The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-25

think was scared little. 1t took
about three hours to disembark, and
/ we marched about half a mile north,
I going into camp. in a beautiful cocoanut
] grove. where We remained three nights,
/ living almost entirely on cocoanut milk
and native fruits. Here is the first
place we were issued raw rations, and
everybody had to cook for himself. AS
/ can scarcely cook plain water without
burning it. 1 was not benefited much
in the change of cooks.
I'VE camped here three days, while
/ different parts of the army were
marching past US taking their places
in columns between us and Santiago.
At last our turn came-Third brigade,
First diviSion-tO move forward and go
in camp on the same ground made al
! most sacred by the blood of the Rough
| Riders, where we also stayed in camp
three days June 30 the army was
again put in motion, and all day long
there was almost continual column
of soldiers passing our camp until ABOUT
4 o'clock in the afternoon, when gen.
eral call was sounded in our headquar-
tiers and we struck tents and took our
final position in the line. We advanced
about four miles further west. but the
road was so denseiy choked with SOL
diers that it was 10 o'clock before we
went in camp, and everybody knew
what to expect iii the morning.
Il slept very soundly that night, and
was awat,e very early next morning.
We were issued rations for three days,
and [ had just started to eat breakfast
" hen the first gun was fired, at $50
o'clock. Very soon the SDaniardS be-
gan replying, and the navy began fir
ing, and in a very short time there was
real and terrible duel with modern
arms going on The navy, as it was
situated, could render no assistance,
and the Spanish guns, by using smoke
less powder and being posted in such
well-masked positions, soon forced our
artillery to change from one position
to another, TO their very great diSad
vantage, but they still could advance,
and did advance. L still think the
S9aniards had a little the best of it
with the artillery the first day.
About O'Clock a. m. we started for
ward, and we were then almost the ex-
treme rear of the army, and about four
miles from the front, or firing line. AL
most Immediately our right, l since
learn, was holly engaged, taking a
small town called Ell Caney, on the
right Of our position. There is where
the Twenty fifth infantry distinguished
itself. As we advanced We could hear
the small arms more and more dis
tinetly. After we had advanced about
coming to the rear, and thought ser
iously Of the situation. and then, in
short time, the road was almost choked
entirely with the wounded and stray
glers. Our progress was very slow, so
when we got into the zone of the small
arms firing, it was about 1870 o'clock.
1t was terrible. There were wounded
and dead men lying all along, beside
and in the road. and the air seemed
alive with bullets and shells of all de-
scriDtionS and caiiber. You could not
tell from what direction they were
coming: all that we could understand
was we We're needed further in front,
and we could not shoot. for We could
not see anything to shoot at We adj
Vanced until we were assured by our
division commander that our mettle
was about to be tested; that he was
depending on his boys of the Twenty
fourth TO make history, and that the
fate Of his record and possibly of the
nation deoended on the quality of the
mettle mentioned.
1--WE piled up all our extra baggage
and our blanket rolls. nothing but our
arms. ammunition and canteens being
needed, and, fully stripped for fighting,
we advanced with our regimental chap
lain'S last words to us ringing in our
ears: Quit yourselves like men, and
fight We were right in it then, in
good shaDe-fots of music and very
few drums. From appearances We
passed two or three regiments lying in
the road. so that we had to stumble
over them and pick our way through
them to advance. Our colonel took the
situation in at q glance, and led the
regiment down into the bed of the San
Juan river until we were in the desired
position, and there it was terrible-just
one continual roar OF small arms and
q 1c- hrrr
position was comparatively secure, on
account OF the river bank. We were
then face to the right (north), about
900 yards south and right in the front
of the now famous San Juan hill. The
order was then, Third brigade ninth,
Third and Twenty fourth Infantry,
forward
THE orders from our colonel were:
Twenty fourth infantry. move for
ward $50 yards and lie down.. With
last look to our arms and ammunition?
Yes, and little prayer, We started, and
such q Volley as they sent into uSl 1t
was then that Sergeant Brown was
shot almost at the river bank. We
had TO cut and destroy barbed wire
fence. You may form an idea of how
strong it was when 1 tell you it had
five TO nine wires strung on it, and the
posts set from two and a half to four
feet apart. How, or by what means it
was destroyed no one scarcely knows,
but destroyed it surely was, and in
that angry mob, nearly all their officers
having been disabled, there was no or
ganiZation recognized. Men were crazy.
Some one said Let US charge, and
some one sounded To the charge on
a bugle. When that pack of demons
swept forward the Soaniards stood as
long as mortals could stand, then quit
their trenches and retreated TO the
trenches around Santiago. When we
gained the hill they were in full re-
treat, and our army just occupied their