Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-09-08
Letter From Purto Rico.
CoAMA BATTLE FIELD,
Porto Rico. Aug. IL.

Porto Rico, Aug. IL, 1893.
/ suppose you have heard of the battle in
which the 10th regiment was the "whole thing"
We all waiting in anticipation, for the re-
port is now that peace is declared and we are all
willing to quit too.
Well, will endeavor to give you description
of the battle:
We were camped at Camp Hulings, half way
between Juan Diez and Coama, when we re-
ceived word to move the light artillery and the
End and 3rd Wisconsin were the attacking
parties. The 18th Pennsylvania were sent
around the city by the right flank to cut off the
Spaniards retreat. Well, we marched until ten
o'clock the night of the sth and went into camp
on top of one of the high mountains, where we
could command good view of the country
around us and laid ourselves down on the grass
to rest, (and we needed it too.) We broke camp
at 300 a. m. and continued our march over the
mountains and through the woods, Co. c, being
the advance guard and we were led through
ravines and cactus patches where we had to cut
our way with our matchettes and got tangled
up in the jungles and about 7:30 a. m, we came
out top of a high plateau and could easily
hear the boom of cannon from the city. The
regular guide we had rode ahead and came
back pell-mell shouting, THE Spaniards are in
full retreat. Follow me, double-quck time I"
Well. all made for the road where the
Spaniards retreatng and | being in the
point of the advance guard was not very far be.
hind the first man. We came down 'he hill
pell-mell into the clearing and not a devlish
Spaniard in sight, when, bang! bang! bang!
and zip, whiz!-you ought to have seen us duck
into the grass. My side partner, Clyde Frank,
fell with the rest with a hole through his leg
about eight inches from his hip and bullet
struck my blanket roll at the same time and
can tell you my thoughts went "home" more
than once while was lying there with the bull
lets cutting the grass all around us. We kept up
the fire from our Krag-Jorgenson rifles at a very
rapid pace for one hour and twenty-five minutes
when up went a white flag on the Spanirds' line
and you ought to have heard the cheer which
went up from the lines of the 10th, and we all
made sure and then got up out of the grass and
found two of Co. C's boys were wounded, both of
them were hit in the same place on the right
Leg both being shot through and through.
Frank having compound fracture of the bone
made with brass bullet. and Whitlocl having
wound through the ieshy part of the leg. Co.
C then accompanied the Major over to where the
Spanish soldiers were and took charge of them,
taking them to Ponce and turning them over to
the Regulars.
am feeling first rate and we have the promise
that we will be home in six or seven weeks and
hope we may too. | have several relics of the
battle. One cactus leaf pierced with bullet,
behind which laid through the battle. Also
the blanket with the hole shot through it.
got % shots, and every time | Shot l had a
bead on a Spaniard
The new rifles we have are beauties. They are
five shot repeaters and we have sword baynets,
which q very good thing when you get into
patch of cactus.
EMORY j. FAUZY,
Co C.. 18th Reg T.