Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-08-09
OUR BOYS IN A BATTLE.
Company A Among the Soldiers Moving on
San Juan.

San Juan.
tits expected that the BOYS of Com
pany a are engaged in conflict with
the enemy on the fields Of Porto Rico
today. A dispatch from Ponce, which
appears elsewhere, is authority for the
Information. 1t says that Gen. Henry
with the 9th Illinois and 9th Massa-
chusetts will move today toward San
Juan. The road over which they are
travelling is reported to he in bad con-
dition. That the Rock Island bows
will maintain the valor and manli-
ness which has thus far characterized
their actions no one will doubt, and
that good fortune will continue 10
smile on them is the fervent hope
OF their relatives and friends here
Lieut.. l.. K. GAYLORD and Priva.es
j. W. Byers and Fred Berglund. of
Company F, Moline, are among the
sick who have arrived at Norfolk. Va,
from Porto Rico.
Among the latest list of deaths re-
ported from Porto Rico is Alfred
Oberg. Company &. 9th Illinois regi-
ment. who succumbed to typhoid
fever. He was buried ashore near
Guanica.
Guanica, Porto Rico, July 27.-Dear
Folks: We have at last reached our
destination. Talk about fine coun-
try, this beats anything | ever saw.
The first thing we saw when we
sighted the bay was cocoanut palms.
Cocoanut trees grow 20 feet high here.
Boys about g OF Years old run
around scantily clad. The women
have about one garment and seem dis
gusted with the world in general.
The natives are very friendly. We
bought milk of one this morning.
Their COWS are Just like our Jerseys
only finer. We also bought Il pint OF
native rum Yesterday. 1t was the
best ever tasted. The air is fine and
bracing. which we need after the Ia
BILE they set for us aboard the Yale
The first day we received pig bosom
bareback, beans and coffee. After thai
we had bareback and coffee straight
for ID days. Once or twice we had
tomatoes.
The position of Company A is about
thrce-fourths of 4 mile from the mail
body. We are posted on 4 young
mountain on outpost duty. We ha,
a very interesting time last night
some of the enemy's scouts passing
the right flank of our firing line and
humping into Company AS outposts.
Lieut.. Hemenway had charge of No.
Capt. McConochie of No. 2 and | %
No. 5. Some of them came up alon.
the road within 10 yards of my post
] allowed them to pass ON up tn,
mountain, knowing the men were il
hiding and had the best of the situa
ton. They were seen moment
afterward. and were given a goo'
scare. The men let drive in lin
style. | took three Ihen an,
corp. Schmid and made littl,
charge into the brush. but onl,
lgot one shot. Two or tire,
companies We're called out for the pur
lpose of taking after the Spaniards. bu
1t was unnecessary. There was firm
ALMOST all night along our line. Tn
dons were very anxious to get bac
home and we helped them along tn
best we knew how. The boys bagge,
four dead and three wounded. Tn
latter will die. We only had one hurt
Rosey assisted in dressing the Wound
Of the Spaniards and he says it was
very nasty affair. The dons do nc
aim from the shoulder, but shoot an
old way SOFAS to make noise. The
do not make 4 dangerous adversary
We did not have Il sick man on tn
Voyage from Cuba. The 9th Massa
chusetts had 60 cases of fever. On
man died and was buried at sea. II
leaves wife and two children. II
was color bearer for his regiment.