The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-03
GAYETHEM OUININE.
Topeka Soldier Says the Troops We're
Always Dosed With 1t.

Always OOS6Q w 1En It
The following is a letter received by
Ed P. Jordan of Topeka from his broth
er William Jordan who used to live in
Topeka and who is now in company A
of the Twelfth regular infantry:
Santiago de Cuba, Aug. Is.
''At Ell Caney and Santiago we were
in our first battles We landed on the
22nd of June, % miles below Santiago.
1t took two days to land all the troops.
After landing on first day we marched
about five miles and went into camp
and rested two days. We broke camp
on the morning of the third day and
started for Santiago but in order to get
to this place we had to take two small
towns and about a dozen block houses.
The Rough Riders, the First and Tenth
cavalry were ahead of US and were en-
gagged In the first battle the Twelfth
was one mile behind. We were resting
when the call to arms came and went
at once to re-enfOrce them but when
we got there the fight was over and
the Dons were beating a hot foot to Ell
Caney. In the battle the Tenth cavalry
cOlOred, charged the Spanish forces. We
lost about 16 killed and the same num-
Der wounded. There We're rs or 100
Spaniards killed. After the battle we
moved on some Is miles and went into
camp as the weather was hot and some
of US could not stand it. We broke
camp and marched nine miles more to
a place where we camped for two days.
On the eve of the second day orders
came to break camp. That was at
o'clock We marched till midnight
through mud and water. Some times
we were up to our knees in water and
mud.
I'VE stopped for awhile two miles
from FL Caney with nothing to eat but
hard tack and raw bacon but that went
fine. We broke camp at 8 o'clock in
the morning and after a repetition Of
our previous meal we marched up three
hills The Third brigade did all the
fighting art FL Caney. No other troops
took part in the battle. In this brigade
were the Twelfth, Seventeenth and
Seventh regular infantry under the
command of General Chaffee. The
Seventh was on the right, the Seven
teenth on the left and the Twelfth in
the center. Each regiment had a block
house to take and the Twelfth also had
a town to take. On the morning of the
1st of July we came in sight of Ell Ca
ney about o'clock in the morning. Our
orders were to wait for the artillery to
open the battle but we only had to wait
a few moments when. bang, and the
first shot struck the block house. The
block house was used as headquarters.
We received orders to advance and
we went. A, B, G, and c companies
went down the hill. My company, A,
had just got the skirmish line out when
a vOlley went over our heads. They
were waiting in the road for US and
could not be over 200 yards from US.
We could not see them. All of US
dropped to the ground and guess they
thought they had killed all of us. We
opened fire on them and drove them
back to the trenches and block house.
The ball had opened. From $3.50 the lst
of July till 4:30 in the afternoon of the
same day we kept up the fire on them
and they were not slow themselves. We
were ten hours that day without any
thing to eat. The Spaniards were shoot
ing out of every place, the block house,
the church, large buildings and the
trenches. At 4 o'clock orders came to
charge. A and F companies of the
Twelfth were to make the charge.
h 4 hon
picked I would have sold out for most
anything. Well, we made the charge
and won the day. The two companies
only lost five men killed in the charge.
1t was in this charge that Creelman,
the correspondent, was wounded He
was right with US. Our regiment lost
II killed and rs wounded that day. We
captured three officers and 10 men. 1t
was a terrible sight to see the killed. I
saw u men dead in one trench. That
was enough for me.
The artillery tore the block house to
pieces and killed about 10 men, Inere
were 5000 men at Ell Caney. This is the
place the English could not take. At
o'clock, after supper, we received or
ders to march to Santiago to reinforce
troops there. We marched all night
and got before Santiago at 4 o'clock in
the morning. We left our blanket rolls
and haversacks about three miles be-
hind At 4:30 we were on the firing
line We stayed there all that day and
half the night. No fires could be start
ed and we did not have coffee for 48
hours. The night of the End of July
they attacked US. I guess they thought
we were asleep, but I guess not. They
lost 500 men, one general, two majors.
On the 3rd of July the ball started
again at day break and at 2 o'clock the
white flag went up. They could not
get away from US so they gave in 1t
was a sight to see the men in the en-
trenchments when the stars and stripes
were waved over the city of Santiago.
Cheer after cheer went up for the boys
felt good
The men here are dying of fever.
When one is sent to the hospital they
give him quinine No matter what
the trouble is. If it is a sore arm or
a sore foot you get the same quinine.
came near forgetting to speak of
the sharp shooters in the trees along
the road coming from Ell Caney. There
must have been so of those men in trees
covered with leaves and with bags Of
sand for protection, but that did not
save them, for when our troops located
them they fell. Their object was to
pick our officers. They got a few and
lots of privates. A doctor was dres-
sing a mans wound and was killed
while doing so. Some of the officers
of the Seventy-frst New York were
found in the bushes after the fight.
They had gone back on their men,
RECOGNTZES WOMEN