The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-26

Polytechnic, then the great engineering post
graduate school at BriancOn. The battle
was fought under very unusual conditions.
The line was in a dense thicket under
tropical sun, where there was not much OPP
portunity for the fine tactics of modern
war or its schools But one feature it ex-
plotted thoroughly-the high courage and
intelligence, in English the initiative, of the
American officer and soldier, be the man
with the musket black or white. The Off
GERS did not give over to their sergeants
and corporals the leadership. as modern
tactics direct. All went forward to great
er officers and men. The Spanish main at
tack appeared to be directed at the part of
the line composed of the blacks, negro sol
diers, but no troops could have behaved
more calamity. The blacks and whites
went forward with a run. There was no
attempt to malinger, to pretend to illness,
no Sinking. The difficulty was to restrain
the black men. Steady, steady, men,, the
them, shouted a great, black giant, nearly
SIX feet and half high VINO was a SER
geant. There was no maneuvering, nor any
need for 1t 1t was simply the old condi-
TONS where the strongest and bravest was
leader only there was no bTavest all were
prave. L never realized the high, cool, en-
during courage of this conquering Ameri-
can race as / do now having seen them
tried In the fierce fire of war"
The foreign officers with the Fifth Corps
at Santiago are an interesting lot of men,
says Lieutenant Carr of the Rough Riders,
who is here recovering from a bad wound
received in the fight at San Juan Hill on
July 2. AT first we thought we would not
IKE them, they seemed to be such super
Tor lot. l am sure they thought we volun-
teers would all run at the first fire. In fact,
we did not know how we would act our
selves. The fight in our part of the line was
along hillside where there was grass from
two to five feet high, with occasionally an
orange or other fruit tree. We waded
through all this grass with Spaniards ris-
ing up out of 1t and shooting and running
only sometimes they did not run away.
Inese attaches wanted to see the fight and
General Hawkins put them where they saw
1t, and were in the thickest of it, too They
acted admirably AT first they wanted serv-
ants, horses, goodness knows what but
they soon saw the American officers did not
have these things and they quit asking for
them. think Major Lee, the English off,
Ger, and Colonel De Granprey are the ia
vorites. The Frenchman was particularly
impressed by little thing he saw. He was
lying where the fire was very hot for an
nour with young sergeant of Roosevelt's
70 Keep MIN company, and who was watch
ing Tor easy shots besides. The sergeant
wanted to smoke. Half rising he felt in
his jacket pocket for his little pipe and
tobacco. Just as he had got his pipe we'll
allght Spanish bullet cut the stem within
an inch and a half of his nose Damn the
luck, observed the sergeant. Then he picked
up the pipe Why, here's enough left for
a smoke after ALL he observed as he nut
the shortened stem in his mouth and kim
dled up the fire again Now where ex-
cept mere among these Americans could you
nnd such sangfroid?' asks De Granprey. as
ne concluded the story