The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-23
Colonel Rooseyelt's Two Reports on the
Campaign Around Santiago.
MANY DEEDS OF BRAVERY RECORDED.
Wounded Men Suffered Severely From Lack
OF Food and Medicine.
HALF OF THE SOLDIERS INcApAcITATED.
SO EnfcebIcd They Could Not March.
Tried to Buy Food aud Clothing
with Their own Money.

Washington, December 22.--The war de-
partment today made public two reports
of Colonel Roosevelt ON the fights o the
First United States volurteer cavalry
Trough Riders in front OF Santiago. One
is addressed to Colonel Nool, command
ing, and tho second is to Brigadier Cen
erat Wood after Colonel Roosevelt took
command of the reg ment. The war de-
partment has hitherto refused to make
these reports public.
Tho first report says;
Colonel Leonard Wood Commanding Sec
ond Cavalry Brigade.
The Trenches outside of Santiago, July
q. 1S5S.-S.r: On July the regiment with
my SET In comlGand was mo@ed GU, by your
ordeiS directly following the frst bl gIae.
Before leaving the campligG grounl saw
era! OF our men were wounded by shrlpne
After crossing the river at tha .ord we
We're moved aloag and up tbs right bank
under fire and were held in reserve 1t Il
sutken roa}. Here We lost Il good m my
men. including Captain O'Netl, killed, aud
lieutenant Haskell, wounded We thaa
received your order to a1vauco nnd sup
port the feGu.ai cavalry in the attack on
thu entrenchments and block houses IN
the hills TO the left. The regim mt was
utp'oycA w bVlH sues or the rOli and
moved forward until we came to lhl rear
most lines OF the regulars. We continued
TO move forward until | ordered a charge
ana inc men rushed to the block house
ana RHO pits on the Hill TO tha right OF
our advance
They did the work in fine shape, though
suffering severely; the guidols of lypouR
II and & were first planted ON the sunl.nit /:
though the frat men up were some o. the
a and troopers. who were with M.
We then opened fire on the entrenchman a
on hill TO our left, which some OF the
other regiments We're assailing and which
They carried few minutes la.cr
Meanwhile we were under a heavy fire
From the entrenchments along tho h is
to our front. from VIII nee they also shelIe
Us with piece OF field artillery until soma
OF our marksmen silenced H. When the
men got their wing We charged again and
carried tho second limo of ohtrenchme =
with rush.
Swinging to tho left, we then drove
the sMninrds over the brow of the chain
OF hills fronting on Sautago by this
'1ine the regiments were much mixed and
we We're under heavy fire, both OF shrap-
mel and from rifles from the batte.lr en-
trenchments and forts Immediately in
front of the city. on the oNtrsma front
row found myself In command Win
fragments of the six cavalry regimpnts
and the two batteries under me The
spaniards made ole or ~ 81 Efforts To re.
take tho line. but were piumptS driven
back
Both General sumner and General Young
sent me word to hold tho line at all hnz-
arcs ana that night wo Gug Il line Of Ia q
ehtrenehme mis- across our front. using tina
captured Spanish entrsEchnlgflt tools W.
had Hothlng to eat eXcept what We had
captured from the Spaniards, but thn;r
u.nhefs h!d fortunately been cooked ami
we ate mem with relish. having been
llghtlng all day. We had no bla -kets or
coats and lay by tho trenches all n ght
ihe Spardards attacked Us once In the
hlsht ana at dawn they oDaneJ.a henvv
artillery and rifle fire
very great assistance was rendered MS
by Lieutenant Parker'g GaGing battery M
critical moments. He fourhi hi rtn ~
the extreme font of The firirg line b, ~ ~
way Thar repeatedly called forth The
eheers OF my men, One OF the snnpiyb
batteries which was used against az nos
directly In front of tho hospital 60 tbat
tue Rea Cross flag flew over the battery
rayorihB II from our fire for Il consld ribie
pe!iou. Since then We. havo cont nued IN
hoia the ground; tho food has been short
ana until today We cou'H ret get onr
bIanheis, coats or tents, Shlle I'M man
lay all day under tho fire OF tho Spnnish
na'tofler entertainments ana guerrlilng IN
.resa aAd worked all night in the trenehes'
nsver oven oaking or their shoeg. but ther
ai1 IN excellent spirits and rfady n A
anxious to carry out any orders thsv reN
&C We my re-
We went into the fight about 400 strong.
efghty-tSiS were killed or wounded IA
unere are half dozen missing. Tee GRE +
heat Frustrated nearly forty msn. SOM Of
them among the best IN HE regiment
besiles captain O'Neill ard /. ltenan.-
aaskeli Lieutenants Leahy, Deyrrany ana
C9Se were wouAdai. An hehavel Win
ffeat giliantly. As for Captain O'Neui
DIS 1855 Is one OF the severest that coull
nave befallen the regiment. He was n man
cf cool head great executive ability ANA
literally dnnatess coumge.
TO attempt to give a list OF the men wbo
Showed signal valor would necossiiate
sending in an almos. complota 10 NJ, AZ
the regiment. Many OF thp cases with "a
mention stand merely as examples OF The
rest, not as eNceptons
Captain JenlsnS acted as mnt.r ana
showed such conspicuous galsn ~ and a.
ficiency that earnestly hope he may no
prem to major as soon as a vacancy
occurs. cap,ains L'ewenyn. Muller am
Luna led their troops throwgNont III,
dhnrees. Handling them admirably. At
the end or the battle Lleutenants Kare
Greenwco1 and Goodrich we q IN Ia ,ye
OF troops Immediately under my eye. a-d
! wish particularly to commend their con-
duct throughout
6'orpors's. Waller and Fortesaua and
Trooper Mckinley OF traop F.: C7rpNrsl
P'o'rs Of trorn ID: T~pn9ers Ath,-'s7~,
Wilmer. MacGregor and Raw Clark Of g. o
#: Trpnfrs Bigbee Japkeo1 and w or
Of troop A. Trunineter M,cDo-a'f~ roop
J.; Sergeant Fuehes If troop ana rrooner
Geieren Of troop c. all continued to f'gh
AFTER being wounded, some very seriously;
-