The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1898-12-16

the fash of their Mausers-like chain
lightning. We finally reached the foot
Of the hill and rested. They could not
hit us very we'll from the position we
were in. We were about all played
out from the extreme heat and little to
eat. We all supposed we were going to
entrench, never dreaming that we were
to charge the hill. At the point we oc-
cupied the hill was about as high as the
one opposite The Philipsburg Mail
Office, to the right Of the school house,
only little higher grade and about the
same distance.
The dons must have thought they had
us whipped for they ceased firing for
awhile. hen the order was passed
from right to left to each man to fill
magazines. We knew what that meant.
That order meant death or glory and
to charge the hill at the first note of the
charge from the bugle. 1t came soon
enough, and up the hill we went, under
the hottest raking fire you ever read
of. You know their magazine guns
are fully equal to ours. We never fired
a shot until we got within fifty PAGES of
the summit of the hill. They held us
about ten minutes, almpst hand-to- hand
fighting, when the main body broke
and ran. We poured volley after vol
lay after them until out of range What
few were left surrendered. Their
trenches were actually full of dead and
wounded and legs sticking out of
the tops of the trenches. The carnage
was awful. We took what care we
could of their wounded; gave them
water. That was about all we could
do. They thought we We're going to
kill them all. l went over to Spanish
officer. He was shot through the neck,
bleeding like a stuck pig. | lifted his
head up and oound him up the best l
could. He could not live, and what do
you suppose he did? He took off his
belt, in which was a beautiful gold
watch and chain, and gave it to me;
put out his hand and shook hands with
me and called me amigos friend. In
ten minutes re was over the range
That was one of the incicents of the
war. Such things don't happen every
day. | have the watch now, and it s Il
beauty.
At Cark- the same evening we made
another forced march along the bend
of the horseshoe, and came up on the
extreme left, to support Kent's division
We got there at a. IN. of the second,
promptly at the break of day. We
were bivOuacked behind our gun stacks
when the Spaniards opened fire on us
again, with bombs, schrapnel grape
shot and canister. The second infan-
try was in the trenches and at a. III.
we relieved them for the day, the sun
beating down on our heads most un-
mercifully. 1t was awful One man
was shot in the arm within two inches
of my own. l bound him up and sent
him to the rear. Another was shot in
the head; another through the thigh.
We had to keep dragging them out of
the trenches in the shade. The suffer
ings were awful that day, and the or
der was, the worst of it, not to return
the fire. Our line was too thin-not
enough men. Toward the afternoon
they formed in solid battalions to at
tack us. We let them come to about
700 yards when we opened fire all along
the line They kept coming to about
400 yards and then broke and ran for
Santiago. If we had had more men we
could have been in Santiago that night
but fate was against us At 7 p. m. we
were relieved by the twentieth infantry
and we took our places under the hill
which we had left in the morning. We
could not cook anything on account of
the smoke being seen by the enemy.
The dons made their night attack
along the whole line, shelling us again
worse than ever. 1t was during this
action that l got it in the neck, or
rather the shoulder (right. ! was
lifted about ten feet, and it was good
bye, John, to the world and its sur
roundings for awhile. / was only
knocked out for about four days, and
was back in the trenches during the
firing of the 10th and 11th, which did
don'- amount to much. That was the
end Of our battles and we patiently
waited for the surrender-the 18th Of
July. Our duties then We're monoto-
nous - guarding Spanish prisoners. l
can personally say This much for the
dons-they fought us like men and we
did the same. They are not as black as
they are painted. The Cubans as a
rule, are worthless as soldiers, or any
thing else. They would steal our grub
and kill the Spanish wounded, but no
fighting in theirs. If it was not for
avenging the Maine l would be kicking
myself for ever firing shot for their
freedom.
Shortly after the surrender fever and
death struck us. Out of 800 strong
men that left Fort Smelling in the
spring only 200 returned, almost all in
valids Out Of my company Of 56 only
II returned.
On August 10Th we left MORO Castle
for home and Gods country-the only
country in the world. At Montauk
Point, Long Island, President McKin-
ley visited all the sick soldiers-19OO in
all. l had the great honor of shaking
hands with him and being called one of
his Santiago heroes.
Our trip home was another ovation
only different kind. We had Pullman
sleepers all the way through. The Red
Gross society met us at all the stations
and did all they could for us. l think
the Almighty will furnish the Red
Cross vita the best apartments in
heaven. They deserve it.
In due season we arrived home, bat
tered and worn out; bu- d-n the diff
ference, we have added more laurels t(