The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-30


and the men, with set jaws and gleam-
ing eyes, obeyed the order.
Crawling along the edge of the road
and protecting themselves as much as
possible from the fearful fire of the
Spaniards, the troopers, some of them
stripped to the waist, watched the
base of the hill, and when any part of
a Spaniard became visible they fired.
Never for an instant did they falter.
One dusky warrior of the Tenth
Cavalry, with ragged wound in his
thigh coolly knelt behind a rock load
ing and firing, and when told by one
of his comrades that he was wounded
laughed and said:
"Oh, that's all right! That's been
there for some time
In the meantime, away off to the
left could be heard the crack of the
rifles of Col. Woods men, and the reg
ular, deeper-toned volley firing of the
Spaniards.
Over there the American losses were
the greatest Colonel Woods men,
with an advance-guard well out in
front, and two Cuban guards before
them, but apparently with no flank
ers, went sQuarely into the trap set
for them by the Spaniards, and only
the unfaltering courage of the men in
the face of fire that would make even
veteran quail prevented what might
easily have been a disaster
As it was, Troop L, the advance
guard, under the unfortunate Capt.
Capron, was almost surrounded, and
but for the reinforcement hurriedly
set forward every man would have
probably been killed or wounded.
There must have been nearly 1900
Spaniards in front and to the sides of
us" said Roosevelt to-day when dis
cussing the fight. They held the
ridges with rihe-pits and machine guns
and had body of men in ambush in
the thick jungle at the sides of the
road over which We're were advancing.
Our advance-guard struck the men in
ambush and drove them out. But
they lost Captain Capron, Lieutenant
Thomas and about Is men killed or
wounded.
The Spanish firing was accurate
so accurate, indeed, that it surprised
me-and their firing was fearfully
heavy.
Il want to say word to our own
men, continued Roosevelt Every
officer and man did his duty up to the
handle. Not a man flinched."
From another officer who took a
prominent part in the fighting more
details were obtained. when the
firing begain," said he Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt took the right
wing with Troops G and X, under
Captains Llewelyn and Jenkins, and
moved to the support of Captain Cap
ron, who was getting it hard. At the
same time Colonel Wood and Major
Brodie took the left wing and advanc-
ed in open order on the Spanish right
wing. Major Brodie was wounded
before the troops had advanced 100
yards. Colonel Wood then took the
right wing and shifted Colonel Roose-
velt to the left.
In the meantime the fire of the
Spaniards had increased in volume,
but, Notwithstanding this, an order
for general charge was given, and
with yell the men sprang forward.
Colonel Roosevelt, in front of his men,
snatched rifle and ammunition belt
from wounded soldier and, cheering
and yelling with his men, led the ad-
vance.
For a moment the bullets were
singing like a swarm of bees all
around them and every instant some
poor fellow went down. On the right !
wing Captain McClintock had his leg
broken by a bullet from a machine
. uhi "liliC louI vi Ills Ilell W6uG !
down. At the same time Captain
Luna, of Troop F, lost nine of his men, /
Then the reserves, Troops X and E,
were ordered up.
There was no more hesitation, /.
Col. Wood, with the right wing,
charged straight at blockhouse 800
yards away, and Colonel Roosevelt, /
on the left, charged at the same time.
Up the men went, yelling like fiends,
and never stopping to return the fire
of the Spaniards, but keeping on with
a grim determination to capture that
blockhouse.
THAT charge was the end. When
within 500 yards of the coveted point |
the Spaniards broke and ran and for
the first time we had the pleasure
VIII ich the Spaniards had been exper-
fencing all through the engagement !
of shooting with the enemy in sight,
''In the two hours fighting, during
which the volunteers battled against /
their concealed enemy, enough deeds
of heroism were done to fill volume.