The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-07-14

The following is from the telegraph
ic report of the battle at Santiago:
In half hour the position became
too hot for the Spaniards. Their
battery was silenced, and there were
no Spainards in sight. The Tenth
and First regiments and the Rough
Riders were ordered to make a detour
and take the hill. Then began real
fighting. The Spaniards were not in
sight, but hundreds of them were in
concealmcnt. The Rough Riders
marched through the gulch across
the slope, whereupon the blockhouse
opened fire again. One of their shells
wounded Mason, Mitchell, Cuban
Trooper Long and Surgeon Devore.
At the same time the Spanish sharp
shooters began popping away, picking
off men here and there. Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt, mounted, rode at
the head of his troops, with the Tenth
calvary ranged alongside. The
riders all lodged behind bushes and
trees to escape the hail of bullets.
The Spanish fire grew hotter and
hotter, and our men dropped two and
three III Il tlluc.
When they came to the hillside
there was no protection. There was a
| moments hesitation, and then came
the order Forward, charge" Lieuten-
ant Colonel Roosevelt led, waving
his sword. Out into the open the
men went and up the hill. Death to
every man seemed certain. The
crack of Mauser rifles was contin-
uous. Out of the bush came the
Riders. Up, up, they went, with
colored troops alongside, not a man
flinching, and firing as they ran.
Roosevelt was hundred feet in the
lead Up they went in the face OF
death, men dropping from the ranks
at every step.
Astonished by the madness of the
rush, the Spaniards exposed them
selves. This was fatal mistake.
The Tenth cavalry picked them off like
ducks and rushed on. More Span
| iards were killed and more seemed to
take their places.
The rain of shells and bullets doub-
led. Men dropped faster and faster,
but others took their places. Colonel
Roosevelt sat erect on his horse,
holding his sword and shouting for
his men to follow him. Finally his
horse was shot form under him, but
he landed on his feet and continued
calling for his men to advance. He
charged up the hill afoot. 1t seemed
an age to the men who were watching
and to the Rough Riders the hill
must have seemed miles high. But
they went on firing as fast as their
guns would work. The shooting OF
the Tenth Cavlary was wonderful.
At last the top of the hill was reach
ed. Spainards in the trenches could
still have annihlated the Americans,
but the Yankees daring dazed them.
They wavered for an instant, then
turned and ran. AS they ran our
men coolly picked them off. The
position was won and the blOckhouse
captured. The Americans went on
to drive the Spaniards further. They
found the trenches full OF dead, but
none alive. In the rush more than
half the Riders were wounded.
Two newspapers in this State have
stultitied themselves already by cry,
ing out against pensioning the
relatives of soldiers or seamen killed
: : in the present war, Their opposition
seems to be mere senseless objection
to pensions of any sort. OF course
every sound man believes in pen
sioning soldiers, and doing it lib
erallv. The great outcry in thi
country is not and never was baset
+ upon prejudice against pensions
o | hut anainst nen sion frauds Hibltc0