Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-23

four Spani8rls alCnc. 1t was 30 against
our 10. One Of our boys had piece of
his nose shot off, and, turning on the
Spaniard who had MANNED him, ran him
through with his bayonet, and, pinning
him to the wall, held him there for sec
ond and exclaimed, There, now die, you
Spaniard, dic!'
Upon the death of all the Spaniards
the doors of the place were forced open and
the wounded men regained their regiment,
which had just arrived"
Weichcrt had wound in the wrist,
which WIS dressed, and he entered the
general fight next morning He was
wounded twice early in the day and hob
bled off the field. He lost his hat ard now
wears one he took from Cuban. Weichert
says the hospital corps has more than it can
do and that soldiers are so scarce in COM
parison with the duty required of them
that some of our dead were left unburied
81 hours without attention.
When the troops were disembarked at
Baiquiri and Siboney, they were outfittcd
with all the impcdmcnt1 prescribed by
the war department for campaigning.
Each man had his rifle and cartridges,
bayonct pistol, cantccn, blanket pnncho,
half of II shelter tent, rations and the 9TH
or things considered necessary to military
well being in the field. The trail was mar
row and rugged. however, now leading
up a rough hillside, now dipping into a
steep ravinc. Ii was not long before the
men began TO feel the weight of their bur
dcns, which shifted and slipped as they
struggled up the hillsides and tramped
I = h.
| down on the line of men who were strung
out in single file for miles. There was no
shade to protect them, and their feet
crushed the red Garth into a fine dust,
which rose in clouds, cnveloping them
from head 70 foot. 1t settled in the per-
spiratiur on their faces and arms, covering
them with "a red paste. 1t worked into the
folds of their packs and was blown out in
TO their faces and down their necks as the
packs shifted ON their shoulders. Dust
and pcr>pir;tiou entered their eyes and
/ nostriis binding and choking them, but
| the men toilod on, unmurmuring and
clinging TO their packs hecdful of the
warnings which they had heard about de-
serting their shelters and rations.
As the troops penetrated farther into the
/ hills it became unbcarable. Instead of
! finding shaded trail that which they
were Obliged to follow was without tree
10 shield it for the greater part of the dis
lance, and. lying between two higher
ranges of hills, was practically cut off from
any breeze. The packs on the mems backs
caught in the ovcrhanging underbrush.
causing them TO stumble and lose their
| footing. At last one man threw his blanket
away. His example was followed by 9TH
ers, and extra clothing. blankets, cans Of
meat and vegetables, shelter tents and
cooking outfits Uttered the path along
which the army passed Many soldier
who started out bravely with all the outfit
that his supcriors considered necessary
finished his first days march with little
besides the clothing he Wore, his arms and
his canteen. What was thrown away was
not wholly lost, however, for busy band
OF Cobans spent their time in picking up
the articles cast aside and packing them
back TO hliquiri and Siboney. where they
disappeaied in the huts in which the Gu
bans Iva