Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-12-14

regiment It was, "The Third is order ed to go through this brush r' Immedi- ately Major Jackson's squadron deplOy- cd as skirmishers and attempted to ad- vance. Mofton's squadron deployed 200 yards in the rear as support. Major Vessels observed, "I don't see how we can do it, but we will if we can ' Plungiug into the brush, the men found that it was only a hedge on the border of an open field. When the administers got through. they called out that there was cavalry moving across the front. That made 1t necessary to draw the line back.
 Through the openings in the trees, Captain Morton and others saw the left of the San Juan intrenchments and Spaniards with guns at hand 600 or 700 yards away, looking at the American line. At this time the dynamite and the HOtchkiss guns in rear of the brigade opened fire on the SpaniArds. The dyna- mite gun was choked with the first car fridge, and the cavalrymen say that the HotChkiss gun was silenced by the Spaniards, who then turned their rifles and shrapnel upon the cavalrymen. In this plight the cavalry remained an hour and half, subjected to constant yolley firing and to shrapnel. The off cers of the brigade estimated that the cavalry division suffered from 75 to 90 per cent of its casualties around that crossing. Dead and wounded were brought there through ranks of men, only few of whom had been under fire before. Says Captain Morton, a veteran of 26 battles, "It was enough to rattle the bravest, but not an officer or soldier left the position. except to help the wounded. "
 To some old soldiers it may seem strange that at Santiago fighting men left the ranks to help the wounded. But that is according to the new order of things. Every man has first aid pack age in his kit, and it is part of his duty to apply it when a comrade is stricken down. If it had not been for this, tle mortality at Santiago would have been terrible. The first aid bandage stops the flow of blood and keeps the wound clean, also giving the patient relief and hope, which conduce to recovery. h general, officers criticized the ''shame- ful neglect ot wounded" at Santiago.
 The next order to this brigade was brought by aids who came to Major Vessels and told him tha. the brigade was to advance. They could give DO definite instructions. Vessels said that he was not in command of the brigade, but that Colonel Carroll was and was somewhere on the ground. The aids discussed among themselves what was to be done, and finally agreed that the brigade had an order to advance.
 The cavalry troops spoken of before as being in front of Carroll's brigade evidently belonged to Woods brigade In attempting to move out of the range of the Spaniards' missiles and also to find clear ground to form in the differ ent regiments got out of line, matter which caused some confusion to the bri gade commanders It was this state of things which led to the assertion tEat the general officers were weak at San Juan ridge. The fact is that the ground was unsuitable for forming and chaIg- ing in brigade columns The regiments kept well together until they started to go up the hill, when some commands defiected to the right or to the left, ac- cording as they saw favorable ground or Spanish position to strike at.
 General Sumner says that the cavalry division was ordered to take position i1 the road near the crossing of San Juan; that be formed his line, and, being fired upon, said to a representative of Gen. eral Shafter who was present: I've cannot stay here without heavy loss We must go back or go forward. The general added significantly. Forward we wentP
 There was no lack of fearless and capable men to carry orders to the com mands through fire and blood. Colonel J. H. Dorst, the adjutant general of the cavalry division, was seen all along the line all day, and the same of Captain R. L. Howze of Summers staff, who was on horseback until the hill was taken.
 After the aids had settled it that Carroll's brigade was to go forward Major Vessels ordered his second squadron to go forward, supported by the first, and to move at once. Captain Morton says that the majors did not take time to pass the orders along to the companies, but shouted out the command "Forwardr' Then the line plunged into an almost impenetrable