The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-20
laid by tia evacuation az Santiago de Gaia
Days of Excitement.

driven 20 cover OK ire guns src.T1 the war
ships IL the bay and the shore was desert
ed by them TIE rext day we went -
Sshoaey, where after ne evacuation OF the
Spanish troops, the American soldiers .eia
high carnival. Tia. night. he Sacoa1 Mas
sacAuSs.ts volunteers found swa focozso-
lives which belonged - : Saa1isa-A11eracan
Company. operating n Cuba. Tls Spanish
had taken par. 90 the machinery into caa
bush, hus Il was recovered by the boys in
blue ard they soon had steam ~ and fast
fer sport ran the two engines Up and down
the track. t5oti1g for old glory every hun
dre5 yards
We were within oae-aasi-a-ha'F miles OF
.ss spo: where ne battle Of la Qeas.na
was fought This was June "A. II the
morning a cavairyman. his horse covered
with foam rode Down the hills 20 our camp
and told Us that the Rough Riders were
In hot figh. ard that they needed help.
We starred AT once for the scene Of the
Agh, ard marched all day through the
h-oiling sun and the torrents OF ran. We
did not arrive IN time 10 take part IN the
fight. which as you know. lasted hut little
over an hour. As ve came on 10 the fiel6
they were burying the dead.
Three days We rested IN camp and then
we began the attack on Il Caney. We
were ordered 20 move AZ $50 in the morn
ing. The Twenty second and Twenty fourth
Infantry lregaars1 and the Second Massa-
chusetts volunteers were Jus. ahead Of us
The first shot vas fred BY Capron's bat
terry at about $50 a. n. The Spanish we're
strongly entrsrchsd IN d.iche. and block
houses and they had Us a. q disadvantage
on account % the smoke cur rifles made
The moment we let fire yo.iey, the clouds
o. smoke from cur guns showed the Spanish
where Wa were and they cut ia 10 pieces
The Spanish had trick which fooled many
Of the boys for / zine. They would put
their hats short stakes fifteen or TWEEN
- yards from their position and the Aneri-
cans. before they caught on 10 the trick
wasted Their ammunition firing at thesa
hats Their sharp shooters filled the tall
cocoanut palms and OF course they were
hard &c find
We fought from the trenches that day
from O'Clock iii, 1. Then we charged
1t was a fierce fight. There were plenty
Of incidents illustrating the courage and
coolness Of the Americans. volunteers and
regulars alike. The raw soldiers stood IN
der FIRE like veterans Lieut.. Nero. Of my
company. vas shot while staining two
PAGES behind me A brass bullet struck
him in the jaw and ne died FIVE DAYS later
We were lying on the ground firing al III
tervaLs. Nero was brave. He stood up
so as 10 ger a better view Of what was
going or III from.
MAJ. StainI, OF the second battalion OF
the Fourth infantry furnished another H.
lustration of American bravery FL Canev
was surrounded by wire fences as you al
ready know. Well. it was no fun 10 try
and get through them in a charge and az
the same time 20 reply 10 the hot fire Of
the Spanish. Nal Seaton. a little while
before we charged. calmly walked out nifty
yards in advance Of the line with a uair
81 wire clippers In his hands He attacked
Ao yt-f~ tzaf1 70.
Spanish bullets fell in torrents about him.
He paid no more attention 10 them than
+ they were small hailstones When he
had finished his task ne returned 10 the
line and the men cfeered him 20 the echo.
'El Caney fell that day at o'clock. The
moment after the American flag had been
raised the Cuhans. who had been good at
eating and poor at fighting, entered the
place and raised houses and stores AZ will
They had big celebration. carrying around
with them an old Cuban fiag and "a bass
drtm. They drank Spanish wine in great
quantities ard went after all the macaroni
and ssrdines In sight
Tired. Rut Still Fighting.
That night we started 70 relieve the
troops on San Juan hill. We had fought
all day with nothing but cola hard tack TO
eat. and We marched. after getting our
rations. without having an opportunity to
cook supper We reached San Juan the
next morning. The fight thar day was
long and hard, When We arrived on the
fed "a dawn they were carrying the dead
and wounded to the rear. as at La qua
sna. When Sampson and Schley destroyed
Cerveras fleet on Sunday July 3. the
Spanish general in Santiago hois,ed the
white flag. There ii remained for several
days and the lighting ceased. On July 10
Shs- nrta ,4tfi IsR-..v ,k~
render OF the place. The Spanish pulled
Their white flag down. Then the fighting
broke out again. You ought 20 have seen
the work Of the dynamite gun. Alison
Borrowe handled her Every time she
struck the Spanish Entertainments the air
would BE- filled with dirt and Spania-ds
The enemy's lines were about 1890 yards
distant. Ca3rons battery did great exc
2utton. Darkness stopped The fighting The
next morning the Spaniards refused 10 re-
ply TO our firing, and then they ran up the
white flag again Surrender followed. and
then / was mustered out.
Two days after the surrender % San
ttago our transports were on hand filled
with supplies The troops had plenty 10
eat a days ratons consisted OF hard
tack coffee. sugar and bacon, and roast
beef and tomatoes. Besides. there xas rice
and other vegeta hIes fran time u time
The men suffered mos: from the fevers
incident 10 the climate Of cuba They had
plenty Of food The camnlIssary de;4art-
ment suffered, as dld the other branches
% the service. The packers succum5ed 20
fevers and the mules died from overwork
This made the task Of getting food 10 the
men extremely difficult. Any one who says
that our men suffered from neglect, were
unproyidei for or starved. lies. That's all
There Is 80 that"
Sebenius' face shows The sufferings be
has endured from uaiari3i fever He !e
stlu weak and 10 SOME extent emaciatef.
He returned 10 Hoffman island from San
tiago on the transport Alamo Many ~
the soldiers aboard were III with fever. hi.
all that human care could DO for them was
done. Sebenius viii leave a; once fer his
fathers home in Shelton, Mason COUNTY.
where he will recuperate