The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-16
TWO SANTIAGO WOUNDED
COLORED PEOPLE OUT TO WELCOME
WILLIAMS AND GREGORY.
Reception Along the street to These
Sturdy ReguIars-Their story of
the Famous Fight.

Yesterday the colored people of this city
showed their hospitality and appreciation
for the soldiers who fought and bled before
Santiago. In the morning Fred ]. Williams
and Will Gregory, both of this city, modest
ly stepped from Pennsylvania train from
Washington as war-scarred veterans of '98,
but before they had gone half the distance
to their homes they were hailed, hauled and
tugged from place to place as full-fiedged
heroes, and crows of coored people were
hearing of the exploits of the colored troops
in Cuba and the part that Indianapolis boys
took in it.
While both men had been severely
wounded, Williams still limping from the
injury he had received in his right leg, yet
they started to walk, first up Illinois street.
The progress was easy until they turned
into Indiana avenue where friends appeared
by the score and informal receptions were
held at every door. Business was apparent
ly suspended while the shop keepers crowd
ed about the newcomers, and those who
were already acquainted almost embraced
them with glee. People who in times gone
by had never thought it worth while to Gull
tivate their acquaintance came forward and
introduced themselves and then stood back
and looked with envious eyes upon the more
fortunate who could claim actual friend
ship. Somewhat over four hours were
passed in travelling from the station to their
home at the corner of Fourteenth and the
canal, where the news of their arrival had
been carried by visitors who had learned
that they were in the city. Thus a happy
surprise was forstalled, but the maneuvers
of the mother and sister of Gregory were
at af
the home of Gregory. He was not expected
Williams. who has been a messmate of
Gregory in the hospitals and on the ships,
will stop temporarily at Gregory's home on
West Fourteenth street.
When Gregory was seen last night he had
dotted his military clothing, according to
the etiquette of military people when they
appear among friends on a furlough, and
wore a neat cutaway suit and light trous-
erS. While he was an undeniable favorite
among the girls who had congregated about
him on the sidewalk in front of his door, he
did not try to originate a kiss of his own,
like that other hero, Hobson. He was en-
thusiastic over military life and agreed that
the finest part of ii all was the home-com-
ing to such a reception as he received yes
terday. He said he had been stopped regu-
larly at intervals of three minutes on his
trip homeward and that he was "about
talked down.
SAVED THE ROUGH RIDERS.
With brother, John T. Gregory, Will en-
listed for cavalry service, one year ago the
first of last July, in this city, and was as
signed to Troop B, Tenth United States,
with whom both brothers served until the
war broke out. At that time, however, the
brother was assigned as a sergeant to Troop
M, which lacked it's full quota. Then they
parted and each went to Cuba, but on differ
ent boats and at different times. On June g.,
VIII sailed and was among the first of the
American troops that landed in Cuba. They
landed on June %, and two days later took
part in the first battle. They were detailed
to follow the Rough Riders back in the
country, and Gregory says had it not been
for the Tenth Cavalry, there would not be
a Rough Rider left to tell the. tale of the
fight He agrees that Roosevelt's men were
ambushed by a very superior force of Span
iards, and that had it not been for their
oalor they would have been driven back 9asa at
apolis boys comrades fell at his side in this
engagement, but he came out without a
Then came a tiresome wait for u.s." said
he, but when the time came we soon get
as much as we wanted. Our troop was or
L,
trouble was ahead and that until we were
whipped or had whipped there would be
little. rest for US. Forward we went TO a
small clearing, through which ran a creek,
and here we huddled about large balloon
which our folks were fixing to send up.
When the signal men sailed away we were
ordered to wade the creek, nearly waist
deep. Then the fighting began in earnest.
Before we got out of the. water the Span
several men were wounded. Direct across
the creek was slight hill, of considerable
length. and here the Spanish fortifications
were thrown up Intrenchments along the
entire length were helped out by the barbed
wire that you have heard OF. Only few
of us had nippers, and the rest of us went
at the wire with our guns. We crossed it,
hghting all the while, and some of bur
men dropping every minute. | tell you. the
That's fact. It took us two hours to drive rive
those Spaniards from the bitches, and then
We were tired out. But when they left we
had to go forward and dig. Entertainments on
the other side of the hill, looking toward
the city. And all that time each of us had
only, a small piece of fat meat and two
I'VE slept in the trenches. and when we
woke we could ring water from our blank
cts. They said it was the dew. but it was
the heaviest dew l ever saw. Then came
more lighting, harder even than that of the
day before. l took my medicine all day,
nothing worse than the sight of fellows fall
ing around me. But about o'clock in the
afternoon l stopped thinking for about
hour, and when l came to, / was on my
Ddck anu lell an awful PAIN III my size. MY
belt was torn from me and the stock of
my carbine was shattered A shell had
exploded while / was near it. ] lay there
for a long time, and once was again over
come by the heat and pain. But then two
of the band boys of the First Cavalry came
along, and as the ambulances and stretchers
were all too busy long before l was hurt,
they had to carry me in their arms three
miles back to the hospital. That was the
last fighting / saw. Field hospital, then hos
pital ship and so on down the line. They
took me over to Tampa on the Cherokee,
and from there on a hospital train to Fort
Mcpherson, Ga. They kept me there a
month, and then on Aug. IL sent me to
Washington and then home.
A CONTRARY CAPTAIN.
"And say, the only time l was scared in
all that time was on the ship coming home.
Our captain was contrary and refused to
put out his signals We encountered the
blockading fleet about the upper end of
Cuba and after little parleying in which
the captain was sassy we were threat
ened with a shot. Still he was persistent,
and after the messenger boat departed,
shot tore through our rigging. We kept
ahead and and another struck the forward
part of the ship. The captain put up the
signals in a hurry, because If he hadn't
we would have thrown him overheard. 1t
was enough to scare a ship load of cripples