The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-26

trail at the base of the range of hills lead
ing back from the coast, so that he could
attack the Spaniards on the flank, while
the Rough Riders" went off to follow the
trail leading over the hill, to attack them in
front. This plan was carried out COM
| pletely. The troops left Juragua at day
break. The route of General Young and
the regulars was comparatively level and
easy Of travel. Three Hotchkiss guns were
taken with this command.
| The first part Of the journey of the
Rough Riders was over steep hills, sew
eral hundred feet high. The men carried 200
rounds of ammunition and heavy camp
equipments. Although this was done easily
in the morning, the weather became in
| tenseiy hot and the sun beat down upon the
cowboys and Eastern athletes as they toiled
trail was so narrow that for the greater
part of the way the men had to proceed
single file Bushes lined both sides of the
trail, and the undsrbrush was so thick that
1
/ side. All the conditions were favorable for
a murderous ambuscade, but the troopers
kept close watch and made as little noise
as possible. The Rough Riders entered
| into the spirit of the occasion with the
| greatest enthusiasm. 1t was their first op-
portunity for a fight and every one was
eager for it. The work grew swelteringly
hot, and one by one the men threw away
blankets and tent rolls and emptied their
| canteens.
THE ENEMY HEARD IN THE BUSH.
The first indication Colonel Woods COM
mand had that there were Spaniards in the
vicinity was when they reached a point
three or four miles back from the coast,
when the low calls of the Spanish soldiers
were heard in the bushes. 1t was difficult
to locate the exact point from which these
| sounds came The men were ordered to
| speak in whispers and frequent halts were
made. Finally place was reached, about
5 o'clock, where the trail opened into a
space covered with high grass on the right
hand side of the trail and the thickest kind
| of bramble and underbrush on the other
| A barbed-wire fence also ran along the left
side. The dead body Of Cuban was found
on the side of the road, and at the same
| time Captain Capron's troops discovered
the outpost of the enemy, the heads of sew
eTal Spaniards being seen in the bushes for
moment. 1t was not until then that the
men We're permitted to load their carbines
| When the order to load was given they
acted on 1t with a will and displayed the
greatest eagerness to make an attack
AT this time the sound of firing was heard
| mile or two to the right, apparently COM
| ing from the hills beyond the thicket 1t
was the regulars replying to the Spaniards,
who had opened on them from the thicket
| In addition to rapid rifle fire the boom of
Hotchkiss guns could be heard. Hardly two
minutes elapsed before Mauser rifles COM
menced to crack in the thicket, and a hum
dred bullets whistled over the heads of the
Rough Riders" cutting leaves from the
trees and sending chips flying from the
fence posts by the side of the men. The
| Spanards had opened, and they poured in
heavy fire, which soon had a most dis
astrous effect The troops stood their
ground with the bullets singing all around
| them. Private Colby caught sight of the
Spanards and fired the opening shot at
| them.
Sergeant Hamilton Fish, jr., was the first
man to fall. He was shot through the heart
and died instantly.
The Spaniards were not more than two
hundreds yards off. but only occasional
| gmpses of them could be seen. The men
continued to pour volley after volley into
the brush in the direction of the sound of
the Spanish shots. but the latter became
more frequent and seemed to be getting
| nearer.
ROOSEVELT DISPLAYS COURAGE.
Colonel Wood walked along his lines, dis
playing the utmost coolness. He ordered a
troop to deploy into the thicket and sent
/ another detachment into the open space on
| the left of the trail Lieutenant Colonel
Roosevelt led the former detachment and
tore through the brush. urging his men on.
| The shots came thicker and faster every
moment, and the air seemed filled with the