The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-12

riders, low murmurS ran from one enO
Of the line of cowboys and eastern
athletics to the other, n by the time
the returning party reached them ev-
cry man was on his feet, refusing TO
be restrained by the admonishing Of
the officers, cheering wildly and rush
ing over every obstacle that CHANGED
to be in their way, in their efforts to
reach Hobson and his party and grasp
them by the hand. The released pris-
oners were soon surrounded and COM
PEELED to stop to receive the greetings,
congratulations and vigorous, heart
felt handshaking Of men they had new
er seen before. ~Sun-burned cavalry
men, who had spent their lives in the
saddle, on the plains Of Arizona, New
Mexico or other western states or
territories and who did not know the
difference between a ships maintop,
bi1ge, or keel, threw their arms around
the sailor boys and literally dragged
them over the entertainments, all the
time sending out yells hat under 9TH
er circumstances would have struck
terror to hearts even as gallant as
those of the Merrimac heroes. No
mountain fastness of the west ever
resounded with shouts from an Indian
war dance hat equalled the wild out
break of American spirit that occur
red at this meeting of the sailors who
did their duty, with every Spanish gun
in the harbor trained Upon them, and
the hardy men, who, from the day Of
their arrival on the island Of Cuba
have fought their way over the bodies
of their W dead and wounded to the
very gates of the city that they will
gladly storm when ordered to do so.
The Seventy-first New York volun-
teers, near the rough-riders, was the
next regiment to fall upon HobsOn and
his men n almost Immediately the
Nvi~tI a~I - 1ol @~I~~
ed regiments, joined in the general
enthusiasm, and cheer after cheer
arose as HObson and his companions
forced their way through the lines of
white and colOred soldiers.
Hobson, SO far as possible, grasped
each hand extended toward him and
neither he nor his men made any pro-
test against the most uncomfortable
crowding and jostling which they had
to undergo.
If the young officer, whose home is
in Alabama, has any race prejudice
he certainly forgot all about it as he
passed through the lines of soldiers
on his way to General Wheeler's head
quarters. He saw it was the uniform
Of the United States army and he
cared not for the color of it's wearers.
grasping the hands of the ebony hued
troopers of the Ninth and Tenth cav
airy n expressing his thanks for
patriotic welcome with as much hear
tiness as he displayed toward men of
his own race. He and all of his men
were overcome by the reception ac-
corded them and tears rolled down
their cheeks as the soldiers crowded
around them.
AS Hobsor md his party approached
Captain Grimes battery, the men cried
out on every side to ave a salute fired
in their honor. Hobson protested
against this and shouted to the ar
tillerymen, who had also caught the
infection, not to fire their guns. Some
of the most enthusiastic of the men
appealed to Colonel John Jacob Aston
and the latter entered into the spirit
of the occasion and told the men they
need not obey Hobson's orders as he
was only a lieutenant. But, the Off
GERS of the battery prevented the men
from firing the guns, as the Span
iards might lave mistaken the reports
for the opening of an attack and if the
latter a responded our soldiers were
in no position, in their state of disor-
der and enthusiasm for an engage
ment.