New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-23
COL. ROOSEVELT'S REPORTS
VOW THE ROUGH RIDERS FOUGHT BE-
FORE SANTIAGO

FORE SANTIAGO.
Uoshinc,on Dec 22-The War Department to-
,ov made public two reports OF Colonel Roosevelt
- ,he fights OF the Is; United States Volunteer
,oValrv Trough Ridors) IN front OF Santiago. one
- addressed TO Colonel Wood commanding and
be second is 10 BTigader-Genoral Wood after Colo
-, Roosevelt, took command OF the regiment The
w. department has hitherto refused TO make
,sese reports public The second and more i'm
,,r,an, report is follows:
camp Hamilton near Santiago dc Cuba.
y-,~,ai.r-General Leonard Wood commaniing sec
ond Brigade Cavalry Division.
Sir. In obedience 10 Your directions herewith
,o,ort on the operations OF my regiment from the
isi ~ the 18th insls.. inclusive As have already
ms ms shall pass over them rather Sriefy.
.,r,ed at The head OF the Second Brigade. by the
!. Peso sugar mill When the batteries opened the
STANDARDS replied to US with shrapne which killed
W@ then marched toward the right. and my rcei-
mcr, crossed the l1rd SsfSrs The 2alo0n same down
q, ,ha, point We lost no one. My orders had been
az march forward until Joined General Law,on's
: mile / was halted and told 10 remain In reserve
rear the creek oy deep lane The bullets dropped
.Scre and many Of my men were killed or wounded.
Among the former was Captain 0.Neill. whose loss
Vas 4 very heavy blow 70 the regiment for he was
"a ,insaiar'y. sallant and efficient Officer Acting
~ we'd the utmost courage. and had been of great
Sse during the heh;inS ana marching 1t seems 10
.-e q
You then sem me word TO move forward in sup
20. q tie Regular cavalry. ana advanced the
Ise--ioyed rs skirmishers We moved through sey.
erai skrm'sh lines Of the regiment ahead OF US as
,te rircnchmenis in front instead Of hrns AZ them
from ds,2H'e AcSS9reGsV We be in 10 o g
,ieh, arains' heavy fire. II was taken in good
~ The men oS o y TSs pos ions sHS to 6"e beak
through the spanish lines The spidons Of G and and
% 4 rl
sonaiy go, in ahead OF them ~ the last "Ire
tnss Up Da ms o..er that w wS on foo, Sr cap
.rr this hill We first Of all directed a heavy fire
80 lime being assailcd by the Regular Infantry and
cavalry supported by Captain Parker's Calling
guns.
CHARGE on SPANISH INTRENCHMENTS.
Ply the time San Juan was taken a large force had
assembled on the hill had previously captured
consisting no: only 90 my own regiment but OF the
rh and Of portions Of other cavalry regiments. We
,Nen charged forward under very heavy fire
Across the valley agans, the Spanish intrenGh-
rents on the hill In the rear OF the San Juan I'LL
III We also took capturing several prisoners.
We then formed in whatever order we could and
nediatelv opposite the city OF Santiago itself Here
received orders 10 halt and hold the line OF hill
cres, ! had al the time fragments Of the 6th
Cavalary Regiment and an occasional lnl mi
was the highest there. TOOK command OF az OF
ss hen rha a,empted coanter-attarI ia: after
Soo1 Au were easily driven back. and then until
ae,sr DARK we remained under a heavy fire from
49, ices and great guns lying fat on our faces
~ a gentle slope Just behind the crest captain
parkhurst's Calling battery was run M 70 the
r,rh, OF nv regiment. and did most excellent ana
galan, service IN order 70 charge me m men nS9
9rd We had nothing TO sleep IN and nothing 70 sat.
We we're lucky enough. however, TO find In the last
,nr which we ate With relish. They consisted
cSehy Of ce and peas With big pot containing nGa4s
Va also distributed the captured Spanish blankets
M as s,6 Ge a %oG Of M ia smunon for use
the Colt rapid ruhs. which We're oeng nsouSm.
VI, Tha, night we dug intrenchmen's across our
At o'clock In the morning the spanards made
and az { o'clock they opened the day with heavy
rife and shraprel fire. We lay all day long uno ,a
evening M about o'clock the Spaniards fred
fhres guns. and then opened Very ned'' cot cot
al ny down into the trenches as d' Sea ,ny
other command neer me ana we Was AZ once
stopped and after an hour their NE Ieo eNSScs
and ber5n 70 build bon1b-rroofs. The protection
afforded our mon was good. and next morning t
a aso ' u % "'clock when the truce came. DO
no, mention the officers and men who parncu'@I5i,
n MS respect 10 what was contained IN my Two Two
forme- letters Their were numerous Keu loSs
,5sm 20 arrIng@d that hey directly covered BAT
'sres i'm our front and for some uhle N''o '''
cause of our not fIinS Al them.
Tho s,an,sh guerfas were very active espe-
c.arv in our rear where they seemed by preference
N attack the wounded mon who were being carried
O. filters the doctors and medical attendants WIN
Red Cross flags on their arms ana inc ""''"
parties 7 organized detail Of sharpshGo'ets ailu
KILLED thirteen Two Of the men thus hIIc" W.
sho, several hours after the truce had been IN op.
s 49,, banse in srite Of this fact they kept
firing upon our men they went 10 uia" 49, ,i.a
Tn were stationed in the trees as the Suei ~
foliage and 20 the use Of smokeless po"uyti' ~ va"
an exceedinglv diflcult matter TO Locale thei.. ,
For The next seven days. until the luth We LAY
our line while the truce coilt.llue crocfs md
continually 20 work at additional ponp .nr,'v
at the trenches and We had no pIoP'ff SVr HIKE
Of food ard utterly inadequate e. cbinned
,oecther purchased beans. tomatoes ana Sut" f 'O
the men SO that they nignt nav rnat deal Of dif
he 92c% T a q6, he cSee A. FOR he SICK qnd
Wounded they sa suffered o o sG Of food attention
hat We found il best to keep mem , al could
As mentioned in my previous letter thrt T' ,h U
our wounded men continued iO 55d Of those sent
to he rear many both Of the SICK an norTiton AL
came up 10 rejoin soon as 'ne, , cases were
Owed love Them to wsiH r. ~ sos, e % '"e "'''
On n lo,h the truce S vas Far az as our lines
concerned it was on the spanish part Ven re from
We suffered losses and speedly ,e eVi under on
the th We were mo d three-quarers UI bannen
NE is' we ~ ce continued to watch ana 90
our best 10 get the espec the d being able
10 get hardly any through the regular Ssnnansb
used ANYTHING we could find capturSsiio S' had been
sho, ngt Witch our men took and cnrsd G G,ne
tive skinny ponies. purchased ION oxer,ions OF the
e,c nv these means and by the eHei '' -, ,et sun
officers we were able from time to ,ime ~ os'tuca
plies ~ hears sugar. tomatoes ana W., o,,r I'm,
wtiis ron ne Red Cross people We sot our M
valuable load Of rice cornrnea e, on,v for the sick
o. the utmost consequence mol ON, ~ ~ nroper
h. FOR nose normally well az me IdcN y vas III
.ood was telling terribly on me ,o WS, and shoes
hose hey had were in many cases h'e'"'' ''
Ping 70 pieces ~
SICKNESS AMONG THE MEN
q, tho ,-,h ,ho city surrendered. On the lS'h W.
shifted camp 10 here the best camp We nov. ,ola
tu. the march hithcr under the MONDAY sun
ye, -, -. o,,- mo, weakened ~ unaerteea