The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-15
HUSTON WAS In THE FIGHT
FORMER ~" INSTRUCTOR
HELPED ASSAULT SANTIAGO
Capt. j. f. Huston, of the Twentieth
Infantry, Writes an Interesting
Letter on the Experiences of
Skaters Army In Their Efforts to
Reduce the Metropolis OF South
eastern Cuba.

infantry, who was formerly military
instructor at the University of Minne-
sofa. The letter Is dated Aug. g.,
Santiago, Cuba, and is as follows:
l am going to tell you just what 1 have
seen myself In this great invasion from my
arrived or Santiago July Is. For two days
we sailed up and down the coast waiting for
the heads of the expedition to determine on
a time and place Of landing The feet was
all mixed up. our regular order Of sailing
having been abandoned. Each skipper seem
ca TO roam at his own sweet will All the
Tune we were surrounded by the navy ships
both great and small. Occasionally we would
see boat run in apparently close to shore
IRE a shot at nothing and run back like boys
nally dispatch boat came to our ship for
Gen. Bates, saying all general officers would
go aboard the Bancroft for instructions. You
can imagine how impatiently we awaited his
return TO learn what we were finally to do.
Our old transport, the Mattewan, was the
most uncomfortable old tub you ever saw,
and as we had been on board about three
weeks we were all not only willing but anx-
1ous to even storm Moro than remain a mo-
ment longer on board. So hailed with de-
t ign the prospect of Immediate disembarka-
Gen: Bates returned about IL O'Clock D. M,
bringing the orders that we were to be the
second command put ashore The order of
sailing was given, and at daylight the work
should begin. The next morning our leader,
the Castine, could not be found, and after
X,
Daiquiri, about eighteen miles east Of San
tiago. 1 understood that part of the com
mand was to land to the west and make a
demonstration. While we got ashore at one
place. the boats were all put out and headed
for the ships selected. but for some cause
have never discovered, not an attempt was
made OF landing any one until o'clock had
passed.
MAGNIFICENT SIGHT.
Then all Of a sudden the men-of-war began
to boom their big guns. We saw the dust
fly from the hillside around the little VII
lage and around blockhouse on the top Of
hill, and the place was being bombarded
The display was magnificent and useless. It
lasted probably half an hour, and the boats
started for shore But each petty officer IN
charge OF a launch went at his own sweet
will to such ship as he pleased. So we who
were to have been second did not get ashore
until the next day. June 20, and then we
only got our men away with what they car
ried We got our horses few days after,
but the other things we did not see again
Until July 20.
Having got ashore we found ourselves on
a sandbar; near a cocoanut grove, in about
as hot hole as can imagine. We set
tied down and commenced fixing for an all
night stay, when, about o'clock, came or
d ders. to march We all had to carry our
eight miles. but over road on which we
could only go single file. There was a growth
alongside through which cyclone could not
have blown More than $50 men of the regi-
ment fell out Of exhaustion during the night
We got to our bivouac about dark, and the
next morning marched into Siboney. three
on a fiat piece Of ground, near railroad
sheds, where we could tap the pipes which
brought water from the mountain to the
railroad. We remained here, doing patrol
duty and guarding supplies, until July 49,
We had quite a pleasant stay, considering
how little we had to make us comfortable.
Garcia was swelling around looking as
though he owned us all, and his followers
were eating everything we would give them
and refusing to help to even unload the
boats.
The Spanish army is much more ponu,ar
with US and our soldiers than the Cubans
The latter are N. G. When Garcia was
asked to put his command to dig trenches
he said his men would not dig trenches. hut
fght'-a lie, for they won't fight In fact
1 can see that they will do nothing but eat
When it was learned that Pando was going
askee to head him off, So he marched out
and by mistake ran into the Spantards got
i lna g. then came back and reported that
me fne S fPan rin gaye It up As matter Of
iaGt they joined L1nares in Santiago. Oh
| tell you they are N. G.
ROUGH RIDERS FIGHT.
| Well, they finally began to line up the army
to fight the cavalry division. You must re-
member there were not horses except for
mounted officers. everything else being left
behind at Tanapa) We were ordered forward
| and then came what is known as the Rouge
hders, fght although there were more regu-
| fought magnificently. The enemy was driven-
from his first position and the lining-up went
| Our turn came thes 10Th. We were ORDERED
to the extreme left and marched until /
! o'clock at night, b;vouaced at Gen. WheeIer's
headquarters, near the center At daylight
we moved loved again toward our position, and
ton from the balloon The balloon was
promptly riddled for which we Were We're truly Tiy
| ing near 1t. Well. we started again and
| again, and our direction changed; this time
to the right of the line. In the meantime we
| could hear an iDcessant fire of rifle to the
| right, growing stronger every minute show
n ing mat tn they h were at It in earnest. We
| yet begun action though the fight had been
! In progress for several hours Finally We
got to our place. We could only see part of
| ing over our heads; the bullets of the Snan-
tards came around like pestiferous flies. Yen
tried to '.shoo'' them away with your hand
| kerchfef, but they would come on Men be-
gan to feel wounds and were helped to the
rear, but still we could see no enemy, ard
dared not fire, we were told some Of our
! troops were somewhere in front.
Rodmans battery was taken off tn the
right. and saw them charge up a hill tt
was here that Rodman was wounded. the
His battalion lost sixteen men in five min
utes. but he had the satisfaction Of firing
back. ! lost only about six wounded. but we
never fired a shot We lay there waiting and
waiting until about o'clock when the firing
gradually ceased. The Spaniards gave wsy
| and some surrendered. The village of Caney
! and the blockhouse ours.
This was but small part of the fight The
result OF the days work was that the Span
| lards were driven into their last line Of de-
fense. We were in sight of the city along our
| whole line.
| But of ourselves. We were withdrawn the
| men made coffee and were about to saffIe
hn audi -
| we moved out at o'clock. aud through mud
| and water knee deep marched now clear TO
| the left Of the line. We did not stop until 3
l<oclock. and were SO tired that everybody iust
| dropped at the command to fall out and went
to sleep in his tracks, only to be awakened in
about an hour by reveille of rifle firing
| and with bullets dropping all around
UNDER FIRE. -
| The Spaniards were making an attemnt
| to gain what they lost the day before. and
| again we had to remain under FIRE Without
returning 1t. 1t was here that Capt. Moon
OF my regiment, was hit. I was standing
talking to him as he was sitting on the
ground, his hands resting en- his knees The
| bullet passed right in front Of me, passing
through his right arm and lodged in his
right knee. Several Of our men were hit
ana we again got marching orders This
ume tney took us through the valley I'D on
the crest OF hill, and we were the extreme
left OF the fighting line. We were only in
position short time when the enemy gave
up the attempt to drive us back, and SUI
ienly went to work to strengthen their last
line. Inc firing was kept up ell along The
line, the snarpshooters of both sides doing
some fine work. If you showed your head
aDoVe the works you surely heard the ting
OF bullet We Were ali in good msttle and
anxious to go ahead, and | believe. IL we
had, we would have gone peil-mell into the
city. But shafter wisely, I guess, said we