El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-13
RYNERSONFOUGHT
With GARCIA
Ell Paso Rough Rider, Who
Joined the Insurgents
IN MANY BATTLES

Participated In Attacks Upon thu
Spaniards In Santiago Province
After All the Troops Therein Hat
Signified Their Intention To Sur
render To Shafter.
The return to Ell Paso from Cuba OF
Lieutenant William L. Rynerson was
briefly chrOnicled in the HERALD q
week ago, soon after his arrival here.
Ryperson ia quite well known here and
was one of the young men residing in
this city who svailed themselves OF the
first opportunity to enlist after war was
declared by joining Captain Curry 9
Ell Paso squad of Rough Riders.
Ryperson's experience. at the front
differed materially from that of any
man in Roosevelt's regiment. His own
troop commanded by Curry was detail
ed to care for the horses and left at
Tampa when the balance of the SOL
diers embarked for Santiago. History
will tell of the glorious achievements
of the Rough Riders near Santiago,
long after every man of them ia dead.
But that is neither here nor there.
This story has only to do with the sd-
ventures met with by Lieutenant
Rynerson who fought with the ipsur-
gents until his commanding officers
were notified of the signing of the peace
protocol.
Rynerson left Ell Paso as q rough
rider with high hopes Of being able to
plunge into the midst of the carnage
OF war and win glory as an America
soldier. When his troop was ordere d
to remain at Tampa to engage in the
livery stable business, his disappoint-
ment was keen and he decided to
al @l, - I,
front.
His ability to speak the Spanish
language brought him into contact
with many Cubans and from them he
learned that General Nunez, who had
organized many flibustering expedi-
tions, was engaged in getting to-
gether company of recruits for the
insurgents. Nunez offered Rynerson
q commission II he would enlist in the
Cuban army. He accepted on condi-
tion that he could obtain his discharge
from the rough riders.
The commanding officer at Tampa
telegraphed to Washington and rslat-
ed the full circumstances to the war
department. Rynerson was granted
his discharge On condition that he be
made second lieutenant in the Cuban
army.
The expedition to which he belonged
mum bered 30 mon and sailed from
Havana on the Wanderer. An attempt
was made to laud in Pinsr Del Rio prov
ince, but WAS repulsed by Spaniards
The Cubans lost nine men but held
their ground long enough to recover q
quantity of provisions that had been
landed. The Wanderer after the re-
pulse returned to Key West to leave
the wounded and then sailed to Puerto
Padre, small port in the province of
Santiago, sixty miles from Havana and
there successful landing was made.
The small detachment under Ryner-
son was attached to General Garcia's
command consisting of about 5000 men,
in the Gibora district and Immediately
became engaged in actual warfare of
the most sanguinary nature until the
protocol was signed.
After the battle of Santiago had
been fought and won by the Ameri-
cans and the Province of Santiago had
surrendered to Shafter the Cubans
continued to wage war against the
those on their way to points which had
been agreed upon as rendezvous,
where they were to LAY down their
arms.
The largest battle of this nature was
fought August Is. Four Thousand
troops on their way to Hol-
gum to surrender to the Americans
at Auras with considerable loss on
both sides. Rynerson and his men |
were In the thick of this fight. He was
shot in the foot and severely wounded. !
Rynerson says the Cubans are at best |
2 sorry lot of people-half of the SOL
diers negroes-they fire one or two
shots at an enemy and then hunt cover.
One incident of the campaign which
The lieutenant relates was the blowing
up OF body of Spanisrds with dyna-
mite. A mine was laid in the road
along which $50 Spanish soldiers were
70 pass.