The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-20

| 1t must have ben two O'Clock Wnen the
enemy's battery retorted.
The cruel thing abou this artillery duel
was that our battery had nothing but
old-fashioned powder, and its position
was always as clearly defined as II II had
been the Chicago fire. There was no Sc
crecy about battery that uses that kind
Of powder. The great billowy white
smoke can be seen for miles. On the cher
hand, he Spaniards were using the best
smokeless. There was no use grooming
over what was TO be, butt
| However, fate elected that the Spanish
! shooting should be very bad. Only two
| thirds of their shells exploded in this sec
ond affair They all whistled high, and
| those that exploded raked the ground
| long since evacuated by the supports
and the timbers. No one was hurt.
From Ell Paso to San Juan there is a
broad expanse Of dense crest, spotted IN
frequently with wildly green fields. II Is
traversed with single narrow road
which leads straight between the two po-
sitions, fording two little streams. Along
| this road had gone our infantry and also
the military balloon. Why 1t was ever
taken to such a position nobody knows,
but there it was-huge. fat. yellow, quiV-
ering-being dragged into q zone Of fire
that would surely ruin II.
There were two officers in the car for
the greater part Of the way, and there
were surely were never two men who
valued their lives less. But they both es-
capped unhurt, while the balloon sank
down, torn to death by the bullets that
were volleyed at it by the nervous Span
iards. who suspected dynamite 1t was
never brought out OF the woods where
it ruthlessly met its fate.
IN these woods, unknown to some IN
Guiding the Spaniards, was Illuminated
the gorgeous plan of taking an impreg-
nable position.
One saw a thin line Of black figures
moving acros a field. They disappeared
in the forest. The enemy were keeping
up a terrific fire. Then suddenly some
body yelled: by God, there go our boys
up the hill!'
There is many a good American who
would give an arm to get the thrill Of
patriotic insanity that coursed through
US when We heard that yell.
Yes, they were going UP the hill, up
the hill. 1t was the best moment of any
bodys life. An officer said to me after
ward IF we had been in that position,
and the Spaniards had come at US. we
would have piled them up so high that
the last man couldn't have climbed over"
But up went the regiments with no music
save that ceaselesss, fierce crashing OF
rifles
The foreign attaches were shocked. '1t
is very gallant, but very foolish" said
one sternly.
why, they can't take 1t, you know.
Never in the world. cried another, much
agitated. 1T is slaughter, absolute
slaughter"
The little Japanese shrugged his shout
ders. He was one who said nothing.
The road from FL Paso to San Juan
was now terrible road. IT should have a
tragic fame like the sunken road at
Waterloo. Why we did not later hang
some of the gentry who contributed from
the trees to the terror o this road is not
known.
The wounded were stringing back rom
the ront, hundreds of them. Some walked
unaided, an arm or a shoulder ahving
been dressed at a field station. They
stopped often enough to answer the hail,
How is it going?" Others hobbled or
chung to a friends shoulder. Their slit
trousers exposed red bandages. A few
led. bleeding and blind by their mates.
And then there were the slow pacing
with the dying or insen-
sible, the badly wounded. still figures |
with blood often dying brick color on |
their hot bandages.
PROSTATE at the roadside were many, |
others who had made their way thus |
far and were waiting for strength. Eve
rywhere moved the sure-handed, inval- |
liable Red Cross men.
Over this scene was sort of haze of bull |
lets. They were of two kinds. First, !
the Spanish lines were firing just trihe |
high. Their bullets swept over our fir |
ing lines and poured into this devoted |
roadway. the single exit, even as it had |
been the single approach. The second |
fire was from the guerrillas concealed in |
the trees and in the thickets along the |
trail. They had come in under the very
wings our strong advance, taken good |
positions on either side the road and !
were peppering our line communica-
ton whenever they got good target,
no mater, apparently what the target
might be-
Red Cross men, wounded men, sick men,
one to the guerrillas. The move o send
ing an irregular force around the TANKS
Of the enemy as ne is making his front
attack is SO legitimate that some of US
could not believe at first that some of
the men hidden in the forest were really
blazing away at the non-combatants or
the wounded. Viewed simply as bit Of
tactics. the scheme was adnira BILE. But
there is no doubt now that they intention
ally fred at anybody that they thought
they could xiii.
You can't mistake an ambulance driver
when he is driving his ambulance You
can't mistake a wounded man when he
when You see 4 field hospital you don't
mistake it for a squadron of cavalry or
a brigade Of infantry.
As We came along the road we suddenly
heard a cry behind US. 20. come quick,
Come quick"' We turned and saw a
young soldier spinning around rantically
and grabbing at his leg. Evidently ne had
been going 10 the stream to fill his can
teen, but a guerrilla had barred him
rom that drink. The Red Cross men
rushed or him
At the last ford, in the shelter Of the
muddy bank, lay a dismal band. 40 men