The Newtown bee., 1898-10-28
LitChfeld County
WASHINGTON
BEN FuLo1s AT PORTO RICO.

liz Is ABOUT Ito IN the SnaQe, mere. we
had another run in with the gGerillas the
other night aud and eight of the men
had the homo of being in iC. l was on
guard and had my men posted, when
about II o'clock at night the captain
called me to his tent and told me he had
just been informed by q native that the
guerillas were going TO attack the camp.
Well, | doubled up the guard and 6 vt
everything ready for them. The rest OF
the company were sound asleep, and
knew nothing about what was going on.
About O'Clock in the morning, we heard
some shots fired and we started in the
direction from wneuce they had come
We had gone about 100 yards when we
met one of the guards running in. He
told us hat he had been fired upon, and
he had fired three shots to alarm US. We
went on little ways farther and all of
a sudden we heard the click of guns
being cooked and | gave the command to
drop, and | tell you what, it was a good
thing we did drop; we had no sooner
struck tire ground when we were fed
uEou. We thought that 1t was our turn
now, so we let drive at them. As it was
rather dark, we couldn't see them very
plain, but we could tell pretty nearly by
by the flashes, and we had been taught
to aim low and it was a matter OF a few
The fight was all over before the rest of
the camp had had time to reach US.
got the men together to see how much
damage had been done. We got off
lucky, only one man having been touch
ed, and his was only a flesh wound on
the arm. We found two of their men
wounded and they were trying to get
away when we caught them. We turned
them over to the authorities the next day.
You can talK about Spanish bravery and
Spanish honor. The two men we caught
had been shot in the back and that ia the
| case with one-haIf of the wounded Span
ish prisoners that are in the hospital at
| Ponce. | went down there, one day
with number of our boys, to see them
The surgeon in charge showed us
through the hospital. While we were
there we saw six men have their wounds
dressed, and every one of those men haC
been shot 10 the back. That is an exam
| ole of their bravery. And now for theil
honor. l got into conversation with one
Of the prisoners, who could talk pretty
good Erglish. He was taken prisoner a.
the battle IF COamO. He said that theil
officers told them to show no mercy tt
the Americans and that they were lO
Of boys and would fire one volley and
then run away. Well, he said that whel
the fight commenced, those boys were
pretty good sized men, and instead
Of running away, they kept coming ant
the Spaujards saw that the American
weren't going to do the running, so they
made up their minds that they woult
have to do it. This prisoner told me tina
the one In the next cot was with hin
when they were running away and the
were both shot about the same time. FL
said that when he heard the American
coming up behind him be expected t.
be chopped all TO pieces, but instead o
that he was put on litter and was sen
to the hospital, where he says that b
has been treated better than he has eve
been treated before in his life. They ar
having a great time at Ponce with tn
: fever and we are pretty thankful tina
We have been detached from the reg
ment. We have been detached for neal
t Y three weeks and are stationed nearl
two miles away from Ponce, where til
~est of the regiment is. So far, we hav
had only one man taken with the fever
, a nd he was sent to the hospital at once
He is not expected to live. Nearly q
( of the men have been suffering from dYs
, entery. / have been feeling fine so faI
| am taking pretty good care of mysel.
Have Just babe Sergt Curtis goodbye
He has been sick and Is going home o
furlough. he had Il pretty mean trio
: played him while he was sick in the hol
pltal. Some one got into his knspsac
and took everv cent that he had. hop
that you think Of US living on hard-tact
corn beef, bacon and coffee. Well, w
. are vets now, anyway. Yesterday W
had three companies of the 10th Infantr
come up from Ponce and camp near u
They had about 200 Spanish prisoner
which they were guarding. They ha
been sent M for a few days, so as I
give the authorities a chance to get til
barracks cleared up in town. Ponc,
September Is, 1897.