The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-25
Told of the Fichtino

OElCF al hONlGLA PUNT, a
ular was talking of the inexperience Of
the volunteer and the disadvantage at
which his Springfield rifle placed him.
"A man might as well stand on the top
of a bare hill. with white sky above
him. in full sight OF the enemy" said
ne. ''as fire one of those smoky Spring.
fields. and be careless for a couple OF min
utes afterward. He wouldn't be a better
target for those Spanish sharpshooters-
The old broomsricks are responsible for
many a volunteers death / happened TO
be in the trenches with one OF those west
ern regiments for couple OF hours one
day, and I saw q sacrifice Of life that
won't forget in a hurry. The boys were
on the side OF hill. and pretty well on
so long as they were careful They were
firing as you please-popping their heads
over their cover. shooting quick. and drop
ping back out OF sight again. That's the
only way 10 use a Springfield in the
trenches; and when you're on the ground
with nothing but bushes for cover, il 5
mighty good trick to take your shot
and move half-a-dozen PAGES 10 the right
or left before the smoke begins 10 clear.
Well, with this western regiment thee
was a young fellow who was dead-set on
killing a Spaniard, and he had his mark.
a sharp-shooter whom the men got sight
of once in a while, but couldn't hit saw
the boy behind a boulder. peeking out
every couple of minutes and awaiting his
chance 10 get a good shot with his clumsy
Springfield.
Get under cover as soon as you fire.
said TO him. You'll be a dead volun-
teer If you don't
He laughed. ard said he guessed he
knew how 10 take care OF himself. Pretty
soon I heard him fire, and turned round
to look at him.
Drop. you fool.' I yelled. for he was
standing, fully exposed, looking in the di-
rection in which he had fred. and the
smoke from his gun was nearly gone.
Well, he dropped. and I thought he was
safe. But he couldn't be still; he wanted
to see whether he had killed his man or
not; and it wasn't a minute before he
was getting ready TO look round the big
stone.
Don't be fool. said 1.
I think / killed him" said he.
He stuck out his head, like the fool
caught him in the forehead, and bored
clean hole into his brain. He dropped
then for good. If he hadn't been young
fool. just for that once, he might have
come home with the boys"
Many bloody stories are. told of the fe-
rocity of the negro soldiers-chiefly Of
what they did with their bayonets and
gun-butts on the top of San Juan hill.
even when the Spaniards had their hands
up. II seems to be admitted that the
negro is a devil in a fight, once he
gets going" also, that he is merciless
fellow when he has his enemy in his
hands. A negro sergeant of the Ninth
or Tenth cavalry who came 10 New York
the other day told Rough Rider how he
and another man-one Charlie Of
Roosevelt's regimeht-had caught
sharp-shooter.
The Cap'n. he sent me out to the rear
to gather up all the rolls and haversacks
1 could find" he said in broad dialect.
THE boys threw EN- away on the march.
you know. 1 fell in with this Charlie,
as l was goin' along; and We was talkin',
when some men Carryin' litter passed
US, a-goin' 10 the rear. There was A
doctor taggin' benin. I seen him tumble
down. shot in the shoulder. and looked
aroun' mighty quick TO see where the
sharp-shooter was. 1 seen some leaves
shakin, and / marked that tree. for Il
knowed he was right there. We foun'
that the doctor wasn't hurt much, when
we got to him. But he was darn hot;
and he wanted blood.
THAT sharp-shooter's right up IN that
tree. says l. pointing to the tree.
- Go an Kill him, then says he.
mighty dangerous says |.
Are you afraid?' says he.
mo. amt, says l. but I'm nervous
Charlie, ne didn't want 10 tackle the
Spaniard no more than | did. So the doc
tor took two blades of grass and told
US to draw TO see who had to go up 10
the tree and kill the sharp-shooter. i
drawed the short piece.
You GO said the doctor TO Charlie.
Guess do. Doc. says Charlie
BE brave about It, Charlie says I 10
him. Don't let him see you're scared.
He'll kill you. If you do; Jest take your
six-shooter in your hand and march right
UP. Then you say Come down and he'll
come I'll follow you. with my pistol be-
hin my back
Charlie didn't want to go, but he start
ed all right.
Be brave says I. Go up and bluff
him. Hell fold
We couldn't see the sharp-shooter. and
1t looks as if he didn't see US. I kept
benin Charlie as well as l could. Tor 4
wasn't quite ready for the vuitures yet.
Charlie he was scared bad. but he stuck
It out like q little man. When he got TO
the foot OF the tree ne yels;
Come down.
"'All right says the Spanard.
But he didn't come down right OF.
Turn yourself loose. I yells a. him.
Come down. Don't you hear7 When 4
man tells you TO come down, he means
drop of. Turn loose there. An l waved
my gun in the air.
Il must have scared him. He let loose
and dropped Charlie picked him UP and
held him by the collar. The Spaniard
snarled like a dog
KIN me says he. You can kill me.
But I got seven OF your men you can't
bring back.
You killed seven says L
He nodded and laughed.
Well says I. I can't give you seven,
but 1 got six bullets in here. an you're
goin' 10 get en-.
Il held Nhe pistol above his head. poiat-
ing down.
Don't kin him. says Charlie Tie
him up
we tied him up tight. legs and arms,
with pols.n-ivy vine. It hurt him. guess.
Let's XIII him. says ! an Charlie
nodded. We couldn't DO nothin' else but
let him starve 50. we stood him up. and
told him 20 get ready 70 de ! pointed
the gun a. his forehead
We amt got seven SAYS I. but We
got six good. round bullets Tor you
lie didn't trembls al bit lie looked
a, me and says:
! killed seven u your men
Then / pulled the trigger ard put h-s
light out We di3n't stop 70 bury him"
Col. Roo.eveIt's Family