The Portland daily press., 1898-09-24

the United States eIviGe at the outbreak
of the war. Captain Butler and his signal
corps seemed to have the slimmesh chance
Of any of them of seeing active service.
And the Maine Signal corps was the only
one which reached Cuba. heard the
scream of q Spanish shell or saw CUBAN
guerilla. More than this OF all the signal
corps mustered into the United States
service Captain Buffers command was
the only volunteer corps which reached
the front. There were others whlon had
been organized long before Maine poasSed
of signal corps, but wnen the maine
men reached Washington barracks they
at once made such favorable impre sslon
and their equipment was SO good that
they were marked for active service BY
Gen. Greeley.
The Maine signal corps left Augusta
June 16 and two days later where at
Washington barracks. Here they were
inspected by a signal officer attached 20
the regulars and he made very favorable
report concerning them. The day after
they arrived there the signal corps from
Connecticut and the District of Columbia
reported. Besides these signal men there
were one or two companies of regulars.
The second expedition for Cuba was
about to set sail and signal corps was
detailed to accompany it. Gen. Greeley
ordered Major Reeber who commanded
the signal men to send the Maine men to
the front. The major hesitate and asked
Captain Butler if he thought his men
were fitted for active service at once
Captain Butler said they were and he
wanted to go.
'You are all right for volunteers, said
the major, "but you are not up In y0fa'
work like the regulars.
,,.''I know that" replied Captain Butl6n,
''but we want to CO.
Then ensued a telegraphing match be-
tween Captain Butler and the commantf-
ing officer. General Greeley finally de-
cided that the Maine men should go and
they started for Tampa a few days aftes
their arrival in Washington. From
Tampa the signal men went to Santiago
on the transport Comanche.
at Tampa and the excitement there Wa
running high. On the same ship WITH
the Maine men was the artillery brigaft
commander by Gen. Randolph. Captain
Butler secured mules and wagons iaf
Tampa to transport his equipment bui
found that he could not take it along
with him on the ship and left the outfit
in charge of Corporal Sullivan ant
Private Fish.
1t was few days after the destruction
of Ceyera's fleet when the Comanche
reached Siboney. This place is about
twelve miles north of Santiago and here
the signal men landed. With the Maine
men was balloon to be used in taking
observations This had to be handled
with great care and Captain Butler found
some difficulty in getting it ashore. When
the Maine men had disembarked and We're
encamped at Siboney, Captain Butler
telephoned to Gen. Shafter's headquarters
at the front and reported his arrival to
Col. Green, in charge of the signal ser
vice. Col. Green ordered Captain Butler
to come to headquarters at once and the
Maine captain started to comply with his
orders. His horse had been left behind at
Tampa and Captain Butler could not find
even mule to ride upon SO he sarted on
foot His path lay through the hills and
broken country and he was obliged to
tramp nine miles beneath burning sun,
without guide. He took one man with
him and the two succeeded In finding
headquarters. Col GREEN'S headquarters
were with Gen. Shafter, three miles back
of San Juan. When Captain Butler had
reached there he found the Col. Green
had gone to the front with Gen. Shafter.
There had been a truce of few hours
but soon after Buffers arrival at the
camp the firing on the Spanish works
around Santiago commenced. Sampson's
guns were booming away at great rate
and the Spaniards were replying deliber-
ately but without much execution.
Lieut.. Brooks of the regulars, who Yves
acting as ordnance officer, asked Captain
Butler to go out to the firing line with
him. Brooks had horse, but Butler
could not find one, SO he stole mule and
made bride out of piece of telegraph
wire. Off they started and in a little
while were on the side of hill overlook
ing the spanish lines and in plain sight
of them. There wasn't much to see, but
the crowd on this hill side began to
gather until it was quite large and at
tracted the attention of the Spanish gum
ners. Ina minute they let fly she'll at
tho group onsthe hill. 1t came shrieking
towards the crowd and struckwithin three
yards of the spectators. Then came an
other and another and all dropped within
a few yards of this crowd. 1t was getting
too warm for comfort and the crowd be-
gan to scatter. Captain Butler says that
he wanted to scatter too, but he thought
he would stay as long as his friend the
regular did. Along cane another shell
and this one was closer than any Of the
others. Buffers mule vamoosed and the
Maine man chased him. "Most of the
crowd chased that mule and 1 never saw
cnch "a loft Of ob1tpino manila in NV life -