The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-16
BE JESIS At WOUNDS
Rough Rider Newcomb, Who
Was at La Quasina
GOT SHOT IN THE KNEE
He is Hors du Combat, But
His Spirit is Not.

Waukomis, o. T., July l3.-(SpeciaLl-
Following Is a letter from NJ. L. New
comb to his parents at Waukomis:
Second Division Hospital. Fifth Army
Corps, on Board the Olivstte, June ?S.-
little disfigured but still in the ring.
am lying, for my first simA. disabled
but 1 hope It won't be for long. I am
sorry TO say am shot through the knee,
but the cap is not broken, 50 It win be
only q matter OF time till will be the
same old kid again
I surely saw q great nght-.oOo Span
iards against zoo of US I can't seq how
any Of US escaped. but we drove the
cowardly devils from their pits, where
they were concealed SO we could not see
them, till they began to run for dear
life. and then Is when we moved them
down
There were five killed out OF our regi-
nrent and from thirty to thirty-five wound
ed. Five from our troop were wounded.
myself being the first to fall, but not
the first to quit firing. When I fell Fred
Beale my old side partner, threw me the
canteen full Of water, saying: Here, Cell,
take this and will go and revenge you. 3"
Well, he made a few hundred yards, when
the order was given for left retreat
They had just made It and were advanc-
ing again when he was shot through the
leg bove the knee, Just through the flesh.
He will be all right in week or so. My!
We were delighted TO see each other that
evening. 1 rode mule about four miles
held my leg up by a rope and guided the
mule by myself.
Major Brodie was wounded Just in the
rear OF where I was. about twenty feet.
He rode IN with the same boys 1 came
with. He was shot in the left arm
Colonel Woods was right in the thickest
and you may bet he gave orders as calm
and as stern as any man on earth could
have done. He is well named, the fight
ing doctor" He looked at my wound and
told me it would be a good leg. He sure
ly is noble gentleman. Teddie Roose-
Welt, they say, did splendidly, too.
expect they Will move us to Key West
in a very few days. There are 140 on
board sick and wounded. We have the
best of care. Our nurses are as kind and
as gentle as lady could be. They kept
us on a light diet until today noon, when
they gave US a square meal; that is, it
tasted like one. Shelby Ischler and my
self are in the same room. He is from
Enid, or he was working there when he
enlisted. Fred isn't aboard at all, guess.
At least I can't find him. L wish he were
10 n inc
good TO eat.
Now, 1 don't want you folks to despair
or grieve over my misfortune a bit, for
got it doing my duty and am quite sure
I won't be lame in it. will let you know
any change for the worse at once, so
please look at It as a trif1e, as I do,
thanking God that it isn't worse. You
Will always have help at home If my leg
does get stiff, so it will be for the best,
1 am sure. I am not deceiving you a bit
as to my cheerfulness; on the contrary,
I don't feel bit put out about it, only I
miss the boys and would like to be with
them when they take Santiago; but they
will have a great deal easter time than
we had day before yesterday, as they
will have all kinds of help. OF course it
IS tiresome lying around, but I will make
the best of it and will appreciate life
more when l rally.
We have more reading and friends than
we know what to do with so 1 am per-
fectly contented a present 1 wish you
would let some of my closest friends al
Kingfisher know of my misfortune, but
tell them I am the same old cheerful Cell
that they always knew me to be and what
Is more, I will never despair. I regret
nothing and am delighted to know that
I have done some good.
I threw thirty-fve balls at the coward
ly devils and think at least some of them
took effect. The balls cut brush enough
off the tree l lay under to cover me up.
so you may know they were thick.
They had a cross fire on US from three
ways, enough" Major Broadie seSs, "to
have captured every one of US. with FIVE
hundred back of it, If they had had the
nerve"
We captured three or four Of their rapid
fire guns and two dynamite guns. We
had but two guns in operation OUTSIDE
OF our rifles. They also fired FIVE volleys
at US before we knew they were any
where around. Il all occurred in the
mountains, and every opening they
caught US on is where we suffered, but
We drove them from their pits where they
had the best protection, D troop being the
first in command OF their position. None
OF our officers was hurt, not even a cor
poral. but it wasn't because they weren't
to the front.
Now. I have given you a few details Of
the fight and an exact description Of my
wound IS the ball passing clear through
making a very small hole, Just below the
knee cap. haven't felt the least bit OF
pain since they removed the string that
l wound around It TO keep it from bleed
ing.
I haven't any more 20 say only that I
am as vel colntented as any one could be
Yours. with love SELL
The Climate OF Cuba
Because Of frequent rains in Cuba ma
lariaI fevers are a common ailment there
lust as they are in many sections OF the