thing, too.
| that teaches man a lesson. The ac-
| ton Of the officers on the field is what
l speak of. Somehow when you watch
these men with their gold braid in the
armories on dance night or dress pa
rade it strikes you that they are a lit
tie more handsome and ornamental
than they are practical and useful. To
tell the truth, didn't think much OF
those dandy officers on parade or dane
ing round ball room. did not real
ly think they were worth the money
that was spent upon them. But Just
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