Evening star., 1898-07-22

The first high hill We climbed contained
two Spanish block houses and many rife
pits, from which the Spaniards had been
dislodged by our gunboats: then the road
led through tangled forest of palm and
pineapple, with rich foliage unknown to
me. The only living creatures we saw
were thousands of land crabs. light green
ones. several sizes greater than the sea
species, and smaller ones, with black bod
les and scarlet legs. These creatures have
been the pest Of the campers, with their
strong proclivities to pinch the first conve
nient toe Further on we reached the
scene of the fight of June "a, the bullet
marked trees showing with great exact
ness the hot places of the scrap and, sad
to see. by the roadside the graves of :he
twenty-five dead.
Get First View.
Finally. the summit of hill gave US
the first view CT Santiago. at the end of a
long valley, fianked by precipitous hills.
Several miles from the city our field glass
showed light blue cloud like haze which
meant. We knew. that firing somewhere
had already begun. Columns of bundle
whom were like the cannibals after the
missionary's visit. They ha1 some articles
of clothirg. which they hadF begged, bor-
rowed, stolen or picked up when thrown
were. stunted and rnisshaDen.
Descending now into the valley, few
miles further on. we began to come upon the
pack trains. and then upon q field hospital
ready for business. The regular cracking
Of rifles off 10 the right, and the louder
volume of the artillery, meant, we were
told, that small village was being be-
sieged by the rough riders" The road
Eow deep with mud from rain and heavy
travel. was lined by dense chapparal, and
repeatedly crossed by a swollen stream,
which we had to wade. Then for five miles
at least we walked past regiment after
eft p6N ,oDSJ
s owly to the front or resting by the road
side. AS was the case on climb to the
Grand Mulets from Chamounix the i'm
pulse to see how men behaved under fire
grew, and we decided to advance until we
found firing line. High over our heads
hoated an immense military balloon and
IN 1t TWO men, who We're viewing the Span
ish " 1riss.
PA ssing Grimes battery to the left and
then Lawton's to the right. We met men
whose thoughtful faces and quiet manner
contrasted strongly with the careless de-
mcancr of troops in the rear-men who ex-
pected some time that day to face Mauser
bullets. Greetings from officer acuuaint-
ances in the 10th Cavalry and 9th Infantry
assumed new aspect For a part of TIE
v ay | walked along. chatting with one of
Gen. Whee'eI's staff. The general small
and understanding as ever, we were told,
had been brought there on a litter as he
was III. but was going to stick it out Our
friend. the military balloon descended
near us, and Col. Maxwell came up With
bis balloon map for Gen. Wheeler's in
formation.
A screechfng Shell.
The balloon descent was the signal for a
hew arrival in the shape of a shell, follow
ed by several screeching Mauser bullets,
which passed overhead. Instinctively ev-
cry one in sight, except General Wheeler,
seemed to dodge. The latter following Col
onel Maxwelrs advice, sent the list New
York off to the left to flank a Spanish rife
pit.
Suddenly in our rear and 4 little to the
right a violent prolonged screech made ey-
cry one looked behind apprehensiveiy, and
thoughts that the Spanish had fanked the
road came to me. 1t was, however one of
our acknowledgements fire. Cof-
fin and l decided not to go on any further
Just then, in ignorance that we were with
a regiment as near to Spanish breastworks
as any, the dense chapparal, like a wall,
nldlng everything but view up and down
the road. Just then, with screeches like a
bundle of mad hornets, something seemed
to cut the chapparal to the left and a SER
geant fell dead and two men were wound
ed of company of the 9Th United States
Regulars, just beside US. Quickly every ono
dropped to his knees and then lay on tt..
road In readiness to fire. For three-quar-
ters OF an hour Coffin and were complete
ly stuck where wes were, while the Span
iards pumped Mauser bullets in regular vol
leys OF twenty minute from neighboring
rifle pits into our vicinity. AS the ground
had been previously measured, the accur-
acy OF aim was anything but reassuring
AND my wonder grew apace, not that
wounded men began to appear, but that
any one was escaping what seemed a uni.
Yersal hail.
Retreat was more dangerous than to re-
main, as the entire road for a mile in our
rear was under fire. Regarding curiously
the faces of the men, l found them all
alike blanched and drawn. Amid chorus
OF derisive shouts one man ran away from
his comrades. AS for myself l know my
heart seemed to rise up and choke me- and
realistic visions Of wounds of chest, head
and abdomen l had operated upon a week
previously with medical zeal arose before
me with a too vivid realism. Coffin said
the tune He Never Cares to Wander From
His Own Fireslde kept running In his
head though it did not seem humorous al
the time as we waited there, waiting to be
picked like rabbits by invisible missiles
from invisible foes. Finally the welcome
came and we covered the mile
and out of range in three-quarters of an
hour more. halting and lying down with
the firing line when voIleys began to again
get the range Of the road.
Effects of the Calling Fire.
Men struck by shot or shell were every
where, and the 9th Infantry during the
days fight lost nearly 80 per cent Of its
strength in killed and wounded. Regiments
now were met StdCkiHS oil Dut tHelT arms
and canteens and double-quicking to the
front still lodging, in their inexperience,
the sound of passed shells, their unnatural
faces showing the discipline and moral
courage necessary to run into unknown
dangers. Every now and then man would
fall out or down, and the lines close up the
gap. A man to whom / was speaking was
hit in the shoulder, and a shell bursting
IN front knocked over group of men. By
this time such things seemed natural, and
took pride in no longer seeming to dodge
the mad hornets. Meeting General Whee-
Ter and staff again comedy was introduced
into the general tragedy when he called
out: It's all right, men. The Yankees are
giving away Then, correcting himself, L
mean the Spaniards. He was living over
again the battles of nearly forty years ago.
Passing finally out of fire we came upon
John r. Hearst. proprietor of the New
York Journal, who had tried, as he told
us, to view the melee from Grimes Hill,
but a shell killed seven Cubans near him
and he decided to seek a more secure
lodging. In group of horses at the road
side I discovered my own private lost
horse, disguised under the saddle cloth
and saddle OF an adjutant. AS the latter
was far distant 1 was reluctantly Obliged
to leave the animal with his orderly, with
strong note on my card for the return