Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-12-23
COL. ROOSEVELT
Reports on the Rough Riders
Work Before Santiago.
Poorly Fed and Clad Men Fought Like
the Heroes They Were.
Many instances Of Conspicuous Gallant,y
While Under Fire.

parunent. today, made public two re-
ports OF Col. Roosevelt on the figths of
the 1st U. S. Volunteer Cavalry Rough
Riders in front of Santiago
The first report says: Trenches.
outside of Santiago, July 4, 1898. ..Cnl.
Leonard Wood Commanding I'd Cav
airy Brigade:
sdr-On July 1st, the regiment, with
myself in command. was moved by
your orders directly following the 1st
Brigade. Before leaving the camping
ground several of our men were
wounded by shrapnel. After crossing
the river at Gthe ford we were moved
along and UP the right bank under fire
and We're held in reserve at a sunk
road. Here we lost good many men,
including Capt. O'Neil killed and Lieut..
Haskill, wounded. We then received
your order to advance and support the
regular cavalry in the attack on the
entertainments and blockhouse on the
hills to the left. tThe regiment was
deployed on both sides of the road and
moved forward until We came to the
rearmost lines of the regulars
I'VE continued to move forward until
the blockhouse and rifle pit on the hill
to the right of our advance. They did
the work in fine shape. although suffer-
ing severely; the guidons of Troops T,
and We're planted on the summit.
though the firstamen up. some OF A and
X troopers, who were with me. Then
opened fire ON the entertainments on a
hill to our left which some of the other
regiments Were assailing and which
they carried "a few minutes later.
Meanwhile some of the troops were
under a heavy fire from the entrench-
ments along the Hill to our front, from
whence they shelled with a piece of
field artillery until some of our marks
men silenced it.
When the men got their wind we
charged again and carried the second
line of entrenchments with a rush.
swinging to the left. We then drove the
Spaniards over the brow of the chain
of hills fronting on Santiago. BY this
time the regiments were much mixed
ana We were under "A very heavy fire
both of shrapnel and from rifles, from
the batteries, entertainments and forts
Immediately in front Of the city.
'On the extreme front l now found
of the six cavalry regiments and the
two batteries under me. The Span
lards made one or two efforts to re-
take the line, but We're promptly driv-
en- back Both Gen. Sumner and you
sent me word TO hold the line at all
hazards and that night we dug a line
of entertainments across our front, us
ing the captured Spanish entrench-
ment tools. We had nothing to eat
except what we captured from the
Spaniards; but their dinners had for
tunately been cooked, and we ate
them with relish, having been fighting
all day. We had no blankets or coats
and lay by the trenches all night. The
Spaniards attacked us once in the
night and al dawn they opened heavy
artillery and rifle fire.
AT the end of the first day the eight
troops were commanded, two by cap
tains, three by lieutenants; two by
second lieutenants and one by the SER
geant whom you made acting leuten-
ant. We went into the fight about 400
strong; Sc were killed or wounded and
there are half a dozen missing The
great heat prostrated nearly 40 men,
some of them among the best in the
regiment Besides Capt. O'Neil and
Lieut.. Haskill, Lieuts. Leahy, Dever-
eaux and Case were wounded all be-
haved with great gallantry. AS for
Capt. O'Neil, his loss is one of the sse-
verest that could have befallen the
regiment. He was a man of cool head,
great executive ability and literally
dauntless courage.
The Suerillas in trees not only fired
at our troops, but seemed to devote
themselves especiallyto shooting at the
surgeons, the hospital assistants with
Red Cross badges on their arms, the
wounded who were being carried in lit
ters and the burying parties. Many of
the 8usIillas We're dressed in green uni.
forms. Ee sent out detail of sharp-
shooters among chose in our rear, als7{E
the line wh&e they had been shoot t6rig
the he,wounded, ana killed 13.
.'Tosattempt 10 give list of the 4en
who showed signal valor would nd IS
sitate Aand III an almost rom issete
roster of ne regiment. Many ofsthe
Ga sRs3 3whiEh mention stand 1neiEhJas
examples Of the rest, mot as exceptl1ns..
Capt Jenkins actedcas major and
showed such conspiclDp4 i ajs5ftsy aud;
,afllciencX mat earhapt}S ylis III 3
sbes spron Esd as majdr a 81 s5 sis IT'D &
s;caIsy q Scurs. Captains Eiasswsalyh Mul-
.iersandsI Luna fetEatheir tpdons through
out the charges handling them adnaafir.-s'
ably. At the end of the battle Lieiits. \
Kane. Greenwood ahd5 Goo drich were
in. charge of their troops, Immediately
under my eye and wish particularly
to commend their conduct throughout.
,"Corporals Waller and Fortesche and
Trooper Mckinley of Troop Il: Corpor-
al Rhodes Of Troop d: Troopers Al
bertson, Winter, McGregor and Raw
Clark of Troop F.; Troopers Bugbee,
Jackson and Waller of Troop A; Trum-
peter McDonalds Troop L; Sergeant
Hughes. Troop B and Trooper Greren,
Troop 6, all continued to fight after
being wounded, some severely. Most
OF them fought until the end of the day.
trooper. Oliver B. Norton, Of B, VINO
with his brother. was by my side ali
tfirouGhQQk she charging, was killed
while 4EIth marked gallantry. |