Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-09-16
BATTLE OF SANTIAGO.
Interesting Details of the
Three Days Fighting
July Ia. -"

T RAJ July 10 ~.
The following letter will he Oi in
terest to many Of our readers. being
written by r. A. Strand, a boy who
at one time made his houie here:
3'4 Fort SAN JUAN, SANTIAGO.
~ July z. 1893. s
DEAR PARENTs-I will write You a
few lines to let you know that am
still alive and well, though it is a
miracle for We had a hard battle.
The Spaniards were heavily en-
trenched on q high hill overlooking
q small field, and back Of that was
miles of heavy brush, which ia nearly
impassable. We left our camp about
4o'clock on the morning Of July l..
and came into the line Of fire about
. z O'Clock q. m. Wedeployed az soon
az ipDssible, and advanced toward
the enemy. BY that time we were
nearly to the field, but the Spaniards
had placed terrible distractions be-
fore US in the shape OF barhed wire
fences. Some were or feet high,
with six wires, while Others were
only 10 or u inches high. and the
latter did the most damage, for they
could not be seen In the grass, and,
OF course, we would fall over them.
There was wire fence feet high
all around the field, and to tear 1t
down person would be In plain
sight of the enemy-but 1t came
down, although we lost many men
by it.
: tell you, 1t was terrible to see
men fall either dead or badly wound
ed, and not he able to help them, hut
our duty was to take that hill or die
in the attempt. We broke through
the fence and advanced about $50
yards in plain sight of them, and
then lay down and opened fire on
the enemy. Icannot say how long
we lay there or what time 1t was
when we made the charge. but one
thing can say 10 that the bullets
fell like rain. You could hear moth
ing but the whistling Of bullets and
occasionally dull thud followed by
a cry or grOan, and some poor
fellow lay writing in his blood.
mu> It own that I was frightened,
and any person who has been under
heavy fire and says that he did not
feel scared, don't know. what he was
talking about. However,. after we
got through the fence and began to
fire ourselves I forgot to be scared.
and when the order came to charge
l did not hesitate. but started On a
full run. stopping now and then to
fire. r, .... Il! ..~.-. -e,,...
il, tell you, 1t was a grand charge.
You can ina CINE how 1t was. The
Spaniards were on q high hill In
trenches. and all you could see was
their heads, while we were advancing
on them in plain view. But we won.
They could not stand such a charge
and live, 80 all that we're able fled
toward the city. When we reached
the crest, what a sight met our view!
The rifle pits and trenches were full
OF dead and dying and wounded.
The balance of the Spanish forces
were retreat,ng, but We did not stop
there, but folio v ed them and poured
q steady fire on them. cannot say
whether any of the shots l fired
killed anyone before we reached the
top of the hill, but just as got to
top one poor fellow jumped up
about 60 yards from ME. and my
bullet killed him. lean see him yet
as he threw up his hands and fell
dead. His last cry was heart-rend-
ing. but he had a firm look OF de.
f'ance in bis eyes as he died.
We held the hill until dark. that is.
the Sixteenth infantry held it. Then
we marched around the hill and took
a position on another hill, still closer
to Santiago. We remained under
heavy fire until dark, when the firing
ceased, and then we went to work
digging trenches, so we got very
little rest, and all we had to eat was
bareback and bacon, for we dared
not build any fires. The next morn
ing firing commenced again, as
heavy as ever, and shells. began to
drop in and burst. All that day we
Law in the trenches. Firing ceased
again at dark, but at ID p. IN. they
made a charge on us, but we re-
pulsed them. and things quoted
down until morning, when the usual
firing began. and lasted until some
time in the afternoon. Then the
Spaniard run up the flag OF truce
and it has remained up since that
time.
We are lying about 600 yards from
the Spanish breastw orks, and we ex-
In porn1raA ~ oru