The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-12
FROM ROUGH RIDERS
Letters From the Front Filled
With Fight.
USED TO WAR ALREADY
Wounds and Heroisms Are
Just Commonplace.

The following is letter from Fred Beal
who was wounded at Bouzon:
Bouzon. Santiago de Cuba, June .,
1898
Dear Mother and All the Rest:
We landed the day after 1 wrote the
card. We pulled in nearer the shore and
unloaded on a small wharf in small boats.
Just as the boat l was in was near the
wharf boat load of colorsd troops was
upset and two of them was drowned
within twenty feet Of our boat, but we
could render no aid. We made our land
ing all night and camped on Cuban soil
that night.
We saw lots Of Cubans and the Cuban
army and it was a most pitiable sight,
they were 50 gaunt and poorly clad. We
lay in camp nearly all next day, but re-
ceived orders about o'clock to get ready
to march on towards Santiago. We COM
menced marching about o'clock and
marched twelve miles and 1t almost laid
Us out as we had to carry about fifty
pounds Of packs, and as we had been on
board the boats so long We were very
soft.
We slept on our rolls and guns that
night and got up at O'Clock next morn
ing, as we were the advanced guards on
the march from our last camp 10 Santf-
ago. We had gone about three miles
when our scouts located the Spanish
ahead. Our regiment was formed in line
of skirmishers for battle. We marched
right down the hill onto their forts and
they kept up continuous fire on our
line. We had no more than got started
when Cell threw up his hands and said
he was shot in the leg somewhere. I
left him my canteen OF water and went
on in the charge.
I had not gone more than 80 yards
when l felt my leg sting as if someone
had cut me with switch across the
right leg just above the knee. I looked
and saw two holes in my pants where
the bullets had gone in and out and as
is did not pain me much. went on.
Then I began TO bleed pretty freely
and I sat down and looked at my leg and
the bullet had passed through. just above
the bone and three inches above the knee
cap. disabling me so I cannot walk in
the march.
Well, in the meantime, I had not seen
or heard of Cell. was getting alarmed,
because had gone through all the hospi-
tails and had not seen or heard word
of him, but after got back TO camp and
laid around until evening. when Cell came
in on a mule. He had a wound in the
knee. He was taken on board the hos
pltal boat Olivette. but I was not. 1
hated TO have him leave, but both of us
will be all right in a few days. All I
hate about it is that I am afraid they Will
take Santiago before I am able rs go with
them. There were eignt k11ed and about
twenty wounded in the regiment. but not
a one killed in the troop.
Tell John and Captain Capron, the lieu
tenant who mustered US in at Guthrie.
was killed in the first Of the battle, and
everybody felt very badly about it. He
was one OF the finest officers in the regi-
ment.
Now mother. don't want you TO worry
about me, for you can't believe every
thing you SEE in the newspapers. and
will write often. FRED.
The Hennessey. 0. T. Clipper prints the
following from Rough Rider:
On the Battlefield. Near Santiago de
Cuba. June 25. 1895
Victory IS ours in the first battle. Our
regiment with only $50 men routed be-
tween 1000 and 5000 spaniards from their
entertainments, killed 104 OF them that
We found and they carried OF as many
of the dead as they could. so II is impos-
sibe TO tell what their loss was. We had
nine killed and 50 wounded, eight miss !
ing. Five men in our troop were wound |
ed. John Rhoades was wounded in the
leg. l have not seen him since the bat |
tie. Our regiment has been highly COM !
pi.menJed by all the high officers here.
The Spanish lay in ambush on the right |
on the side Of the mountain behind rock /
and on the left in entrench- [
ments.
They could have captured all Of US Z 4
they had been brave enough TO hold their /
gorund. The boys all marched right 70 1
their places in line like old veterans. D I
troops formed 70 the left Of the road and 1
received cbross fire from the Spanish /
forces. but the boys advanced and fred /
"a they went and It was not long till ne 1
Spanish were going head over heels down /
the valley We captured g Spanish nom I
commissioned officer and he said We 4
didn't fight fair. He said We just come a. I
sh0otin' all the time-tht We didn't stop
when We fred 50 they could shoot at Us, /
but just came right on. There wasn't a 4
man in our regiment that fen TO the rear /
unless he was wounded thought would |
be scared but 7 forgot al about that /
and kept my eye or the Spar{ards. I /
y ould Ike 10 write more details 5ut W.
must 80 on and take Santiago as soon as
possible. They VIII put Up q hard fight
there. I think This Is al this time. I
am al o X r Y CASHION