Evening star., 1898-12-22
The Fight of July 1.
Trenches Outside of SANTIAGO

| The Fight of July 1.
Trenches Outside of Santiago,
July T. 1898.
| Col Leonard Wood. Commanding "a cay
airy Brigade:
Sir-On July l the regiment with myself
| in command was moved out by your or
ders directly following the list Brigade BE
| fore leaving the camping ground several Of
| our men were wounded by shrapneI After
! crossing the river at the ford we were
| moved along and up the right bank under
| fire and were held in reserve at a sunk
| road Here We lost a good many men, in
| cludlng Captain ONeil, killed, and Lieuten-
! ant Haskell, wounded. We then received
your order TO advance and support the
regular cavalry in the attempt on the In
| trenchments and blockhouses on the hills
| to the left. The regiment was deployed on
| both sides of the road, and moved forward
until we came TO the rearmost lines Of the
regulars. We continued TO move forward
until l ordered charge, and the men
rushed the blockhouse and rife pits on the
hill to the right Of our advance. They did
the work I'm fine shape, though suffering
severely. The guidons of Troops + and
g were first planted on the summit, though
the first men up were some of and Is
troopers. who were with me. We then
opened fire on the intrenchments on a hill TO
our left. which some OF the other regiments
were assailng. and which they carried a
few minutes later.
Meanwhile We were under n heavy rife
fire from the intrenchments along the hills
to our front; whence they also shel.ed US
with a piece of field artillery until some
of our marksmen silenced il. When the
men got their wind We charged again. and
carried the second line OF intrenchments
with rush. Swinging to the left We then
drove the Spanards over the brow of the
chain of hills fronting on Santiago. BY
this time the regiments were much mixed,
and We were under a very heavy fire, both
of shrapnel and from rifles, from the bat
teries, intrenchments and forts immediate
ly in front of the city. On the extreme
front L now found myself In command with
fragments of the six cavalry regiments OF
the two batteries under me- The Spaniards
made one or two efforts to retake the line.
but were promptly driven back.
Dined on Spanish Dinners.
Both General Sumner and you sent me
word to hold the line al all hazards, and
that night We dug line OF intrench-
ments across our front. using the cap
tured Spanish intrenchment tools. We
had nothing to eat except what we cap
tured from the Spanards; but their dinners
had fortunately been cooked, and we ate
them with relish, having been fighting all
day. We had no blankets or coats and lay
by the trenches all night The Spauiards
attacked us once in the night. and AT dawn
they opened a heavy artillery and rife fire.
Very great assistance was rendered us BY
Lieutenant Parker Eatlng battery a
critical moments. He fought his guns at
the extreme front OF the firing line In a
way that repeatedly called forth the cheersof
my men. One of the Spanish batteries which
was used against us was directly in front
OF the hospital, SO that the Red Cross flag
few over the battery, saving 1t from our
fire for a considerable period. The Span
ish MauSer bullets made clean wounds,
but they also used a copper-Jacketed or
brass -jacketed bullet. which exploded maxi
ing very bad wounds. indeed.
Since then We have continued to hold the
ground. the food has been short. ard until
today we could not get our blankets, coats
rr shelter tents, while the lay all day
under the fire of the Spanish batteries in
trenchments and guerrillas In trees, and
worked all night in the trenches, never even
taking of their shoes; but they are in eX-
cellent spirits. and ready and anxious to
carry out any orders they receive. At the
end Of the first day the eight troops were
communicative by captains. three by first
ieutenants, two by second leutenants and
one by the sergeant whom you made acting
lieutenant.
We went into the fight about 4aO strong;
eighty-sX were killed or wounded and there
are half dozen missing. The great heat
prcstrated ally forty men, some OF them
among the best in the regiment. Besides
Capt. O'Neil and Lieut.. Haskell Lieuts.
Leahy, DevereauN and Case We're wounded:
all behaved with great gallantry. As for
Capt. O'Neil, his loss is one of the spverest
that could have befallen the regiment He
was man of cool head. great executive
The guerrillas in trees not only fired at
our troops, but seemed to d, vote them
selves especially to shooting at the sur
SeonS, the hospital assistants with Red
Cross baEdages on their arms, the wounded
who were being carried in litters and the
burying parties. Many OF these euerrillas
were dressed in green uniforms. We sent
out a detail of sharpshooters among those
IN our rear, along the line where they had
been shooting the wounded, and killed thir-
teen.
Instances of GaIIantry
To attempt to give list of the men who
showed signal valor would necessitate
sending in an almost complete roster Of
the regiment. Many of the cases which I
mention stand merely as examples of the
rest. rot as exceptions.
Capt. Jenkins acted as major and showed
such conspicuous gallantry and efficiency
that l earnestly hope he may be promoted
70 major as soon as vacancy occurs.
Capts Lewellen, Muller and Luna led their
troops throughout the charges, handling
them admirably. At the end of the battle
Leuts. Kare, Greenwood and Goodrich
were in charge of their troops Immediately
under my eye and / wish particularly to
commend their conduct throughout
Corps. Waller and Fortesque and Trooper
Mckinley OF Troop E; Corp. Rhoades OF
Troop ID. Troopers Albertson, Winter Mac
GreSor and Ray Clark of Troop f: Troop
ers Bugbee, Jackson and Waller of Troop
A; Trumpeter Macdonald of Troop L. Sergt
u 1AOOf' ID trooper Nelftn OF
Troop q, all continued to fight after being
wounded, some very severely. Most of
them fought until the end of the day.
Trooper Oliver b. Norton OF b. who. with
his brother. was by my side all throughout
the charging, killed while lighting
with marked gallantry. Sergt. Ferguson,
Corp. Lee and Troopers Bell and Carroll
of Troop K. Sergt. Dame Of Troop D.
Troopers Goodwin. Campbell and Dudley
Dean, Trumpeter Foster OF B and Troopers
Greenwood and Bardehan Of are all
worthy of special mention for coolness and
gallantry.
They all merit promotion when the time
comes. But the most conspicuous galiantry
was shown by Trooper Rowland. He was
wounded in the side in our first fght but
kept in the firing line he was sent 10 the
hospital the next day. but left IL, and
marched out to US. overtaking us, and
fought all through this battle with such In
difference to danger that was forced again