The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-10-07
The Battle of Santiago.

In our issue OF September Is we published an
interesting sketch of the tremendous naval
battle in the Caribbean sea, of the harbor of
Santiago, in which the Spanish fleet under com
mand of admiral Cervera was demolished by
Commodore SchlCy. The battle was described
from Il sea view by Mr. Harry NJ. Stewart, an
attache of the battlcship Iowa. We, this week.
present our readers with an equally interesting
and graphic account Of the land engagement
which endet in the capture of Santiago de
Cuba, aud the surrender of General Torul 5
troops, as told by Mr.. William B. Taylor. of
Chicago, who, as Il member of the First Illinois
Volunteer Regiment, was an active participa-
tor i'll the stirring scenes on San Juan Hill Ell
Caney and other points Immediately adjacent
TO the doomed city.
Mr. Taylor, who is nephew of Mr.. William
B. Nelson, of Bel Air, said that there was no
really hard hghting on June Both, the engage
ments being more III the nature of skirmishes
The regiment to which he belonged, the First
Illinois, only lost two men. They laid off all
night and on the next day, July 1st, they were
brought into position for charge. Two vol
leys were fired, Che position of the First Illinois
was directly in the rear Of the Rough Riders,l
which was replied to by the Spaniards who fir
ed once and then retreated for several miles.
Several OF the Rough Riders were wounded at
this time.
general charge was then ordered. In this
movement Were the LIST Illinois, the Rough
| Riders, the list n. Y. Volunteers and the oath
and 25th u. S. Infantry colored. This was the
| famous oh arge up the San Juan Hill. This
eIninence is i'll reality combination of hills,
three in number, the distance aggreEating at
least half Il mile. The barbed-wire fencing and
dense underground naturally made our pro-
gress very slow. About four thousand men
were engaged in the charge. The wire was
easily cut with the clippers with which we were
abundautly provided-there being three pairs
to each squad. On this hill the Rough Riders
and the list New York fell into an am buscade
and were only saved from absolute annihila.
ton by The colOred troops who forged ahead,
taking position which forced the Spaniards to
retreat, and capturing their trenches for Il dis
lance of three miles. That night they rested on
their arms.
At daybreak on Saturday, July ID, scouting
parties were sent through the valley for the
| purpose OF ousting the Spanish sentries who
laid concealed in the underbrush among the
palm trees, The regiments took their positions
III the trenches which had been evacuated by
| the Spaniards, and these primitive h:eastworks
were changed FROM points of defence to those
of oilensc, and this position was held until SAN
| tiago surrendered.
MIR. Taylor's regiment escaped, providen-
TALLY, with Il loss of only five men.
He gives the following account of the block
houses which have figured so extensively in all
accounts OF the Cuban struggle. "They are
built OF logs filed in with sand and stone until
they are three feet thick. and are large enough
to shelter thirty men. They are construct d
on the brow of Il hill, or at IL cross-road, SO as
to command the approaches in every direction,
and are garri5oned with sharpshooters, which
accounts for the excessive loss of officers dur
ing the war.
The fighting was all done on less than one
third rations. The supplies could not be
brought up on account of the rain. Even water
could only be procured by walking a mile and
half. Two hard-tack biscuits and one-eighth
of pound of beef made the allowance for
each man.
Mr.. Taylor pays the highest tribute to Lieut..
Colonel Roosevelt, who went to Siboney and
purchased with his own funds 81 800 worth of
subsistence stores for the First Illinois regi-
ment. He brought with him Spanish machete,
which was taken from one OF Toral's men at
| the surrender. 1t resembles very much the
ordinary corn-cutter or knife used by our farm
ers, being about one-third longer and much
same as sword, and in the hands of desperate
man is truly formidable weapon. AL privates
are armed with these machetes.