The border vidette., 1898-07-21
Rough Rider o. [. Hughes.
WILCOX CAMP, Near Santiago de Cuba
June 26, 1893.


when this will reach you. but now that
l have a chance and if the paper holds
oRt | will try and describe as near as |
can what it is to be ON battle line.
We surely had it good and hot. We
were lead into trap and good one
| by being too anxious to fight. and we
were not only lucky TO lick them but to
get out alive The boys did finely.
We went through them ike IA dose of
salts.
We were marching along path in
single file when we were ambushed by
between 1000 and 5000 Spaniards.
They cut troop L. all to pieces. They
fire. My squad was just ahead of
them. The enemy had those rapid
fire-guns and they were surely using
them. Volley after volley, they poured
into us and we could not locate them.
just imagine the situation. They were
firing on us and we did not know where
they were the unnerbrush was SO thick
The fight commenced little after eight
and ended about noon.
Talk about hot lead 1t just poured.
They can fire faster than we can with
their guns, but they cannot aim straight.
We ran them through cafions, up hills.
and down hills, through fences and the
more they fired at us the faster we run
toward them and at the same time
shooting at them. OF course, would
rather have some one else throw
I boquets at my SO uad than myself, but
in this case L cannot help it. l was cut
off from our troop which was on the
left flank of the regulars, SO L formed
on the right flank with my squad 1t
was here the heaviest firining was done
and it was here where troop L. was
butchered. L cannot write us L would
ike to in this letter of little disagree
ment had with a lieutenant on the
firing line. l told him what 10 do
with his troop aud told him to do it
damn quick. That did not want 10
get my men butchered like mis- were.
He did not belong to our troop.
My squad came out without scratch
! with the exception of few bullet
holes in their canteens, blanket rolls,
hat and pant legs. We would hide
behind trees and they would turn those
rapid firing guns on us, mOw the trees
right down. almost bury us with
branches and leaves. That was the
trouble with them, they always shot too
high.
II we had been in their position they
would never have lived 10 tell the story.
AS it WAS we got 102 of them. That is
what we found and the Cuban women
say they saw eleven wagon loads of
wounded and Il great many more that
they could not get into the wagons
taken away. all about 200 or 25O wounded.
As we did fine work, officers of the
regulars complimented us very highly,
and they said that it was the hottest
fire they ever witnessed
When the command 10 halt was given
my squad was at the extreme front and
If they had not stopped Us we would
have gotten many more. The officers
thought we had opened fire on the
Cnbans, as one can hardly tell them
apart, but itewas at n pack train of
the Spaniards. which VIC took. 1t was
abOnt two miles from where the fight
started. They left lots of cooked rice
and other stuff.
We have taken two towns, not of
any note though, only about 500 or
600 inhabitants. We are now in sight
of Santiago and we expect to go against
it in Il very few days. We can see
their breast works as well as Morro
Castle. The navy hasn't done thing
to them," but L guess you know of
that.
Norman Orme of Phoenix received a
bad wound, but he will recover. Capt.
McClintock. our captain, showed he
was tho proper stuff in the proper place,
he staid right with his troop till he was
shot in the legs twice. Wilcox took
command. Wiggins of Bisbee. of our
troops has a flesh wound, not serious.
Our troop was the luckiest one in the
engagement.
1 tell you we will have n hard time
taking Santiago, but we will do it or
bust. If L get through all right will
write and tell you all about it. Give
my regards to all the folks and the boys
papa and mama, tell them all am well
and that it will not be long till we get
through with the Spaniards.
Well good bye, regards to all the boys
in Co. "D.'
Your brother,
n 7. pTrcuES