New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-20
SPANISH FIENDS IN TREES.
SHARPSHOOTERS WHO FIRE on WOUND
ED MEN AND HOSPITAL STATIONS.
PERCHED ALONG THE ROADS BACK OF
THE ADVANCE LINE OF THE AMERI-
c.NS .N.1- OIL, rLIEN1 RAGGEn

CANS-MANY OF THEM BAGGED.
FRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rrrBrNE.1
Headquarters Fifth Army Corps. near sant-
ago de Cuba July ever since the fighting
began on July there has been daily batch
OF prisoners at headquarters. Some are brought
singy others in groups Of two or more. AS
they file along under guard inquiries come from
various persons who happen to be near by.
Did you catch them in trees?"
Often the reply is. Yes" and then comes
the question:
Why didn't you shoot them frst?'
As the guard had nothing TO do with the
capture. the answer is usually unsatisfactory.
But Il speaks we'll for the self-restraint Of the
Americans that they took so many Of such
men prisoners. or course. men taken In open
battle in forts would inevitably receive the
treatment accorded by civilization. But with
men caught in trees the case would he diff
ferent A considerable number OF deaths were
caused by them, and of persons were
wounded They had a right to fight from trees.
but what made the feeling against them so
bitter their firing the wounded who
were In hospitals or were being taken 10 them.
These sharpshooters usually got in tree
overlooking the road some distance I'm the rear
Of the actual fighting This was always full Of
turning for more and with stragglers Of various
kinds An accurate range could be got Of the
clear spaces in the road and it like shoot
ing at the butts after that. Some Of the fellows
took positions from which they could shoot
into dressing stations and thus hurt or kill the
patients there. and those who We're attending 10
them.
SELF RESTRAINT UNDER DIFFICULTIES
When one OF these men was picked out
through the foliage II was entirely proper 10
bring him down with a bullet at once This
was done in a majority OF cases. Some Ameri-
cans. with moderation that was not con-
sidered praiseworthy by most Of the Army.
notioned them 10 come down. and then took
them prisoners. few were caught skulking
in the underbrush; some had hidden their
weapons There was a strong temptation 70
Kill such Guerillas. but apparently the incna-
ton to DO so was In every overcome
The marksmen or the LIST Volunteer Cavalry
had especial success with the Spaniards in
trees They got four in day. one thing
that made the Rough Riders especially thirsty
for the blood Of these hushwhackers was the
wounding ~ First Lieutenant Carr He was In
command Of his troop. d. when overcome by
the heat. Four went 70 the with him.
Two were walking with him the others Just
tree a short distance from the road struck him
In the lower part Of the back. the ball coming
out through the groin
The four quickly laid the officer down by the
roadside and started into the forest. They
woodsmen themselves. keen to distinguish for
eign objects in foliage In their terrible earnest
ness Il was no long Job TO spy out the Spanard.
After that revenge was easy and simple The
Spanlard fell dead II s now expected that
Lieutenant Carr will get well
The four sharpshooters who were bagged in
n short time by the lat Volunteer Cavalry spent
the night in their trees. They signalled TO one
another with the cry Of the whippoorwil II
was an excellent imitation. but 1t did not de-
ceiv- the trained ears OF the Western plains
men A little party started out early in the
morning FOR some sport They had It.
trooper Of y go, information OF the exact
spot in which one Of these Spaniards hidden
by this same whppoorwill signal. a wounded
man shot In the foot by him Then came
his cry. apparently OF exultaton. The cavalry
man made him out In a cocoanut palm some
forty feet above the ground Only the mans
left shoulder and part OF his left arm visi-
be 4 bullet in his shoulder caused him to drop
his gun and clutch wildly with his right arm
for support His body. however. swayed into
better view Tor instant The second shot
just above his heart. and ended him
LITTLE HUNTING PARTY'S SUCCESS
Two expert rinemen 81 the 9th Infantry and
three u the 10th had little hunting party in
the woods. in which four Spaniards were shot
from trees II is a strange fact that some OF
those knocked out Of trees were not killed. even
by the fall OF thirty or forty feet from n cocoa
nut palm. but were taken prisoners Some
captured unwounded In mango trees declared
they were merely there FOR fruit Examined
further. they explained that they merely hap
pend to have their rifles with them. A few were
unarrned or. at least their weapons were not
found They may have been hidden in the dense
foliage Of the trees
Some OF the good shots OF the United States
Army expressed their disgust with the marks
manshp Of these Spaniards. declaring that in
the circumstances they should have killed and
wounded far more than they did Most Of their
shots seemed low striking the legs or the lower
part OF the body when effective. There has been
an idea in the Army that the Spanish fire
always high Perhaps. the warning OF the
officers against this fault has led to excessive
correcting OF 1t. The tree-1ghters usually
seemed 10 fancy range OF three hundred
yards as the one which afforded the best COM
promise between good shooting and safety from
detection. The trained regulars could probably
do as we'll at a distance OF one hundred or
more yards further They trained for
effective work up to six hundred yards OF
course they shoot at longer ranges. but at that
are fairly certain OF hitting man.
II would be interesting. were II possible to
reckon up how many OF the killed and wounded
were laid low by men In trees and bushes who
were back OF the American firing line. The
number was certainly large. These pestiferous
fellows have not even ceased now that white
flags are flying from the Spanish trenches. 1t
is not likely that they know OF the truce. for
most of them must have been IN tho woods
ever since the battle OF Friday last fought
Some OF them fully four miles from tho
front line OF American trenches. Their bullets
have been heard for two or three days near