Arizona republican., 1898-07-18
STEPHEN CRANES STORY.
He Was in the Thick of Battle With
 the Rough Riders

the ROuSn R1Q6rS.
 know nothing about war of course, and pretend nothing, but I have been enabled from time to time to see brush fighting, and I want to. say here plain 1y, that the behavior O. the Rough Riders in their first fight, while marching through the woods, shook me with terror as I have rcycr before been shaken.
 It must now be perfectly understood throughout the length and breadth of the United States that the Spaniards learned great deal from the Cubans, and they are going to use against us the tactics which the Cubans have used so successfully against them. The marines at Guantanamo have learned 1t. The Indian fighting regulars know 1t anyhow, but this regiment of yolun- teers knew nothing but their own su- perb courage. They wound along this narrow winding path, babbling joy- ously, arguing. recounting, laughing: making more noise than a train going through a tunnel Any one could tell from the conformation of the country when we were liable to strike the en- emy's outposts, but the chatter of tongues did not then cease Also, those of us who knew heard going from hillock to hillock the beautiful coo of the Cuban wood dove-ah, the wood dove! the Spanish guerilla wood dove which had presaged the death of gal lant marines. For my part I declare that I was frightened almost into con- vufsions. Incidentally I mentioned the eooing of the doves to some of the men but they said decisively that the Span 1ards did not use this signal I don. know how they knew.
 We'll, after we had advanced we'll in- to the zone of the enemy's fire-mark that-well into the zone of the Span 1sh 1re-a loud order came along the bne: There's Spanish outpost just ahead and the men must stop taking"
 Stop talkin', can't ye. - it." bawled a sergeant
 "Ah. say, can't ye stop talkin'?' howled another.
 l was frightened before shot was fired; frightened because thought this silly brave force was wandering plac- idly into a great deal of trouble. They did. The firing began. Four little yolleys were fired by members of troop deployed to the right. Then the Mauser began to pop-the familiar Mauser pop. A captain announced that this distinct Mauser sound was our own Krag-Jorgensen. O, misery,
 Then the woods became aglow with fighting. Our people advanced de- ployed, reinforced, fought, fell-in the bushes, in the tall grass. under the lone palms-before foe not half seen Mau- ser bullets came from three sides Mau- ser bulIets-not Krag-Jorgensen-al- though men began to cry that they were being fired into by their own peo- p!e-whined in almost all directions. Three troops went forward in skir- mish order and in five minutes they called for achievements. They were under cruel fire: half of the men hardly knew whence it came; but their conduct by any soldierly standard. was magnificent.
 There was nothing to be seen but men struggling through the under brush and firing at some part of the landscape This was the scenic effect. Of course. men said that they saw 800. 1000, 5000. 15, GOO Spaniards, but poof-in bush country of this kind it is almost impossible for one to see more than fifty men at a time. Ac- cording to my opinion there were never more than 800 men in the Spanish firing line. There might have been plenty in touch with their center and Hanks, but as to the firing there were never more than 800 men engaged. This is certain The Rough Riders advanced steadily and confidently un- der the Mauser bullets. They snread across some oren ground--tall grass ana paims-and there they began tn fall, smothering and threshirg dowr the e-ass, marking mar-shaped places emong the lrxuriant blades. The ac- tion lasted abort one-half hour. The:, the Standards fed They had never had men fight them in this manner and they fled The business was too se;.i- Cus
 Then tbe heroic rurnor rose scared screamed above the bush. Everybody was wounded Everybody was dead There was nobody Gradually there was s0rrebodv There was the wound ed. the important wounded And thu dead
 Meanwhile 9 soldier passing near me said: 'fThere's a correspondent up there all shot to he'll
 He guided me to where Edward Mar shall lay. shot through the body. The following conversation ensued:
 Hello, Cranet"
 Hello, Marshall, In hard luck old man?"
 eyes. I'm done for"
 Nonsense! You're all right, old boy What can do for you?"
 -sEe1l vOu u1fohf flo my disnotohac I don't mean file 'em ahead of youl own. old man-but just file em if you find it handy"
 I immediately decided that he was doomed. No man could be so sub lime in detail concerning a trade o journalism and not die. There was thu aI.