The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1898-09-14
BATTLE OF Ell CANEY.
Cloyerport Boy Who Was in the Thick
Of the Fight.

and were it not for the sharp noise Of
their exploding rifles their ambush would
have been complete
The men OF the Sixteenth were almost
all recruits. They were almost ignorant
Of the penalties of war, OF its blood, and
its wounds, of its suffering and of it's
carnival OF death. But the sight Of four
dead comrades floating out with the
blood-stained tide made veterans Of them
in a moment.
A perfect frenzy OF rage seized them.
They were eager for revenge. They for.
got the slime OF the rocks that caused
them to slip and stumble. They forgot
the sharp spines of the sea shells that
acerated their feet. They forgot their
weakn, ss and with strength born Of
the fercest passions, rage and hate, they
redoubIed their efforts to gain the shore.
Soon there was cheer. Three or four
men were on the beach. They seemed
to ignore the shrieks Of the Mauser bull
let's. They took aim at whatever looked
like the hiding place OF an enemy and
fred.
One OF the four men fell, pierced by a
bullet. He lay stretched upon the
beach, his blood dyeing its white sands
crimson hue. Soon hundred had taken
his place and the whole regiment were
on the beach. The fighting now COM
menced with terrible eaInestntss and
tierceness. Our brave boys in blue
plunged into the mass of underbrush
and began to unearth the Spanish guer-
rillas. They fought them sometimes
hand to hand, and the rush of the Amer
leans was 30 irresistible that the Span
iards began to fly before them The lat
ter sought the protection OF the block
house on the hill, but were soon dis
logged from there and finally retreated
from the coast.
The enemy being driven away the
Sixteenth regiment pitched few dog
tents for their temporary camp. The
men had no opportunity for rest, how
ever. Orders came for the Sixteenth to
Join Lawton near Santiago, and the men
were given orders to march. Each man
had 200 rounds of ammunition, heavy
blankets, his camp utensils and other
equipment that made up load Of rs
pounds
The road was ankle deep with mud,
the sun was broiling hot and the men
were weak. They became desperate and
threw away their blankets and other
equipment, only saving their ammuni-
ton, haversacks and mess kits.
The discipline on the march was per-
feet. There we're no grumblings or COM
plants and the boys were as cheerful as
the unhappy condition of their sur
roundings would permit.
As soon as the Sixteenth had joined
LawtOn's brigade, the order for the as
sault on Ell Caney was given, and the
three days battle OF Santiago had com.
mpnced.
The Sixte enth had been forlaed in ex-
tended order and started up the hill fol
the block house, where the Spaniards
were fortified, with rush.
The underground was far more dense
than the thickest canebrake one could
find along the Ohio The men plunged
into it with will and fought and scram
bled through the wait-a.bit thorns ut.
terly obliYious to the cruel scratches
that were inflicted upon them.
Too add to their difficulties the mer
soon encountered tangle-work of barb
wire trochas, and they had to cut the
strands with their bayonets or pull then
apart by sheer strength.
These impediments to the marcel
caused the line TO lose formation. SooI
a scattered mass OF men could be seer
moving up the hill. Colonies were les
from their commands, majors from thei
batallions and captains from their com
panies No orders could be given, /
was case where each man fought oil
LIS own hook. The men became 30 alb
, sorbed in the frenzy OF battle that the.
nau bO buOuBuJ VI thoh hotBhDOin
Lieutenants and privates struggled alonI
side by side. Some shouted, others sang
, some bantered each other, and one mai
, with insanity cleaning in his tearles
, eyes cried with a voice 80 wierd ans
horrible that 1t inspired those who hear
him with awe.
While the men were plunging up tn
> hill, the enemy, from the shelter Of tn
block house and trenches, began to pou
: a hail of shot upon the blue-coatsd mot
! The Mauser bullet and the grape an
u shells from the machine guns began :
define zone where death held sway.
b Right into this hell our boys plunge
4 with cheer II was the strongest ma
Q 10 the front and everyone else iollowin
: his lead. The Sixteenth regulars PR
y served the semblance OF formation, bU
y they were soon joined by leaderleI
= force OF privates from the Seventy-firl
New York. The latter were armed wit
J. the old springfield ribs, which when
d exploded, vomited cloud OF smoke an
d directed the dre Of the Spaniards rigi
: In their direction.
Y Bullets and shells began 10 NOW me