The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-27

was at its height? I couldn't stand It,
SO I began firing again For few mo-
nents little strength came back 20 me,
and put every shot where it counted
TIE BARRE OF my gun got hot. and the
forearm began to shrink away from the
barrel.
Every time I turned TO I'll my maya
zine 1 caught sight OF Fish with his face
staring up into the hot sky. It almost
ser me crazy with rage to think that ne
had been killed at my very side. 1 was
beginning TO choke again with the blool
that came from my lungs, and in few
moments I tainted once more
Again I came around and fred few
more shots.
I fought as long as I could, but nature
gave out and 1 collapsed. i was sure
was dying when went of the last time.
and knew nothing to the contrary until
l brought up in the hospital and the boys
told me that I mad emptied my belt Of
forty-fve cartridges whic they found
between myself and the sergeant. have
a clear recollection of firing over thirty
five shots But after that lost track.
The bullet that came TO me after il had
killed Fish is stiH in my body, and pro-
pose to let it remain there. I have had the
very best treatment, and I want you to
let me extend my thanks, mad Uhe thanks
Of all Of the Rough Riders who are now IN
the Marine hospital, TO George Stoner,
the head surgeon, and all mis- staff OF
merciful physicians and aids. If We set
well we have them to thank for II.
1 am going back, as aretne rest of the
boys who are able just as soon as possible
and I sincerely hope to Heaven that I
shall! find a chance TO kill then Spaniard
who fired the Mauser bullet at Hamilton
Fish. which have the honor to carry to-
day near my spine.
PRIVATE EDWARD CULVER.
Troop L, First Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A.
MARSHALL'S EXPERIENCE.
will endeavor to tell how it feels to be
hit by Mauser bullet. my own exper-
dence having been gained from one that
shot away part of my backbone.
buscade When the Rough Riders ran in
to a Spanish ambuscade at La Quasina,
1 first emptied my revolver at the enemy.
Then I began to look around. was stand
ing under a royal palm tree making notes
L
and saw three or fourbullet holes IN It
The fire was getting thicker and thicker.
went over to some wounded men to
see what could do for them.
Suddenly I fet blow in the back. 1t
was not very hard or at all painful It
was as If somebody had given me slight
punch. 1 fen down. and to my surprise
was unable to get up. 1 had stopped a
Mauser bullet.
The air was full Of the sounds Of the
Mauser bullets and of rapid-tiring guns
brought from the warships.
The Mauser makes a strange Missing
sound quite unlike that of the old bullets.
As near as can describe the sound, it
is three "Z's" and then 'EW." Thus
ElZ-EEW You fell as if you could
dodge the bullets.
The sound of the rapid-fring guns IS
terrifying-far more so than that of the
Mausers. 1t is a continuous "br-r-r."
There is no time for any one shot to make
a complete report. One runs into the
other.
The Red Cross people cine to me first
and bandaged me. After that a surgeon
examined me and told me that had only
few minutes to live, as my wound was
mortal. I believed him.
I tainted once, and then found myself
k7ing under the trees with some other
wounded men. One of them said: Lets
sing a song to show them fellows that We
aren't dead" So we sang 1.-THE Star
Spangled Banner and rally Round the
Flag, Boys" rather out of tune.
At this stage 1 felt absolutely no pain.
I simply lay in the long grass without
any unpleasant sensation. / afterward
found many men who had had similar
The surgeons statement
that my wound was mortal produced as
little impression on me mentally as the
wound did physically. This indifference,
mental and physical, can only be attrib-
uted to the tremendous shock produced
by the Mauser bullet.
Later, when 1 began TO regain sensa-
ton, 1 felt as if red-hot needlts were
being stuck into my spine all the way
from the bottom of my back to my brain.
This-I have found since-was due to
splinters of bone sticking in the spinal
cord.
I My observations in the field and on the
hospital ship Olfvettt. where were PA of
the wounded, incline me to the strong be-
lief that the auser bullMet is a most mer-
ciful implement of warfare, if any bullet
can be said to be merciful.
I saw many NTH wounded, and prob
ably half a dozen killed. In one case a
group of eight men. not more than a
dozen yards from me, went down within
IT. faIl
There was no jumping in the air. no
throwing up Of arms, not one scream.
I heard one chap quietly remark. "Whew!
I'm hitt' The others said nothing.
I went over and pulled them apart, and
succeeded in separating them without
forcing a groan. None OF the wounds
were mortal
1t seemed to be a popularity OF the
Mauser that every man struck by 1t, no
matter how slightly, dropped instantly
to the ground. Trumpeter Casa, who
was wounded in the hand so slightly that
after 1 was shot he helped to carry me
a couple of miles over rough roads TO the
field hospital. dropped like a log when
he was shot.
Major Brody-and a finer soldier never
stopped a bullet-was hit in the forearm.
He went down instantly in a lump
The surgeons on the Ohvette assured
me that at least one-third of the wounded
men they brought home to New York
would have died or suffered amputation
# they had been struck by bullets Ike
those used in the civil war. If my wound
had been made by such a bullet tele doc
tors tell me I should have been instantly
killed.
The thret men whose brains were &C
tually pierced by Mauser bullets and
were brought back on the Ouvette. would.