The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-10
special Dispatch 10 the post-rnsellirencer,

Special Dispatch TO the Post-Iateiligencer.
TACOMA. Oct. a.--I4ying on a bed in q
neat lityie cottage 1T 1913 Yakima ave-
nue. IS one of the real heroes of the Santi-
ago campaign in Cuba; boy just recov-
ering from the worst Of the fever con-
tracted IN servsee while helping to drive
back the Spaniards WHO barred the way
"a the United States troops. Victor
Lundblom s the young soldier. and under
the care Of local physician who Is act-
ing by authority of the war department
the fever-strlcken patient is slowly but
certainly recovering his health.
Young Lundhlom has been home threa
weeks, and. with his mother fer a nurse
and ihe best of medical treatment, Is now
in fair way soon TO + join his company
and report for duty. He enlisted in
Company b. Sixteenth United States In
ftntry. last October a, Seattle, and was
at once ordered TO Fort Spokane. When
the Indications gave evidence of an early
declaration OF war his regiment was or
dered East, aud ne WAS on The first trans
port that carried the soldiers from Tampa,
Fla, 10 Cuba. He is a boyish- looking,
5eardless young fellow, somewhat emae;-
ated from sickness. and is one OF tho
force which day after day fought Its
way cn the up-hiu fight 10 the city Of
Santiago. From July l 10 the day of
the surrender. Lundb!om was under fire,
and either in the open or lying in the
water-soaked trenches was a target for
Spanish bullets. He Is but - years Of
age. When seen at his mothers home
today by a Post-IRtellig ncer reporter he
appeared remarkably we'll for one who
had passed through what he modestly
tells about. He seemed ANXIOUS TO talk.
glad to receive his visitor. and. with his
mother sitting beside the bsd on which he
lay. he told a graphic story Of eleven
long days and nights of hardship. danger
and heroSm. ON the bedpost hung his
army jHcket. and on a small table at his
side stood a row of Mauser cartridges and
one of the explosive cartridges used ~
the Spanish, which he picked up In tho
first trench taken by the troops. iIis
marked moIesiy ana the matter-of-fact
way in wh ch he told OF the uphill fight
against the Spanish Is best made plain
IN his own words. When his physician
had exphined VINO his visitor was and
what was wanted. young Lundbiom said:
Yes, am rather anxious TO hayo
someone 20 talk 10. You want the story
Of the big fight. eh7 Well. I'll tell you,
but since my sickness seem TO forget
exact dates and the little things that hap
pened 10 ia. You sac. I've been dalirious,
aud now the fight seems dim 10 me-~iiks
4 jumhe-evetythIng kind Of mixed up.
was N all Of f. Fought day and
night In fact FOR eleven days, and my
company was IN the front all the time.
How the Fight Upened.
1T was July that we began the real
work We marched under fire for ahout
ore mile. and then met the skirmish line
Of the Spanish pushing our way toward
the blockhoUse. We were on the left,
In Gen. kents division. In Thacker's
regiment; Capt. Palmer was In coul-
nand ~ ny company. We had go. 20
where we bull, our frs: trenches. and
At midnight Of the first day began 70 dig.
We W 70 under iire after we had thrown
Vi, the dsferse. The Span.2rds tried o
drive us OFT and back. bat We held our
ground We had one Killed and ono
wounded IN these trenches.
I'VE Tough: In he trenches the next
u,ornirp and all the next day. We hai
F,efn in ;he eight all the first day and night
and the following day Up TO ~ p. ri. wnen
they charged to drive us hack with a
strong force But after about two hours
they gave 81 up as "A bad job. We he'd
every hlt Of ground We t0ok. all through
the fight
Spanish Iarksmnuship.
I've iook Their trenches when. had they
known how 70 shoot. they could have mads
Il tfnr,ogsibIc ! never heard Of sGch shoot
irg as tbey Gid - yoH Know how hey
tried 10 keep us hack2 why. hy shooting
blind
The would keen themselves hidden n
.he ,renchev paen their rifles up over ths
'retrfss ara PM the trigger. All they
knew va that their guns we're pointed IN
or direction. They never raised their
heads ~ take aim ard g seemed 10 ms
,h,t half the time they we're hrlng In ths
al. straight uD-
u thlnk .t vas On the IN they raised ths
wt.te uak IN front - us. ana 2; ~as not
lsrtL1 toe i0fh mat We again took NJ 10
ngiif We lay Is thc trenches most OF Ire
time and r was tough top. We bad ev-
o~vthgrg that any oue could hope FOR. bat
The weather vas awful !: would rain n
sheets everY morning hen the stIn would
barn 11s Ira he afternoon. On tho night %
the frat ae.hffrx after marching and faght-
Ing AL d ~ gqa heard tBc order 20 malt II
was O'Clock and wneu heard the conn.,
rfar4 was that tired I dropped my gun
ara fell 10 the ground / nappsned 20 fan
ia = Mttie pooi u water. ~, ] WAS 40 ex-
halstea lay there ard fel. azieep. After
80 began on oar trenches that night
ga a:e hard.aok ard ;ittle sugar. Wa
ccu-G rof huld 3 HTe. and this was the
best ~ could DO 30 relieve our hunger
II va IN tEs- first trenches we captured
I found these" sai1 LundDloln. Skaoalno