Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
SIDE LIGHTS ON THE WAR.
Interesting "Reminiscences by n Vet.
eran of the Santiago Campaign.
Written for The Fytrup Star


siboney, How that name will haunt the
| memory of2manyI brave American SOL
der! The thoughts revived by the men
ton of it are far from pleasant, even in
thu minds of they who We're, fortunate
enough to keep away from its yellow fever
hospital, bH to those who entered Its por-
tails and escaped the word will bring
CHASTITY recollecttons such as are expert
enced by but few human beings.
Inc death rate in the hospital was awful
terrific. The motto of the 18th L. s. Cav
airy (colored), II don't care If | never come
back" might well be adopted by the pa
tient entering there fcr treatment
Men died ny the doz9ns, aye scores, not
in ones tWoS. 1t took half a company
OF infantry to carry out the corpses and
dig graves. Malaria, dysentery, dengue and
typhoid fevers TOOK oft men who had
escaped Mauser bullets Two hundred and
siXty-nlne men Were carried cut 10 the i'm
provlsed graveyard. Graves We're dug ahead
OF time. From ten TO nlteen yawn!ns holes
We're always kept open and ready tor the
patients VINO were sure to ill them, and
two collins did duty for each and every
funeral.
1t happened in this wise The quarter
master had only two collins in Cuba. and
they were sent TO the Siboney hospital. AS
patients would shuttle off this mortal coil
the attendants would bring in the collins
aforesaid, put the dead heroes into them
lay the dead heroes blankets over the ton
and start for the graveyard. AT the grave
the deceased soldier would be lifted from
the collin, rolled up in his blanket and
buried, the collins going back to the hos
pital for further duty.
Yes, decidedly, Siboney was an awful
hel-hole.
First Sergeant Ryan of Company D, 10th
n "a n nv hSAr
July =. A Mauser bullet shattered his right
ankle and another graZed the other ankle
drawing considerable blood, but infiicting
only very slight wound. The first wound
rear. and by pure American grit managed
to keep alive while he crawled eight miles
TO the little Cuban town of Siboney. The
exposure and the fever from his wound
Drought on the climatic fever, and just as
the brave fellow reached the hospital he
tainted.
The next thing he knew was a realization
that some one was handling the foot which
mad been only grazed and upon opening
MS eyes he saw a young contract doctor
about to begin amputating the leg inst he
low the knee. Giving a great kick. RYAN
yelled:
'D-n you. doc, you are going to cut off
the wrong foot"
Sure enough, the physician, in his haste
being unaccustomed to scenes of carnage
had made mistake in the foot the inci
dent proved to be Ryan's salvation, for he
refused to allow any foot to be severed
and is today convalescent and doing dutv
at Fort Sill, Okla.
After the final surrender the SD Michi-
gan Volunteers Were doing guard duty as
a provost guard between the camn of tho
American troops and Santiago They had
instructions not to allow any enlisted men
10 pass, ana no. Officers, except general
officers, unless they carried passes signed
by the commander Of their division. The
pickets of the provost guard were haunted
on captured Spanish ponies in order 70 on
abe them toIcoVer more ground, thus less
ening the nufnberTof pickets required Each
picket was supposed to know all general
officers by sight and pass them without
hating them.
In Troop II, 1stU. S. Cavalry. there was
a trooper named Benson, who had made m
his mind that het must see and visit the
town he had helped to capture Finally he
hit upon a scheme. He had been told thar
he was dead ringer for Brig Gen
Sammy SumnerJy' formerly of Fort Mver
Now, Sumner, being an old Indian cam
paigner wore no insignia of ranl, save a
star each side of the collar of his blue
shirt. His attire was a pair of blue Jean
overalls, a Big sombrero and a blue fan
mel shirt.
Benson procured two gold stars which
had been worn by some Spanish officer iall
Spanish officers wore stars on their sleeves)
and. sewing them on his shirt collar, ap-
preached a sentry. He said:
Sentry, my horse has just thrown me
and 1 must take yours, for Gen Shafter
has sent for me and l have no time to go
back to camp for another mount"
The sentry hesitated.
Assuming a fierce mein Benson said:
"Well, do 1 get that horse? 1 am Gen
Sumner"
Convinced, the sentry oismounted and al
lowed Benson to take the pony. Benson
went off to the city, had good time and
toward evening began to think of return
irg. He knew that his ruse had been dis
covered before this, because he had seen