The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-09-30

fight and marched all day through the
broiling sun and the torrents of rain.
We did not arrive in time to take part
in the fight, which as you know, lasted
but little over an hour. As we came
on to the field, they were burying the
dead.
"T hree days we rested in camp and
then we began the attack Oh Ell Caney.
We were ordered to move at 6:30 in
the morning. The Twenty-second and
Twenty-fourth infantry (regulars) and
the Second Massachusetts (volunteers)
were just ahead of Us. The first shot
was fired by Capron's battery at about
8 80 a. m. The Spanish were strong
entrenched in bitches and block hous-
es and they had us at disadvantage
on account of the smoke our rifles
made. The moment we let fire a vol
ley, the clouds of smoke from our guns
showed the Spanish where we were
and they cut us to pieces. The Span
ish had trick which fooled many of
the boys for time. They would put
their hats on short stakes fifteen or
twenty yards from their position and
the Americans, before they caught on
to the trick, wasted their ammunition
firing at these hats. Their sharp
shooters filled the tall cocoanut palms
and of course they were hard to find.
eve fought from the trenches that
day from s o'clock till 4. Then we
charged. II was fierce fight. There
were plenty Of incidents illustrating
the courage and GOODNESS OF the Amer
cans, volunteers and regulars alike.
The raw soldiers stood under fire like
veterans. Lieut.. Nero of my compa-
ny, was shot while standing two PAGES
behind me. A brass bullet struck him
in the jaw and he died five days later
We were lying on the ground firing at
intervals Nero was brave. He stood
up so as to get better view of what
was going on in front.
"Maj. Seaton, of the. Second battal
ion of the Fourth infantry, furnished
another illustration of American bra
very, Ell Caney was surrounded by
wire fences as you already know. Well
it was no fun to try and get through
them In a charge and at the same
time to reply to the hot fire of the
Spanish. Maj. Seaton, a little while
before we charged, calmly walked out
fifty yards in advance of the line with
pair of wire clippers in his hands,
He attacked the wire fence before the
troops, while the Spanish bullets fell
in torrents about him. He paid no
more attention to them than if they
were small hailstones When he had
finished his task he returned to the
line and the men cheered him to the
echo.
"El Caney fell that day at 2 o'clock.
The moment after the American flag
had been raised the Cubans, who had
been good at eating.a I'd poor at fight
ing, entered the place and raided hous-
es and stores at will. They had big
celebration, carrying around with them
an old Cuban flag 'and a bass drum.
They drank wine in great quantities
and went after all the macaroni and
sardines in sight.
"That night we started to relieve the
troops on San Juan hill. We had
fought all day with nothing but cold
hard-tack to eat, and we marched,
after getting our rations, without hav-
ing an opportunity to cook supper.
We reached San Juan the next morn
ing. The fight that day was long and
hard. When we arrived on the field
at dawn they were carrying the dead
and wounded to the rear, as at La
Quasina. When Sampson and Schley
destroyed Cervera's fleet on Sunday,
July 3, the Spanish general in Santi-
ago hoisted the white flag. There it
remained Tor several days and the
fighting ceased. On July 10, Shafter
ordered it pulled down or the surrender
of the place. The Spanish pulled
their white flag down. Then the fight
ing broke out again. You ought to
have seen the work of the dynamite
gun. Allsop Borrowe handled her.
Every time she struck the Spanish in
trenchments the air would be filled
with dirt and Spaniards. The enemy's
lines were about 1,500 yards distant.
Capron's battery did great execution.
Darkness stopped the fighting. The
next morning the Spaniards refused to
reply to our firing, and then they ran
up the white flag again. Surrender
followed, and then / was mustered out.
"Two days after the surrender of
Santiago ollr transports were on hand,
filed with Supplies. The troops had
plenty to eat. days rations con-
sisted of hard-tack, coffee, sugar and