The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-04
COL. WOODS CHARGE
WHAT DROVE SPANIARDs FLY
ING INTO SANTIAGO

"A Force of 534 Rough Riders Makes
IL Bluff Against 1000 spaniards
and Unexpectedly Wins After
Gems. Wheeler and Young Had
Failed to DisIOdge Them From
Their Rifle Pits.
In his description of the part played
by the rough riders at Guasimas, Rich
ard Harding Davis, in the Septemb Der
Scribner's, clearly refutes the charge
that they were either unwary or were
ambushed by the Span1ards. The latter
were entrenched at this point, three
miles from Siboney and on the only
highway to -Santiago-a narrow trail
through tangled underground SO thick
that objects could not be seen twenty
feet distant. Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheel
er issued the order to Col Wood to
clear this highway, and this was what
led to the fight for which Wood Roose-
welt and every member of the First VOL
unteers were wishing
1t is implied by Davis article that
Gen. Wheeler disarranged some plans
for advancing made aboard the trans
ports by the ponderous Shafter some
time prior thereto. The incident Is
touched upon and dismissed in these
words:
"At the time Of this fight Gen.
Wheeler was in command Of all troops
on shore, and so continued as long es
Cen Shafter remained on board the
flagship. What orders he gave then
were in consequence final, but in start
Ing Gen. Young and Col Wood to the
front when he did he disarranged the
original order In which the troops were
to move forward as 1t had been laid
down by Gen. Shafter before the
transports arrived at Baiquiri. Ac-
cording to this original plan, Gen. Law
tons division of infantry should have
been in the van, and In pushing for
ward regiments from his own division
OF dismounted cavalry, Gen. Wheeler
possibly exceeded his authority. That
however, is entirely a question between
the two major generals and does not
concern either Gen. Young or Col.
Wood, who merely obeyed the orders OF
their superior officer"
The closing incidents Of that memoir
able day are thus treated
Toward the last, the firing from the
enemy sounded less near and the bull
let's passed much higher. Roosevelt.
who had picked up a carbine and was
firing occasionally to give the direction
10 the OIHerSs determined upon a
charge. Wood, at the other end of the
line, decided at the same time upon
the same maneuver. 1t was called
Woods bluff" afterward, for he had
nothing to back it with; while to the
enemy it looked as though his whole
force was but the sllirmish line in adj
vance Of a regiment. The Spaniards
naturally did not believe that this thin
blue line, which suddenly broke out of
the bushes and from behind trees and
came cheering out into the hot sun
light in full view, was the entire fight
ing force against 1t. They supposed 8
the regiment was coming close on its
heels, and as they hate being rushed as
a cat hates water, they fired O. few
parting Volleys and broke and ran. The
cheering had the same invigorating
effect on cur own side as cold shower;
it was what first told half the men
where the other half were and It made
every Individual man feel better As
we knew 1t was only bluff, the first
cheer was wavering, but the sound of
our own voices was so comforting that
the second cheer was howl of
triumph. AS it was, the Spaniards
thought the rough riders had already
disregarded all rules Of war.
'When we fired a volley," one of the
prisoners said later, instead of falling
back they came forward. That is not
the way to fight, to come closer at
every Volley" And so, when instead
OF retreating on each volley, the rough
riders rushed at them cheering and