Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-27
FROM The FRONT.
Lieutenant DANES Description Of
the Fight on San Juan
Heights,
E C0LORS The FIRST ON The HILL

Colonel +. H. Bergman has received
the following letter from Lieutenant
Dame. which will be of interest, as it
tells something of what the Rough
Riders did at the battle of San Juan
heights:
Battle Field, Santiago de Cuba, July
4.-What was expected to be very
lively Fourth turned out to be very tame,
owing to the Spanish forces sending in "a
flag of truce, asking for an extension of
time in which to remove non-combatants
from the city. We fully expected to be
ordered to charge the Spanish intrench-
ments, but were held back in order to
give the Spaniards time to consider the
ultimatum sent them by General Wheeler
unconditional surrender.
The Rough Riders" have been in the
front ever since landing. We opened
the ball at the hill of Las Guasinas, a
very strong position held by 1000 Span
ish soldiers armed with machine guns
and Mauser rifles, but they quit after
two hours fighting. The 1st and 10th
U. S. cavalry are entitled to just as
much credit as we are, and they occupy
the same position on the firing line as
we do. The ''Rough Riders" are strict
ly in it and are classed as veterans. All
regulars, officers and privates have great
respect for us and do not look upon us
in the same light they regard the other
volunteers. | overheard conversation
between a 10th cavalryman and vol
po+nnr frn,,, 4Lo OF Nnuy Vnrly. Tba
10th man, colored said: II tell you
what mister, dem ''Rough Riders are
de best fighters in the army. and any
one who says anything against dem. has
de 10th to fight. ... =.
The battle before Santiago began
July /, by our batteries opening up on
the entertainments. 1880 yards distant
from the outskirts of the city. After
an hours firing we were ordered to the
front. The 1st, 3rd, 9Th, 9th and 10th
and the Rough Riders" All the cavalry
were deployed as sskirmishers. the
Rough Riders supporting the 10th and
9Th. After being under fire two hours
the Rough Riders" were ordered to ad-
vance and take the hill in our front, a
very strong position held by Spanish
soldiers, backed up by artillery. We
swept forward under heavy fire, being
compelled to lie down frequently until
we reached the line of the 10th, who
wanted to know who we were and where
we were going. | replied, Rough
Riders" going to take that hill. Get out
of the way or fall in with us. One
negro soldier exclaimed: Il will be d
if those ''Rough Riders will get ahead
of me- and then the entire line, whites
and negroes, started on the run for'the
hill, stopping only when the top was
reached, Troop Els colors being the first
planted. Then hell broke loose for
nearly an hour Another charge drove
the Spaniards from the HILL which we
now occupy, overlooking the city 1000
yards distant. The Spanish are in
trenched 500 yards from our line.
They have large amount of ammuni-
tion and their rifles are superior to ours,
but their craftsmanship is very poor.
However, they can keep up a hot and
steady fire which is decidedly uncomfort-
able.
The Cubans are but little better than
the buzzards that hover over the army.
They have done no fighting that know
of. but never miss an opportunity to rob
and plunder the soldiers packs which
have been thrown aside by the sick, and
by the soldiers just before going into
battle. They are to be found in the rear
and around the @commissary, but not in
the front. In fact they are human buz-
yards and would not trust them any
more than would coyote. They are
about 1900 strong, armed with Lee,
Mauser and Remington rifles, and have
plenty of ammunition, many of them
carrying 200 rounds.
This is a magnificent country, noun
famous, with considerable rolling land,
all adapted to the culture of tropical
fruits and other products, but owing to
a state of war for the past three years
nothing has been done and plantations
and houses have been allowed to go to
ruin. | would like to live in this vicin-
ity under good government. The OPP
p0rtunities to make money are many,
but would give good deal for weeks
trip on the Pecos, trout fishing.