The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-09-22
RIGHT FROM CUBA.
Edwin Reynolds Tells of the Fighting on
the Island.

Edwin Reynolds, a member of Uncle
Sans regular army, is. home on a
thirty days furlough, trying to recruit
his strength after struggle with ty-
phoid malaria contracted at Santiago.
Hesays the fighting was hot where his
regiment, the TWenty.second, was at
FL Caney, siboney and Santiago.
When the regiment first debarked it
was marched about five miles to a camp
located in a swampy country. The
Spanish forces were ready to greet
them, but were kept back during the
landing by a heavy fire from our mem
of-war. During the landing several of
the lighters ran on to rocks and were
capsized, several soldiers being. drown
ed in the surf.
In the first fight his regiment had
the left of the firing line and the Maui
ser bullets pelted all aroundt the boys.
Several bullets struck within thirty
inches of Mr. Reynolds, one passing
between his knees and several more
knocking bark off little shrub behind
which he was concealed, yet he es-
capped untouched. One of the engage
ments in which he took part lasted nine
and one-half hours. There was little
lull once in the middle of the day but
in less than hour the fight was renewed
with more energy than before and the
roar was deafening. ss.z..@. d., +.
Two volunteer regiments were near
his regiment and while one he blames
for unsoldierly conduct, the other
comes in for his praise. The Seventy
first New York: that much talked of
regiment, he blames for the great loss
of life, in the Sixteenth regulars.
When San Juan hill was first taken it
was turned over to the New Workers to
hold. The Spaniards reformed and
charged the hill and it's defenders fled,
making it necessary for the Sixteenth
to make a second assault. The Second
Massachusetts fought we'll and stayed
with the regulars through it all, while
the New Workers were sent to the rear
to serve as ''road monkeys" H..
The reports that there were no ra-
tions for thirtysix hours he brands as
a falsehood. At no time was his regi-
ment without some food, though at
times the supply was short, The
Rough Riders, who met with such Sc
we're loss in the first ENGAGEMENT, went
into the fight through bull1headedness
after they had been warned of the dan
ger. .,-,. s~ ..7 :...-x. =
Spanish sharpshooters played great
havoc with the officers. They were To-
Gated in trees where they could COM
mand a good view of all roads and
made it their particular business to
pick off everyone wearing stripes.
Some were protected in their lofty po-
sitions by sandbags, which shows how
thoroughly the Spaniards had pre-
pared for our advance. Now and then
one was found tied to his seat
The trenches Of the Dons were lily
constructed with a single exception.
They were shallow and too narrow for
two men to pass One position was de-
Tended by trenches which were we'll
made, being twelve feet deep, and here,
Mr.. Reynolds says, the Yankees found,
on advancing, that the bottom was lit
orally covered with dead and wounded
Spaniards, all shot above the waist.
He thinks the army could never have
taken Santiago if Cervera's fleet had
remained in the harbor. There were
but two places where assaults could be
made without encountering deep
trenches and, what was more danger
Gus, great tangles of barbed wire.
The guns of the fleet could play havoc
with the advancing forces and the city
was excelleptly fortified. Besides this,
Santiago waI we'll prepared for a siege,
having. large supply of grain, ETC.,
and every living creature for miles
around which could be used for food
had been driven inside the gates. '-
Mr.. Reynolds was stricken with ma
laria early in the campaign, but after
spending two days in brigade and di-
vision hospitals, where he found that
the surgeons were powerless to aid him
owing to lack Of supplies and assist
ants, he returned to his company and
remained with it until he. barked
for Montauk on the ''Mobile"
Reynolds is still weak and last Sun
day suffered a return of chills and
fever but he hopes, as we all do, that
Minnesota's climate will soon rebuild
his shattered constitution.
SPENCER BROOK ITEMS.
g., SPENCER BROOK Sant % 1905