The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-30
WAS IN THE TRENCHES
LEWIS FREEMAN's EXPERIENCE IN
THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL.
Took Cigarette Paper and Tobacco
from the Pockets of Fallen Span
iards-WOunded in Battle.

"a regular army soldier stepped off a train
coming from the South at the Union Station
last night. He attracted much attention
from the people on the street because he
walked peculiarly and wore a strange uni
FORM He was Louis Freeman, a member of
Troop /, Third Cavalry. He walked pc
ouliarly because he was shot through the
body at the battle of San Juan hill, near
Santiago. His strange uniform is the hos
pital uniform, which he received at the mil
itary hospital at Tampa. Freeman's home
is at Winamac, Ind He has been in the
service ten months. He went from the st.
Louis barracks to Chickamauga, thence to
Tampa and to Cuba. This is his story as he
told it last night:
1.-The Third was in the middle of the line
going up San Juan hill. No commands were
given after the one to commence firing. All
we knew was that we were there 10 fight.
and that's all we thought about. We didn't
see the enemy until we came to a strip of
land about a hundred yards WIDE which
had been cultivated. There was a rain of
bullets from the Spaniards when we reached
this place, and here's where we lost the
most of our men. After the second or third
volley the Spaniards left their trenches and
retreated UP the hill. My partner and
dead Spanish soldiers We got enough to-
bacco and cigarette paper out of their
clothes to fill our shirt pockets. My part
ner suggested we run behind a rock about
twenty feet in front of US and have smoke
while the guns were cooling. We made a
dash for it, but l was shot before we
reached the rock. 1 didn't see my partner
again. My wound is about a quarter of an
inch below the heart The bullet was a
Mauser L was transferred to the hospital
at Tampa. The surgeon told me when left
there I'd pull around all right if l took good
care of myself. I'm going back to Winamac
and stay until 1 get better. My parents
live there. / have three months furlough
which may be extended until 1 am fit for
duty again.
How do feel about going back again?
Well, l want to get back. It's just like
leaving home to go away from the boys.
feel all the time I'd like to see EN- again.
There's no feeling at all when you're fight
ing. The Cubans? They're not good for
anything but to eat the rations furnished
won't work and they won't fight. Ask them
to help carry the wounded OFF the field and
they'll shake their heads-they don't saw
wy but ask them how many rations they
want to draw and they understand you as
soon as you say the words. AS soon as you
unroll your haversack and leave It for
moment they snatch it and are off like a
shot. Their leaders, Garcia and Gomez, are
simply looking for plum when the wars
ended
THE heat is something fierce down there
The boys all threw away their underclothes
and wore their shirts turned back at the
neck. Their necks and breasts are burned
black. I'm lucky to get out without the
fever and L might have been wounded
worse than 1 am I'm lucky to get out Of
there at all. The hospital at Tampa is con-
Quoted as well as possible, considering the
place is crowded"