The Dickinson press., 1898-08-13
ROUGH RlDERsiWCT0RY

sNVOuU 1ltO6U0 Al1lUM
eyelonic Tarties Dismayed the
Spanish It Quasirnas.
STRIKING GOODNESS. OF TEE MEN.
epaniards. Wsrs33sarsFo Of tvieeory and Ex.
peotsd the Amerioans TO Retreat After
Ono volloy-some Details OF Fight.
Daahing style Of tbs Black Troopsfs'
Charee-Orders We're Instantly obeyed.
Coloael Rooseveltas Ardof. s
Quasimas is the name given to the
battlefield where. ON Junez24, the First
United States volunteer cavalry, better
known as the rough riders. received its
baptism Of fire and behaved with the
GOODNESS and intrepidity Of veteran
troops. But all the glory Of a decisive
defeat of the Spaniards did not belong
to the rough ridera The Tenth cavalry
distinguished itself andSscme troops of
the First United States. cavalry were
also engaged. A. New Yorker. in the
rough riders who witnessed the charge
Of the Tenth up . ridge on the right Of
the valley where Colonel Woods regi-
ment seemed to be caught in a trap,waa
very enthusiastic after the battle over
the dashing style in which the black
troopers went tor the, position of the
Spanish and captured it. II don't know
what kind Of cavalry they make" lie
said, ""but they are a glorious:success
rs infantrymen. There a be no better
soldiers in the world, and yet I used to
doubt whether the negro could fight
with, "a much dash aastha white man."
The First United States cavalry
claims the credit of having opened the
engagement with the discharge Of q
Hotchkiss gun in the direction Of q force
of:Spaniards which was plainly in view
on the crest of q hill. 1t is said that the
Spaniards did not open fire on the rough
riders until . few minutes later. There
are two things that should be said with
emphasis before tho battle is described
in detail. One is that the rough riders
were not ambushed,. as that word is
generally understood, and the other is
that none Of them was shot by his COM
rades in an overlapping line in the Q
There have been hints that this happen
ed, but they do serious injustice to
Colonel Wood and Lieutenant Colonel
Roosevelt, and also to General Young,
who was inoommand of the brigade en-
gagged. The brigade was a part, it should
be understood, of General Wheeler's
corps s.
The night before .Quasimas General
Young sent for Colonel Wood of the
rough riders and in substance said to
him: Colonel, I have reliable informa.
ton that the Spaniards have taken a
very strong position beyond Sevilla,
near the junction of the trail over the
mountain at Siboney and the valley
road, and expect to inflict q defeat ON us
there if we advance. I think the bri-
gade can fight the first battle of the war
tomorrow morning and drive the enemy
back on Santiago"
General Young got his information
about the position Of the Spaniards from
General Dsmetrio Oastillo's scouts, and
it proved tosbe correct Colonel Woods
regiment climbed the hill at Siboney
soon after sunrise, and the, Tenth took
the valley road, starting later. Behind
the roqghriders atsqmedistanc march.
ed the First The, country in which the
troops were to operate can best be de-
scribed as a. chaos of high hills and
mountain peaks. So prodigally are they
massed about thatit should not be diff
cult for a resourceful and determined
enemy to annihilate an invading army.
Colonel Woods men marched with
heavy packs at the regulation step and
suffered terribly from the heat. Many
of them threw away their blankets or
coats on the way, and 10 per cent fell
out, so that at one time q considerable
halt wa necessary.
The Tenth cavalry, Injured to hot
weather marching, went along oheerily
enough, but when the battle began. they
were some distance behind the rough
riders. The Tenth had, however, q bet
ter road to march over. That which
Colonel Woods regiment took was .
mere trail through the woods, where it
was not always possible for four men to
march abreast Let 1t be understood
that the rough riders were proceeding
along one of the ridges Of which there
are 20 many in the valley that ends at
Santiago. The course of thezTenth was
in the bottom afsthe valley. Overlook
ing the ridge On both sides was some
high ground and IL front was s;oonsid-
cradle. hill. @t
The Spanish ntheshape
Of horseshoe, $50 TINT aY0lleyeAring
could be directed from three sides on q
regiment advancing along the ridge.
On both sides Of the trail were dense
thiokets, in which the giant cactus
known as the Spanish bayonet predomi-
mated, but5the trend of these thiokets
was slightly upward on the right and
sharply downward on the left. :
Captain Capron of the volunteers was
riding at point, or ahead of the main
body, when he became aware of the
presence Of the Spaniards in force on q
hill to the right. He halted his little
body Of men and sent back word to Colo
mel Wood. The latter at once gave or
ders to deploy on both sides Of the trail,
and enjoined silence, especially on the
left, where there were some shouting
and laughter, for the men, tagged out as
they, were from heat and marching,
sweresinclined to be hilarious over the
prospect Of a brush, with the. enemy.
Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt at}once
repressed their enthusiasm.
Suddenly from cover on the left front
and before the regiment was well de.
ployed there came a rip, rip, rip Of
musketry. The firing was directed
against Troop L, which was in advance.
IL ia said that tho roroh ridoro on %he