The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-23

as we passed. IT, second battalion OF
the reSi---s followed and took place
IN line, but the f<st battalion did not
show up at ell. That is the truth about
that much-lauded regiment.
The story Of the charge M the hill
has been told so often that H. is ia
miliar TO all. We stormed the strongest
portion Of the Spanish line and drove
out the soldiers after the most desper-
ate hghting that I have ever seen. IL
was just a little after noon that the flag
of the 18th was planted on the intrencl-
ments of the Spaniards. and in a few
minutes there were other regimental
colors flying along the line Of earth
works. Ours was the first. though.
Then came a little rest. We were at
once set TO work digging trenches. and
II was not till 4 o'clock i'm the afternoon
that we had anything TO eat. Their We
were given two hardtacks apiece. the
first that we had had to eat since .
o'clock in the morning. We could not
cook coffee, and we had nothing but a
little water to drink. All that day we
worked at the trenches. We had them
ready none too soon. If we had expect
ed to rest that night we were dis
appointed. for the night was filled with
the hardest fought battle of the two
days. During the night the fresh troops
that had come in with Pando tried to
| recapture the hill. They charged and
49,. TO- ~ hAh'A
continuous. We drove them. off. how
ever. n IL the morning there were
CAB dead S~paniards i'm front of the 18TH.
HI 9Th was fighting equally as hard
near us. and all down the long line we
could hear the steady rattle OF rusket-
ry. 1t surpassed anything that | had
ever listened to before. 1t was a con-
tinuous rattle, with no interruption at
all. our men were tired. but the ex-
element kept them up. and they work
ed on with no food and no water. We
had taken three days ratiOns from our
camp, but we could not get them. as
they were i'm our haversacks. That
night at : o'clock we received three
hardtacks each. There was also issued
one small can of tomatoes TO each II
men. Just enough to look at.
"On the Sd of July came the flag %
truce. and then we were able to get
a little to eat, but for that IS hours of
terrible fighting all that the men had
To eat was five hardtacks and a portion
Of "a can OF tomatoes. Then. too. the
weather vas awful. In the morning
and early afternoon the sun would
blaze down upon us and the men would
wilt. Then. in the middle Of the after
noon came the heavy rain till every
thing was soaked. and the clouds would
obscure the sky till toward morning.
Wherever a man would lie down i'm the
grass there would form a puddle Of
I ~ HA'AH = = IT, ~
rest. These were the conditions under
which we fought. ! am Speaking Of
our own regiment. The 9th and the
Gath near us and the battalion Of the
list New York had the same sxper'-
encc. The loss of life in the 2ith was
even more severe than i'm our own.
There were hundreds Of exciting in
Cidents during the three days before the
flag of truce stopped the nghting. AT
er We had captured the two lines O.:
entertainments there were II Of US rest
ing under one of the few trees that
grew on the hill. Suddenly a solid shot
crashed through the upper branches
and sent twigS and limbs down upOn
US. We thought that the iieot IA !
sighted the tree and was fling at e..
All OF the others ran about p yards
and lay Town upon the grass. ! told
them that If the Spaniards were firing
at the tree they could not hi Il again
I'm a hundred years. SO | remained
where / was. In a moment a shrapnel
shell burst over the men who had run,
and all but two were killed or wounded.
was not tOuChed
The death of Lieutenant ord i'm the
third line of trenches was one of the
saddest sights that | Witnessed. The
men had discovered "A wounded Span
ish lieutenant lying in the trench and
We're rushing toward him to take him
prisoner. Lieutenant ord. who was
commissary general ON the command
ing officers staff, witnessed the rush
and, fearing that the men would harm
the wounded officer. called to them to
stop. lie then moved toward the
wounded IA to protect him. The
Spaniard evidently mistook his motive.
for he reached for his revolver and, as
Lieutenant ord STOPPED over him. lie
shot Ord through the forehead with his
revolver. Before anyone could utter
a word. Corporal Sears of Company G
/ q -aa III -.-4s IA
zine of his rifle into the Spaniard's
body.
After the truce had been declared,
| was taken with typhoid fever. This
was on the 9Th. I was sent back by
Major Mclaughlin, IA commanding
officer, with eight men. who were to
carry me till they met an ambulance.
The major gave them an order for the
ambulance and We soon met one. We
opened the door and the men were
about to put me in when we found
that the ambulance was full Of to-
baCcO from the COmmisSary. The
driver would not take me and these
men were compelled To carry me -four
miles to the division hospital.
There Is something worth telling
connected with that tobacco. \ large
firm of manufacturers had sent a large
supply as a present To the boys. one
lot was issued. when we asked for
more. we found that the commissary
department had taken charge of IL
and hat we could not have il for 81 a
pound.
Il was first taken To the division hos
rital. The yellow fever scare was at
its height and every man with any
fever at all was suspected and was not
allowed i'm the hospital tent with the
wounded men. so | was thrown down
upon the ground and rested as best I
could. After much suffering | was
I ,Iaa,T Il. a h.nH.r 30 nraA fnlB4a -
miles over a rough road To the general
hospital at Siboney. There | was not
allowed to be placed with the regular
sick. II was thought that perhaps I
had yellow fever. The nurse at the
division hotel had neglected to put in
my blankets and there We're none at
the Siboney hospital. | was, therefore.
| Laid unnn the Innr- TheN found a