Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-14
TROOPER HILL HOME
He Tells of Cuban Cupidity in Hy-
pothecating Rations Of United
States Soldiers.
TORAL'S SURRENDER PROPER
Taken Sick On the Way Home, and the
Life Nearly Bored Out Of Him by
Curious Passengers.


Trooper Grant Hill, of troop E.
Riders, who returned Wednes-
day night from Montauk Po; At, was an
other fortunate soldier who was ne'th,l
hurt nor sick on the Island of Cuba; al
belt he was nipped some by he ma'a-
rial fiend on the north bound transport
and at Montauk Point. re WAS aruanG
yesterday being congratulated by
on his safe return.
Trooper Hill proved a brave Il Ike
Captain Muller had just rea-
son to feel proud. His accounts of the
trip to Baiquiri correspond with what
has already beer said, and he makes
specially clear n interesting point.
The shortness of provisions in the
trenches of the United States troops
was due to the following fact more than
any other: When the men marched up
the trails leading towards Siboney they
were loaded down with blankets, cook
ing utensils. ammunition, guns and
three days rations, the whole weighing
about 100 pounds; and after the weak
euing experiences on the transports and
in the torrid heat of the island they
could not go into the battle line with all
that p]araphernalia on their backs. So
they dumped the rations, blankets and
such other things as they did not feel
in immediate need of by the roadside,
and went on. Now, as it Glanced
hordes of Cubans were following the
troops, and these people, like so many
coyotes, grabbed up all the rations and
everything else they could lug off. AND
disappeared in the underbrush. Then
when the boys came to look after theii
things later on. only an aching void
met their gaze. So, many of the troops
went hungry for the time being.
The treatment of the wounded and
the wretchedly inadequate facilities OF
the medical department, Mr.. Hill be-
lieved was due very largely to lack OF
foresight on the part of that depart
ment. The surgeons should nave been
aware of the necessity Of cots for the
sick and wounded, and a moderate
number of these would have gone a long
way. Laying men down on the wei
grotnd and in the mud is not at all con-
ducive to health or recovery from
wounds or disease. In the charge UP
San Juan hill the Rough Riders and
up, particularly the 10th, as their field
officers seemed for some a to be
towards the rear, or at all events they
We're not where they could be in COM
mand, and the result was that the 10th
cavalry mingled right in with Roose-
velt's men and he was, for the time, In
command of both regiments. Mr.. Fill
c~orroborates the statements about
troop e being the first on top of San
Juan hill. and said the block houses
We're generally little houses of stone
about 12x14 feet square with tiled roofs,
and when the Spaniards We're driven
from them, quantities of rum were
found inside. However, this rum was
Used but sparingly, as the men haGi
been warned before hand against indul-
gence in alcoholic stimulants they
might find in the enemy's camps and
trenches. and the warnings We're heed
ed. for the most part.
Ap Hill 1pac mot In1apgtan 1 how tho
critics can we'll find fault with General
Toral, for that officer could hardly do
anything else than surrender. The
United States troops had cut off thu
water supply from Santiago, Cervera'a
fleet had fled and been destroyed and
the entire city and bay were surrounded
by United States troops to the east and
north, and $4,000 Cubans under Garcia
to the west, with SIMPSONS fleet at the
mouth Of the harbor. So what elsa
could he do? Then, at the time of tho
surrender, the United States forces had
four batteries in readiness to pour an
iron hail right into the city. Yes, To-
did the proper thing at the proper
time. AS to the slain Spaniards, there
must have been over 5000 killed in the
Of the campaign, with double
hat number Of wounded, for when
Santiago c%apitulated it seemed as
though every house in town was turned
into an hospital. The wounded were
Mr.. Hill thought the wal
ships We're bombarding the forts at the
mouth of the harbor when the destruc-
ton of Cervera's tleet was in progress
At every discharge of those enormous
guns the whole country shook under the
shock Of the concussion.
The supposition hat the colored
troops would do better in that climate
than the white troops proved a delusion,
fer there were just as many sick col
bred soldiers as there We're white. Like
other returned troopers, Mr.. Hill
has a high appreciation of General
Wheeler. The general is not much
than a base ball bat, but he was
ana right at the head of