Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-08
HODSON'S WELCOME.
Rough Riders Fall Over Each
Other to Shake Hands
With Him.
HERO OF THE MERRIMAO Is FREE,
With the Seven Gallant Fellows Who
Shared His Danger That
Historic Night.

Great Reception to Them as They Como
Overthe Line Into the United States En-.
trenchments-Ninth Cavalry Not Behind
Its White Comrades in Giving the Young
Alabaman Welcome Dispatch
Announcing the Exchange.
Washington, July 8.-General Shat
ter's telegram announcing the exchange
OF Lieutenant Hobson and his men
is as follows: 1t is addressed to the Sec
reatry of war and dated HEADQUARTERS
Fifth Army Corps, Cuba, July 6.-"Lieu-
tenant HobsOn and all his men have
Just been received safely in exchange
for Spanish officers and prisoners taken
by United States. All in good health.
except two seamen convalescing from
| remittent fever"
The full list OF the Merrimac crew
| Is as follows: Lieutenant Richmond p.
Hobson, assistant naval constructor;
Daniel Montague, first-class machinist.
George Charette, first-e,ass gunners'
| mate; ]. &. Murphy. coxswain; Osborn
Deisnan. coxswain, resident eff Stuart.
Ia; George F. Phillips, machinist.
Frank Kelly. water tender; Randolph
ClaUsen, &C Nswain.
| Men at the Front Grow Wild.
After the exchange had been made.
according to copyrighted Associated
Press dispatch. .as Hobson and the
men or the Nerrimac approached the
first line of entrench.Ecnts occupied by
the Rough Riders low murmurs ran
from one end of the line of COWBOYS and
eastern athletes to the other, and by
the time the returning party reached
them every man was on his feet. refus-
ing to be restrained by the admonishing
OF the officers. cheering wildly and rush.
ing over every obstacle that CHANGED to
| be in his way in his effort to reach
Hobson and his party and grasp them
by the hand. The released prisoners
were soon surrounded and compelled to
stop to receive the greetings. congratu-
! lations and vigorous, heartfelt, hand
shaking of men they had never seen be-
| fore.
Was Rough but Hearty Welcome.
Sunburned cavalrymen who had spent
their lives N the saddle on the plains Of
| Arizona, New Mexico or other western
states or territories, and who did not
| Know the dfferepce between a ships
| maintop, bilge OF keel, threw their arms
around tho sailor boys and literally
dragged them over the entpenchments.
all the time sending out yells that under
other circumstances would have struck
| terror to hearts even as gallant as these
oftthe Morrimac heroes. No msuRtaia
fastsess Of the west ever resounded
from shouts of an Indian wapdanee that
equaled the wild outbreak of American
spirit that occurred at this meeting Of
| the sailors who did their duty with sev-
| cry Spanish gun in the harbor trained
upon them, and the hardy men under
| General Shafter.
Forgot His Race Prejudice.
The Seventy-first New York yolun
| teeY. near the Rough Riders, was the
| next regiment to fall upon Hobson and
his men, and almost Immediately the
| Ninth and Tenth cavalry, both colored
regiments. joined in the general enthus-
iasm, and cheer after cheer arose az
Hobson and his companions forced their
| way through the lines of white and col
| ored soldiers. Hobson. SO far as posi-
bic, grasped each hand extended toward
him, and neither he nor his men made
/! any protest against the most uncom-
Portable crowding and jostling which
hey had 70 undergo. If the young officer
whose hope is in Alabama-has any
| race prejudice he certainly forgot an
| about II az he passed through the lines
| Of soldiers on his way to General Wheel
| er's headquarters.