The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-19
these sensational stories that have ap
peared about me. They are untrue.

these sensational stories that have ap-
peared about me. They are untrue.
"On June 49, was sunstruck while
aiding the wounded, carrying water and
food, and was ordered to the hospital at
Siboney by Lieut. Col Ewers, command
ing our regiment. Two days later, on
July /, while still at the hospital, heard
of the fighting at the front, and. think
ing that it was my duty TO be there, ana
feeling well enough to make the journey,
L walked the eightniles to the firing line.
This was in the morning, and all that
day l worked with the doctors, helping
them with the wounded.
II had been at this all day, and at about
O'Clock in THE afternoon made my way
to small clu mp of trees, near which
there were some wounded men, in the
endeavor to cool off bit, for I was still
suffering slightly from the effects of my
sunstroke and the sun had been too much
for me. At this time was about half
mile behind our firing line, which was
about thousand yards from the enemy.
I was facing the firing line and heard
nothing coming, nor did j see anything.
1t is impossible for me to tell how I was
hurt, but the next thing knew I was
regaining consciousness. I was lying on
my left side, and at first was sure that
my right arm was broken. I sat up and
began feeling myself all oyer in a dazed
sort of way, trying to find out where /
was hurt. My first sensation WAS that of
loneliness. Oh, I thought, If / only had
some one to talk to. 1t was terrible
feeling that of thinking that was going
to lie all alone there with no one about.
tell you l was nightly scared. "a
well, looked down and found tie
front of my shirt all torn away and my
exposed chest a mass OF dirt and blooG.
was all shaken up and pretty sore, but
soon discovered that I was not badly
wounded. All this time had been think
ing of the breyity of human life and of
how uncertain 1t all Is. So, as was say
ing, concluded that still had q fight
ing chance and getting on my feet, start
ed off for Siboney
Never, even should I live to be a
thousand years old, will forget the eight
milo walk" continued the chaplain.
There were some 700 or 500 men on that
road, wounded in every possible manner,
all with but the one thought, to get bac k
to the hospital at Siboney. Had they been
uninJured they would have Eeen in the
iIOAp Iouhy pIU 1OW UHCy -,WClC chCptltsuCQ
by that one thought, to get to the rear.
There was but one ambulance, and that
had to be dragged by men, as the mules
were transporting ammunition to the
front. The consequence was that the
wounded were compelled to go it on their
own hook, with such assistance as they
could give one another.
by the time ] reached the road night
had fallen. The moon was partially out,
and by its half light the poor fellows
could be seen dragging themselves along
as best they could. Here and there a man
had dropped at thesside of the road and
was feebly callinglfor water. Some OF the
men, most of them in fact had been
without water or food for over thirty six
hours and their suffering was fearful.
As went along giving what assis
lance could here and there, the sight
made an impression on my mind that /
shall never forget Words cannot describe
it. Why, oneIpoor fellow" (and here the
tears came to the chaplain's eyes) chad
been struck by an exploding shell; his
h Knees aos d wan gUns no and ms hut leg as
of pulp. He had gotten a oomrade to
cut branch from tree, and this he had
bound abe ut the stump with wisps of
grass SO that the leaves dragged along
the ground and protected the wound.
And SO rugged up. that man dragged him
self over those eight miles on all fours.
He took twelve hours to do it, and when
he reached the hospital took his place at
the end of the line of about 600 wounded
without a murmur or complaint. When
the doctors found him, as they did liz
going along the line looking for the worst
cases. he was calmly chewing on the emf
of plug Of tobacco. The doctors all
said that he had no excuse to be living,
and that he ought to have died from the
loss of blood, but they fixed him up, and
he is now doing nicely and will recover.
One waysin which the Spanish did
much damage was with their sharpshoot-