The times., 1898-10-09

of the same color. shells lying in isolated
groups of five, told where our troops, ad-
vancing. had fired by voliey; and yet
farther on, increasing distance between
the rows showed where they had advanc-
ed faster than they fired. After while,
a mingling of the nickel with countless
groups of the brass shells of the Spanish
Mauser rife; farther along. such
sprinkling of brass shells as to lose the
nickel ones
Then great heaps of larger brass
shell, that marked where two machine
guns had severally hurled a frenzied rain
of lead into the regulars on their front
and The Rough Riders on their right
Then rows OF nickel groups showing
prominently in a heavy sprinkling or
brass. By and by scattering shells of
both coiors in about equal numbers; then
more nickel than brass: then all nickel
then no shells at all; and then an old
sugar mill. which the extreme left of the
Rough Riders-immediately under the
| command of Col Roosevelt himself lead
| ing the charge rifle in hand-had carried,
| driving the Spaniards from their last
stand at Las Guasimas.
Back two miles was the evidence of
what the day had cost. On one side the
tumbling wall of the old church on the
road lay eight bodies, with peaceful faces
| turned skywards; on the other side, In a
hospital improvised out of bushes ana
shelter tents. lay Col Bell, Capt. Knox
Lieut.. Byram, and htteen others' Hioie VI
| less griyeously wounded
.sTha last time ] had seen Byram we
| had joked about the kissing or the Dull
| lets about US.
At Eel Cnney.
ssThe firing was incessant and general,
that nearest sounding like never-ending
strings of ffrecrackers completely encir-
cling YOU. while 500 or 600 yards away
II seemed as if the crackers had all been
| tumbled into barrels. Ii was easy to dis
| tfuglish the sharp metallic crack OF the
| Mauser from the crash of the krag-Jor-
gensen voileys which asSailed the ears
like continuous quick ripping of linen.
By noon there had come lull. broken
! only now and again by the spiteful re-
/ port of some cracker that had not gone
! off in the bunch. We again noted the
! artillery fire at El Poso. We could also
! see that balloon, and surmising that we
had started it, were much distressed by
the very heavy rifle fire in the direction
of San Juan.
| Meanwhile our own artillery had auspi-
ciously knocked the flagstaff off the fort
and put holes enough in 1t to make II un-
| tenable. That was the beginning of the
end al Caney Gradually slowly, but GER
tainly, the American lines drew closer and
closer upon town and fort and block
houses and trenches. But the Spaniards
were fighting desperately and making g
bold stand as, indeed, well might they
Fs,tsla IL
planking of blockhouses. One Thousand
Americans behind the fortifications OF
that little town could have stood of the
entire Spanish army There was nc
swearing, no loud talking. no gesticula-
tion; when the men had occasion tC
speak. it was with strange calm. Every
one of them realized he was performing
the work of artillery, but, patient. good
natured. determined he kept drawing
] nearer the enemy. / took off my hat
that day to the regular soldier. 1 can tel
you, and yet again to him and 10 tbs
Rough Riders when had heard the story
of San Juan
OF the quick and the dead under fire
Mr.. Whitney writes: Twas strange
what slight impression death all round
made on one: death came so often and
so sudden you accepted il without com
ment or surprise; il greeted you every
| where and under all conditions; one OF
] the sharpshooters sitting next me on The
/ point, Just in act of returning my un
cOrked canteen, shot through the neck
fell against me-and I stopped TO checl
the wasting water before noting he wa
dead; a ball struck a rock just alongside
another man of our party, and he ant
we all were interested in the doubling o
the ball against the rock rather than II
his escape; one of two men supporting
a third wounded. dropped with bal
through the head. and the other twi
made their way as best they could; ant
so on to the end.
OF the carrying of Ell Caney, he says
Nearer and nearer drew the America,
lines The fort had been deserted, tn
trenches before 1t heaped with SPANS
dead. The left of the Twelfth, ] no
ticed, was closing in, apparently for
charge which, in fact, went forwar
with a cheer at once. AS l reached tn
charging party, after a race 1 fancy
| shall never forget with the Mauser
popping apparently directly back of m
ears all the way across the openig, tn
gallant little band was just crossing tn
| trenches.
The fort had been carried C3:30 o'clock
| but the fighting was not over. From tn
| town and from the block-houses on bot
| sides the Spaniards maintained a dogge
; / fire But the end was near. We simpl
riddled that town, and at 4:S0 thos
: | Spaniards who were left retreating tc
: ward Santiago assembled on small hi
, | half a mile off and fired several volley
: | at US. defiant to the last"