Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-28
ROUGH RIDERS NEWS
Troop E First on San Juan Heights
New Mexico Volunteers Lead
the Assault.
Met DESPERATE RESISTANCE
spaniards Fought Like Demons-Better
Armed Than Our Troops and Strongly
Intrenched-Lieut. Coleman's and
Private Hudson's Letters.

1llN0GO q ASpbSAos .
Lieutenant Sherrard Coleman has
written HON, frome Cuba, as follows:
Camp on the outskirts of Santiago de
Cub July 81 have been trying ever
sincN, our last battle to find time to
write, but really have had no time for
anything, having been appointed acting
commissary of subsistence for the
regiment. 1t keeps me busy rustling
rations up here to feed the boys, who
have been exceedingly short, half the
time having nothing but bacon and
hard tack.
Well, l suppose you have heard of our
last battle, and all the details. 1t was
great, but our loss was very heavy.
The Spaniards fought like demons, and
If anybody thinks they wont fight, let
him come and try it. Their artillery
had excellent gunners and would locate
lis every time very effectively. The
charge of the Rough Riders was mar
velous and is the talk of every one.
Our troop, e, guidon, was the first on
the hill and our charge the first made.
We charged their rapid fire guns,
artillery and their infantry, which was
strongly intrenched, driving them into
the city. Our regiment lost between
80 and 100 killed and wounded, Troop
E, lost two killed and Is wounded, and
from the best reports the army lost
800 killed and wounded.
Today is the end of the armistice-12
o'clock-and if the Spaniards don't sur
render the town, we open fire from the
American side. l took off my shoes
last night for the first time in a week
and this morning washed my face for
the first time in seven days-well, l
would better not mention my clothes. We
were on the firing line under fire for
two and a half days and two nights,
when a flag of truce vas put up to ex-
change prisoners. Lieutenant Hobson
and his men passed through our lines.
There was great cheering. We have
given the Spaniards time to get the
IN and children out of Santiago,
and about 5000 of them are in our
lines. The sight is truly pitiful. They
are nice looking women, but l think the
most of them will die.
There is considerable sickness in our
regiment, mostly from the heat. The
boys are simply exhausted, having to
work all night and lie in the hot sui all
day, in the trenches. We have to build
our own Notifications, but we are get
ting along all right. A mar does not,
as a rule, remain sick for more than a
day, before he comes back to the ranks.
l have lost nearly everything l had.
l have no coat and have on a pair of
ragged trousers. I have lost my cap,
too, someone stole it and my sabre.
got only a scratch in the fight. A bullet
brushed my wrist and made a small
bruise. | have had any number OF
close calls. The folks at home have nc
idea what we have gone through. l am
| saving the details to deal out when ] get
home. The Spaniards, that is, the vol
unteers, are coming into our lines and
giving themselves up. l doubt whether
there will be much of a fight today,
although we are ready to go in.
On July IL Lieutenant Coleman found
time to write again On a postal card,
saying:
Everything | have is wet. Rain, rain.
work, work, this is our song and we are
all tired out. About so per cent of oul
troops are sick from the hard work and
exposure. The sickness is very mild in
form and none of the boys are seriously
i'll They 60 to the hospital for treat
ment and report for duty again in a day
or two. We moved our position last
night in a pouring rain. l had seven
wagon loads of supplies to handle and
| Aid ,,nt not Il, until 1o%n VIC n w virn
upon the edge of Santiago and the town
is virtually ours. The Spaniards have
lost heavily. Yesterday, in the bonn.
bardment, our dynamite gun and Cat
lings did fearful execution.
Letter From Arthur Hudson.
Under date of July 10, Arthur Hud'
son writes home from Santiago:
am writing with my back against a
lot of gunny sacks filled with sand, used
for Notifications, and can look right
into the outskirts of Santiago. We have
the enemy surrounded, and they have
about given up. We have had some
hard fighting, but l have not had the
chance to fire a shot. At present a flag
of truce is flying and a proposition fol
surrender made by the Spaniards, is
under consideration. They want to
give up the city, but march out with
their small arms and 60 to some place
200 miles away,
One of the Spanish pickets came in
night before last and surrendered. Oul
troops kept him all night. He says the
| Spanish have lots of artillery, are en-.
trenched every so yards in the city, have
guns mounted on the roofs of houses
and still have about $4,000 soldiers left
but have little to eat except rice anG
oil. BY tonight we will have more guns
! mounted and about 1900 re-enforce.
ments, which will make us about 1000
strong. Our losses, though heavy, were
comparatively light considering the
ground and positions we had to take.
The English lost at one time, or cam
paign, about 10000 men trying to take
this same hill. We have about IL or IL
miles of entertainments and breastworks.
For nearly a week we worked all day
and all night, when not fighting or on
guard duty. 1t would be impossible for
the Spanish to take our positions. Last
night / was out in the sharpshooters'
pits, within 300 yards of the enemy's
lines. We could hear them talking and
watch all of their ~movamantS. One