The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-05
STORY Of \ REGULAR
Private Bradley, of the First,
Tells About Santiago.
MINUTE OF THE FIGHT
Just a Plain Tale, But With
Fine Touches in 1t.
MINUTE OF THE FIGHT

Kingfsher, o. T, Aug. 4.-(Special)-I
that II goes into the closest details, on
OF the most interesting battle letters re
ceived in the territory is from Ernest N
Bradley. son Of Colonel John T. Bradle
of Kingfsher. Ernest Bradley is a privat
in troop B. First regular cavalry. tn
letter is written on scraps of paper whicl
have enclosed packages of Arbuckie cot
fee. Young Mr.. Bradley was lawyer 0
prominence in Kingfsher before the wa
and is highly respected by the people o
the community. His letter is as follows:
Outskirts OF Santiago de CUBA,
July 10, 1888.
Dear FatherI have not heard from any
Of the folks since we left Lakeland, Fla.
June Z, and think, of course, that my let
ters must have been lost in the mail OIL
! delayed through mistake OF the negligence
Of postal clerks. 1 wrote to you a few
days after our first engagement, but haC
only few minutes for that purpose, and
suppose that it was not as ineligible as
it should have been.
We, the First regular cavalry, had four
! troops, the first squadron, engaged in and
opened up the fight, with b troop as the
advance guard. There were eight troops
! of the First volunteer cavalry (the Rough
Riders) and three troops of the Tenth
regular cavalry (colored) engaged. The
| Tenth had three Hotchkiss mountain
guns. which did very good work in break
! ing in breastworks made of stone, laid in
walls as wide as a carbne is long. on the
top of a long hill, very steep and bristling
with Spanish bayonets.
member of G. troop secured a copy of
Santiago paper, which stated that "a
gallant army of 1000 Spanards stood off
the American army of 50, 900 for two hours
and a half"
We had about $50 or 900. The enemy oc-
cuped two hills and the valley between
The first squadron of the First and Tenth
regular cavalry went down one road and
the Rough Riders another road a half
mile or more away.
RoOsevelts regiment struck the enemy a
few minutes after they opened on Us and
made a splendid stand. The enemy's lines
were in a V shape, and it was fortunate
for Us that we approached them as V.
did, for it is reasonably certain that il
tAAAltA VI lIt ltS IIutilS ldQ IndTCneQ down
either road, with the other road unoccu-
pied, the result might have been more
disastrous to us. 1t seems 10 US that the
honOrs ought to be divided equally The
New York papers, I understand. give the
Rough Riders credit for having done it
all, yet If the list of casualties has any
bearing on the matter, the fact that our
one squadron lost as many men as the
two squadrons of Roosevelts regiment,
we should be considered as participants.
We are brigaded with the First volun-
teer cavalry and consider it one of the
best in the service.
We lay in camp a few days at Guainins.
think they call it. the place of our first
engagement, and then went on a few miles
and went in camp. from which 1 mailed
letter. 1t was our first opportunity to
write and We had very little time to
do 50.
have learned from Ship and the Nor
ris boys that Beal and Newcomb would
be around in a few days, and that they
expected Beal at any time.
We broke camp on the 30th of June and
marched about four miles to the top of a
hill covered with a light growth of trees,
brush and tall grass and did outpost duty
for battery Of artillery stationed there.
We could see lights sparkling in Santiago
and in blockhouses and around trenches
which guarded the approaches TO the city
We learned from artillery men that the
blocNhouses were $50 yards away and that
our guns would proceed to demolish them
at 4:30 the next morning the LIST of July.
The next morning they opened up and
fired few shots, apparently without any
effect except to draw the fire of a battery
Of the enemy, which located ours in a
short time and obliged it to withdraw.
We were acting as a support for the bat
terry. and If seemed for a while that the
shells were bursting uncomfortably close
Several men were killed and wounded
there. Our powder was black. and made
50 much smoke that 1t was easy to locate
our battery. The great economists who
object to the purchase Of smokeless pow
der for heavy guns are responsible for the
loss of many men on the hills about SAN
tiaSo.
We left the light battery and proceeded
toward town. Where the light batteries
went is question difficult to answer.
They were stationed away back in tho
hills and fired a few shots at long range.
that were apparently without effect. Sew
eral of them felr short and came nearer
doing US damage than the enemy.
Several Calling guns. which shoot the
same cartridges furnished us for our car
bines. proved very satisfactory The
Hotchkiss guns were effective in the first
fight buj it is safe TO say that every
~. -
with small arms
\ war balloon. held by a rope partly
wound up on reel or spool. on frame.
carried by privates Of the signal corps. /
passed US on the road. but did not get
far beyond US before 4 few shells and
huliets were fred At IT.
We dropped our bundles and formed a,
skirmiSh line on 4 piece Of ground covered
with grass knee deep but with very few
trees, The enemy were in trenches. and
With shells from a 6-Inch gun made il
pretty warm for US. piece OF she'll
struck a sergeant lying close to me and
went through his leg. 4 number Of cur
boys were struck or Crazed by pieces Of
shell and flying gravel and bruised con-
siderahly. I had a stream Of blood run
ming from my temple down nv neck. and
Yet it was only scratch scarcely more
than skin deep.
The balloon was perforated
The only organization that 7 could To-
cate then were the Fest cavalry. First
volunteer cavalry. the Tenth cavalry and
the SIKH Infantry other regiments were
engaged hut in different paris fthe fields. /
The ground was very uneven with wire
fences and Instructions natural and other
wise. and the organizations were mixed