The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
srlrrlnDs 1Er1rs n1r lr1n

This letter 10 from q young man WIN Vh
listed In Troop A. Fifth United States Cavalry.
at the beginning Of the war. he Is the assist-
ant paying teller Of q New York bank;
Las MAR1As. PoRTo RIoo,l
FRIDAY. Aug. "a, 1905.
DEAR FATHER AHD NMoTHER: Received al
OF your letters and papers last Monday and
they we're a perfect godsend to me l had
been wishing and longing for some newe from
home and the outer world and the letters
came Just in time to make me feel good. we
had been scouting through the country. when
is hard work, ever since we left Ponce, ana l
have had no time to think OF anything but
Spaniards and sle~epinR-with precious Little
OF the latter-and a couple OF meals a day, con-
sisting. OF bareback. bacon and coffee, But
two brushes and the Spaniards didn't DO A
thing but run away both times. ofthlsl VIII
Alter leaving Pon-ee-pronounced Pon-cayI;
on the Sth We marched into n small town, q
which l do not know the name. and campe1
wagon had turned over q short distance out
Of Ponce. Next morning we, started out and
company OF the Eleventh Infantry was leaving
" meet the, artillery about ten miles aista nj
brUes 9 sS%S oG thqt o %Stfes sfsTted 10 eaten SshrM Tp
with the artillery and dough boys-,infantry-.
and reached their camp about 8 o'clock that
all expected TO have some kind OF q scrap, and
started out ahead Of the column as scouts and
advance guard to find out the spanish position.
isl hRO OUTPOST. Which VII CHI we Sei located In - sugar "a plan
tation. We threw, out our skirmish line%-dlSI
mountedI,and advanced on them. Well
You should have seen them scoot. They didn't
stop till they reached the town OF Homoguerez.
about three miles away
native Porto Mcans-that the Spaniards were
q short distance on the other side OF Homo
guerez: We rode into q the toYn to reG con- olttrree
riding leisurely out again when. right In front
Of a banana plantation. the bullets came sing
must have looked comical to see us duck and
fall of our horses and make for shelter. We held
came up on double quick about an hour later.
They were Just Ia time. too. for IL they had not
made n6t3is their Appearance ose when they DID we
been rsiiniorced By 300 men against our sixty
them from the position they had taken, for it
was behind q large Hill and Just as soon as an
They-the Spanish-were finally driven back
by q series OF PUSHES which the infantry made
with our troop on the right flank. But they
us there was no sense in keeping up such a
hare and hounds chase. we halted until the
the most terridc" work 1 ever IS saw in the way AZ
Of destroying things with thoir she'll and
One cannot imagine the damage those en-
gines Of war can do until one sees them in ac-
ton. When a shell bursts 1t covers everything
within q radius OF q hundred yards with hot
iron. SO you can picture to yourselves the ter
rible havoc it created in the Spanish ranks.
glortously victorious for Uncle Sam. Two
hundred and ninety-eight Spanish killed and
wounded. two killed ana thirteen wounded on
our side. Not one OF our troop was hurt, which
test part q the light ii OF course 5ifSs y We sl fought
NIT a ounted charge. But there was one
time " Tfep we g MADE ma ga charge ,ha gs+i IN them a MOUNT fSdto
was not one VI us touched. Ican't understand
il, and the boys can't either. We learned af-
tsrT var l t that h t the sPa daI1pd W were deathiy afraid {!
when we charged them, NI -
feels on the firing line. 1t is a mighty queer
sensati2nnnot fear exactly, think it is pride
run away when all his comrades are fighting
alongside, Of him, But, take. it all in all. l
armchair, in my room. smokinG some Old Gold
tobaeco.but it will never do TO become remin-
c lssSpt;d t 6a tS It S ESHsa dS t Rs a ahA F ana stare we
Sd 81 the next m@rning; the 1lth. for the town qf
~trenchments. Arrived there about 10 o'clock
A. ~, but found no spaniards. and talk about
from every large building. and the natives col
le9ted ON every g2rn SPd a M . shouted Viva
AlHtIlCdLlO. &C. we nuu Ill Tile cigars, clSa-
rettes. wines. cakes. coffee and fruit we want
ed. and Capt; McComb made a speech. We
then marched o short distance out of town to
r~econnoitre and oslook for a camping place.
We saw some Spaniards on the hills in the dis
tance. but they were so badly scared that we
shots. We then pitched our tents and camped
Ior Two Gays 70 rest our horses. The. Captain
taehed service. I and ie twenty ty ct oth ers S SP red
our services.
1On the morning of the 18th we started. with
Liant Nnlanfinn in nnTn ~ and W. Y-nra tha
scouts and the advance guard OF the Eleventh
Infantry and the artillery. always keeping a
ing notes of the surrounding country. 1t s a
surprise to me that our small band was not
sn9tred out. as the Spaniards could have forti-
lied themselves. in hundreds OF places, and,
with the smokeless powder that they use. It
would have been well-nigh impossible to have
age and sense to do. so. We kept on advanc-
Ing very cautiously for two days till we came
We were told, by our scouts that there we're
a,20O Spanish, with two pieces of artillery.
We eqmped about ave miles from the town
that night; Next morning we advanced slowly
rear til til We Tels eame JqH @ qltsidS The tow m s sni
outside OF the city gates and commands the
WHOLE road for a couple of miles.
Ii the Spaniards had only had the pluck and
sense they could have blown US twenty-one
men out OF existence, but. as usual. they
for them. We advanced again very slowly tfi
we arrived In the town. and then the Lieu
tenant had q ow-wow with our scouts and
some, Of the notables Of the town. Iforgot to
mention that as soon as we entered the city
menced to ring. and We all naturally thought
that IT was In welcome TO the American sol
aiers. as every town we had passed through
same, manner. but we afterward found out
that 1t was a signal to the Spaniards that we
town by order Of Lieut.. Valentine. and when
about half a mile on the other side Of It our
scouts came up helter-skelter. jabbering and
making all sorts OF faces and signs that there
were 200 Spaniards..the rear guard OF their
main force-Waiting for us to give us q warm
reception. Well! We didn't dol thing but
about lace and gallop out OF that COMPOUNDED
town to meet the infantry and artillery.
We advanced again and caught those Greas-
ers AZ they were fording, a river. and played
terrible havoc IN their lines. At first they
returned our fire very steadily, and we
thought that we would have considerable trou-
biz TO disl9dge them from the surrounding
treated with a loss OF So Killed. between $50