The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-20

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We're elements In that regiment of truly
wonderful courage, as / know myself
Here were 300 men, l was told that had
never fired gun in their lives They
were put alongside the trained and splen-
dldly armed regulars, ana were judged by
comparison with them. The Seventy
hrsts men were armed with old Spring
fields, with black powder, and when they
fired were at once made a target They
We're tired, wet, without sleep, and worn
out by the alternative of the hot tropical
sun and the drenchng rains and dews,
had waded through the river, and their
boots were heavy with sand and water.
In that state, suddenly, for the first time
they were attacked and by a whitening
fire No wonder there was some Confu-
sion There would have been In any body
that was not made up OF veterans. While
forming on the next ridge they had lost
many of their men. In spite of IL all they
did magnificently
Perhaps a little jealously very natu-
raj on the part of the lighting regulars
who were not spoken of so much in the
newspapers, had something TO do with the
reports that came out. We heard the
echoes of it I'm camp.
1.-THE critics In their laudable zeal for
the regulars, who did such splendid fight
ing, forgot that the Seventy-hrst was New
Yorks home regiment, and that Il was
It's fortune to come from q city where the
great newspapers are printed, so that what
is said gets wider hearing than If il were
printed at Montauk in The local paper, If
there is one. 1t was all very natural and
very wrong. There was no cause for jeal-
ousy, no more than there was cause for
charging confusion upon the brave men of
the Seventy-hrst."
Tho Oanarol paid b.Ub oo,,,,.1F..,o,,t -,
the Spaniards as fighters The men were
brave, and their officers very fine fellows,
he said. When Las Guasimas was mem
toned and the report thai the Rough
Riders were ambushed, he showed much
spirit.
rIt is all nonsense to talk about am
BUSH" he said. 1T came out exactly as
IL was planned. We lost some men, yes!
But nothing like the number the Spaniards
lost. You cannot attack fortified positions
without loss. The men who brought the
reports of the ambush were, as usual the
men who went 70 the rear, out Of the
fight. They strike the reporters first
there We had laid our plans the night
before and carried them out according 70
programme ] looked the ground over my
self with Castillo, the Cuban and made
up my mind TO attack. Overnight Castillo
drew some rough sketches Of the ground
for me and went 10 sleep. We were TO at
word 90 him that l was ready he was still
asleep, and, as we couldn't wait any long
er, we went ahead, leaving him TO follow
when he got ready with his 200 men. They
didn't come. We went cautiously ahead
holding our fire for fear of killing some
Cubans-there had been q good many of
them around-until we struck the enemy
and made sure OF him. Then we rushed
him. He ran. That was the thing TO do,
and is every time Nothing Is gained by
temporizing with an enemy when you have
him in front and mean 10 attack. II costs
just as many lives to 90 at him and have
done with 1t. That Is what / told Cen
Shafter on the ship Now, when we land
we must get at them quick We have but
little time 10 do II in. There Will be yell
low fever here, and what we have to do
must be done In hurry II was DONE
and II had the desired effect. The enemy
was afraid OF Us after that He thought
he had US, for he was much stronger than
we end behind earthworks. We drove him
out and ii demoralZed him. If any on.
was ambushed al Las Guaslmas, l guess
it was the Spaniards."
The old generals eyes shone az he pic
tured his victorious fight, with Roosevelt
and the rough riders In the van.
"They are splendid body Of men," he
said, magnificent and splendidiy led
They were picked men, every one. and
charged like veterans. Coils. Wood and
Roosevelt were men Of extraordinary val
ne in an army. Roosevelt Is a born fighter
Whether in the camp or In the field he
was to be depended on always He Is
perfectly fearless, and his men follow
him with absolute devotion. When the
fight was over ana we went aboard ship
/ TOD him that we ought TO show the
best and cleanest ship when we came into
port and the finest lot Of men. and / guess
we did We had an inspection and a
oil ua arob f4ff
in some sort OF style, didn't your Those
Rough Riders would do anything you
would ask them, from storming San Juan
hill TO washing a ship.
II had good chance Of observing Roos-
evelt during the week we were at sea from
another point OF view than that offered by
the camp. He is a charming fellow The
thing that impressed me most about him
Is his absolute integrity Some men have
integrity about money others about their
personal conduct Roosevelt has both;
and more than either, the official integ-
rity that makes him the rare man he Is
The people Of New York want him for
their Governor. That is entirely credita-
BILE to them The people OF the United
States VIII want him 20 govern them next,
and they viii have him for their President.
/ told him so on the ship. and he laughed
"A good deal. / said il was "A clear case
Of the people wanting 90 have their way,
and they would have H. as is their habit.
Certainly Il would be- hard for them %
energetic aud most loyal"