The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
ON THE FIELD AT SANTIAGO
NOW IT FEELS TO FACE n RAPLD-FIR-
ING GUM DEATH SPRAT.

The thing about that fight that paralyzed
me-" said a Lieutenant, now In a hospital inthis
city recovering from n wound received at San
tiago. was that we couldn't get at the fellows
We were fighting against. Why. do you know.
l never saw a live Spaniard In my two days OF
fighting. The next time 1 get in a shindy l
hope It will be q hand-to-hand affair with bay
onets. Any fellow can do that sort of thing II
he has red blood In his veins; but It's different
to be q target for bullets coming from the Lord
knows where. There's something mysterious
and friRhtful about II. and It gets on q mans
norve. It's q wonder to me that any follows
could stand up to II as our men did. and I'd
have had some sympathy for q man who
hunked.
'I'l never forget the few minutes before 1
got this hole in my side. We were going for
ward under a scattering FIRE from the front,
and all at once. of at the right. a rapid-fring
gun opened on US. There was no smoke. no we
couldn't locate the battery exactly. but we could
see the bullets playing over the long grass like
spray from a hose. They didn't have the range
at first. and the shower Of bullets went swing
ing back and forth. clipping of the tops OF the
grass and coming nearer us with every sweep.
You can't imagine the sensations It gave us to
watch that death spray, driven by some in
visible. relentless force. creeping on and on.
reaching out and feeling for us. There was
something unnatural about It. and We watched
as though we were fascinated by II. 1 didn't
feel as II men had anything to do with 1t. It
was an impersonal, deadly enemy that I couldn't
fight and couldn't escape. There wasn't O liv-
ing enemy within sight.
AT last. with one big sweep the shower
reached us. Men all around me dropped. and
then 1 felt a sting in my side. and Town / went.
Somebody ripped out an oath. and 1 was glad
to hear It. It,sounded 30 magnilcently human.
1 believe we were all thankful when that gun
found us. 1t relieved the tension-but It ended
my fighting"
Its all very we'll for him to talk about being
nervous" commented o wounded corporal in q
neighboring cot, but he gave q mighty poor
imitation Of q nervous man Town there. A man
with a record like his can afford to up to
having felt creepy"
Its queer how men can laugh whom they're
expecting any minute to be shot into eternity"
said a wounded regular: but some way or
other funny things seem even funnier than
they are when ones nerves are keyed up to G.
Now, our men simply doubled up with laughter
over the Massachusetts chaplain that day at
Santiago.
II tell you he's q dandy. He's q tremendous
big man-splendid mark for sharpshooters-
but he was right UP In the thick OF things. jol-
lying the boys along. helping those that were
down and handing his canteen around as coolly
as though he had been passing ice water In his
own parlor.
II don't know whether the Spaniards paid
special attention to him. but the bullets went
tipping around him like hail. and tore through
his clothes any number Of times. The funny
thing about 1t was that they all seemed to ht
him somewhere below the belt. and. by Jove,
those fellows shot his trousers clear of Of him.
1t was shocking. and 1t worried the old gentle
man. He didn't want to stop for repairs, but
he felt he ought to set an example to the men,
and at last he says: 'Bedad. boys. Il isn't
decent and made for the rear. The fellows
adored him. but they fairly howled at the figure
he cut. and he appreciated the joke as much as
any of us.
He went back and got a pair Of pajamas and
then he looked about as funny as he did before.
he had been wearing q regulation black clerical
coat. but. when he got into the Cuban brush. he
whacked the tails of in a ragged sort of way;
and I tell you the effect OF that coat above those
giddy pajamas was immense. A grin followed
him Everywhere he went-and he went every
where q brave chaplain was needed. He doesn't
know the meaning OF the word fear. and he's 90
jolly he'd cheer up a stiff. Somebody called to
him as he went Hopping along the rear, looking
for water:
Praying that our mon will win. FatherP ?"
I'm not praying to-day. my boy. In pack
IL WuJoIs bhyb Uu0 SndplhlQ. HnO OH no
Topped to the front"
Luck was against me. for I got knocked out
at the start" The private looked vicious as he
thought how he missed the cream OF the fight.
- Two OF the men carried me out OF the lines
and put me down on the ground; and l couldn't
do anything but lie there and curse my luck
and envy the fellows who were going on up the
hill without punctures. 1t was beastly hot and
my wound panied me badly. and l thought I'd
die OF thirst. l thrashed around for q while
and then l got 30 weak that lust shut my eyes
and lay still. The fellows had left me q blanket,
and when the sun sets in Cuba and that awful
chill takes hold OF a fellow he needs blankets
and q feather bed and hot water bottles.
There was a man lying few yards from me.
He had been horribly cut up by a piece OF she'll
and Eroaned every little while. though he was
mighty plucky. for his wound must have been
terribly painful. He didn't have many clothes
nor any blanket. and I knew he must be deadly
cold. couldn't walk or even crawlto him. and
l didn't know whether he could move at all;
but I sung out and told him that II he could
roll owe me I'd try to roll toward him, and
maybe re could get near enough to each other
10 share my blanket.
He said he'd try It. 30 we began to roll. It
was bad enough for me. but It must have been
agony for him. We'd roll over. and then we'd
| hO eih oWhhO BOeethh UP uOENo 70 40 IL
again. Every move the chap made forced a
groan out through his clInched teeth: but We
got together. put part Of tho blanket over
him and We lay spoon fashion for warmth. My
face was turned away from him. and we didn't
say anything but / guess we both did o mighty
lot Of thinking. I lay there awake. listening to
the poor fellows groAns: but. by and by he
auietd down. and I thanked God he'd fallen
asleep. and wished 1 could manage It myself.
AT last / did drop of. and didn't waken
until morning. My bedfellow's arm was across
my shoulder. and I squirmed AWAY very gently
so as not to waken him, and turned over to look
at him. I needn't have been so careful. He
was stone dead and smiling as though he'd
never known a pain"
The Lieutenant knocked the ashes out Of his
pipe and reached for his tobacco pouch.
We'll. We regulars are only hired men and
nobody makes much fuss over us. but l reckon
we showed the Spaniards what kind OF men
UnclA Sam hihAa The vOluntaara xuaro hoa