The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-07-27
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b,.,ewea s--4e, Okla.
- >.,s' 4, 40. ! will try and give
Huie of my history and hard.
IRON the time we left Tampa
Or left Tampa on June nth on board
the ship Hucatan, No. s. OF New York
We stayed In the lower bay until the
18th OF June. On the l4th OF June we
steamed out TO sea. II was the finest
sight on sea ever saw; fifty ships In
all, including gunboats On June %
we landed at Baiquiri, at the iron
mines, under FIRE Of our battleships
Our regiment landed Ia the boats from
the Massachusetts and Marble1ead
We climbed the mountain peak and
planted the American Gag On the
oath we broke camp and three miles
out from town in tue mountains we
were ambushed by 1000 Spaniards
With our regiment were the I 81 Reg
ular Cavalry and the Tenth Reg. Cav
We deployed as sxirmishers to the left
and right and fought two hours and
forty minutes through heavy under
brush and cactus vines; we advanc
ed on them and started them on the
run We captured their blockhouse,
rations and 60, 900 rounds OF ammuni
tion. We lost in our regiment killed
and 81 wounded the other two regi
ments about the same. The Spanist
loss was very heavy. Strange to say,
in their retreat they carried off their
dead and wounded, so as not to let us
know what our victory was. That az
ternoon we hunted for cur dead and
wounded q ! buried the dead on top
Of the mo ntain
The next day we moved again to
another camp On June 3Oth we
broke camp and marched four miles
10 an old sugar mill. The next morn
ing, July ]. at $3.50, Our camp was
shelled by the Spanish, killing our
men left and right. We were COO.
and turned loose at them without or.
ders and made a rush through the
valley and fought for two and a half
days and two nights, one OF the hard
est fought battles in the history of our
country. On every hill top they had q
Llockhouse and trenches; we drove
them from one TO another unlil we
drove them inte Santiago. Within
half mile OF the city we stopped, ex-
harsted and weak went right TO
work and built rifle pits. At noon on
July Sd we raised the flag of truce,
gave them % hours TO remove their
wounded, women and children from
tEe city, 'or we would lombard the
city The time has been extended
until tomorrow, the eth, al 9 o'clock.
There were sharp shooters in every
tree in our path and they played
havoc with us. They were well equip.
ped, plenty of rations. Our dead lay
on the battle field with the wounded
from to "a hours The Red Cross is
no good; IL is all on paper. Our sol
diers were buried with their feet stick.
ing ont of the ground They were
piled up In heaps in the rear OF the
hospital.
There are no roads here, only wash
ID ont trails; men, horses and mules
all lying dead in the traily
-fnur regiment, the Rough Riders
Ns~26 per cent. First Cav. Regulars
drgns<, Cav. c0iored, lost aboui
SfAi NWhe 10th colored regiment
counter whr side all the way through
to be mark right.
In Ma. off 60 per cent. We are
condition. We live or
ing blll Prl bread and white salt
obliged tb Dt half enough of that
a cyelone ce ship we were fed salt
= LOrse and hard tack. The
day we left the ship offered 81 for
loaf Of bread, Coffee % cents per
cup, salt so cents half pint. You
have no idea how us poor devils have
suffered. We have made u brilliant
record for our government; in return |
they are keeping us in a weak condi, |
tion, We pick mangoes and stew
them. Our government ought to bow |
her head in shame. Some one will |
catch HI when we are turned loose |
The English, German, French, ia |
pan and Norwegian attaches are with |
us. The.English attache told us that
never saw q body of troops fight so
hard and desperate. Ths foreign at
taches have been good TO the soldiers
They say that Gen. Shafter did /
wrong in charging on fortifcations
with dismounted cavalry. But we
done II up Ia grand shape. We will
naver give up. / never saw such de-
moralized and poverty stricken peopls.
Santiago has just surrendered, 8
m. The victory is ours. Great re-
joicing In our lines. We go TO Porto
Rico as soon Gs possible.
VIII make this letter short this
paln, &oVl write you from the city
tiousb bps iment was in the firing when
mi. ~ surrendered with is 900 Span
y soldiers
Write soon. As ever, your friend,
w. IL MITCHELL.
p. s. Enclosed please find U.