The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-17

| though after all. for the poor fellow
| Joining elbows with me in the charge
| was shot through the head and the man
| 10 nv left received an ugly wound in the
| shoulder. I caught a bullet In the lower
| part OF my leg that Clipped of
| piece OF the bone and gave me good
| deal OF trouble. / was temporarily
| knocked out and had to be carried off the
| field. I hope 10 be able TO walk all
| right ia a few weeks as my wound Is
| healing more rapidly than I had ex-
| pected,"
INJUSTICE TO SKATER.
How about the slurring reports about
General shaftor and his inactiVty?' 1
asked.
mot a word Of truth in them" came
the proupt reply. Il saw General
shafter every day while the fighting was
going on and for several days before and
| after. He got on his horse and rode
all around his lines making careful in
spections each day and familiarzlng HIM
self with all the conditions OF the men
and their positions. He would then re-
turn to his tent and spend a good deal
Of his time preparing his orders and
making out his reports lie was one OF
the busiest men in the army Naturally
enough when so large a man rs General
Shafter got through his many ardous du-
ties during the heat OF the day he would
lie down little while in his tent for
rest. lie suffered a great deal with the
heat and was obliged 10 retire some
times for refreshment
1t is very easy for writer's who have
few responsibilities resting upon them,
and who spend their time during a tenn.
porary cessation Of hostilities preparing
disparaging criticisms for publication In
their papers hundred of miles away, 10
tell what ought to be done, and to leave
the impression that everything is going
to the devil But you know it IS easier
to crlticlse others than 10 roll up ones
sleeves and get into the thick of II our
self. .l
HARDING DAVIS MISTAKEN.
II know Mr.. Richard Harding Davis
personally" continued Captain Jones.
"IIe is d clever fellow and a pleasing
writer. l met him several times .about
the army at Santiago. l have not read
the unfavorable criticisms he is said 70
have written about General Shafter; but
II he wrote what has been attributed TO
him / am frank to say he made a pltifu
mistake. General Skaters conduct
speaks for itself. He was told TO take
Santiago. lie took a., didn't he? and
believe he succeeded as effectively and
expected by those who had any knowl-
edge Of the situation. certainly do not
think that to force an army Of some
fourteen thousand men 70 surrender with
the loss Of only a few hundred men IS an
achievement inviting dlsparaging criu-
cism. especially when the many great
difficulties that had 20 be surmounted are
taken into consideration. No one who
has not been to Santiago and seen for
himself the serious disadvantages our
troops had to overcome is q competent
judge Of what has really been accom-
plishcd. My men once marched all day
and all night and went into action the
next morning without having had a wink
Of sleep for twenty-four hours, and with
out food except a scanty allowance OF
bacon and hard bread. This will give
you an idea Of what some Of the troops
had 10 go through. And yet the men
did not complain. What they did after
they entered the battle speaks for itself
FOUGHT LIKE DEMONS.
Captain Jones speaking Of the character
Of the Spanish soldiers as lighters, said:
"He VINO thinks the Spanish soldiers Will
not fight is sadly in error. Ihey fought
IKE demons at Santiago against the
bravest and most determined soldiers
know of anywhere in the world. Men fell
all around me thick and fast. Some or
them were killed instantly and others
were fIightfully wounded. The fight was
hot one from the start At frst the
odds were greatly against us. We could
not see the enemy. They were IN the rifle
pits, behind dense underground and con-
cealed among thick trees. brush and be-
mind block houses. As their bullets whist
| led faster ana thicker around US the ter
rible effect was readily seen. Our men
| could not tell where 10 shoot or how 10
| aim their guns.
Finally we got their position and
range. There was a mighty rush Tor
| them, and our troops rushed ahead play
nag havoc with the enemy. AS we drew
nearer we could see their lines gradually
| wavering and giving away. Then the
whole bay rang with the cheers Of the
| American troops, and the sound was
| heard IN grand unison now and then be-
| tween the roar of the rife volleys and the
scattered reports from the guns Of the
| sharpshOoters. one would think we
might experience individual fright as our
| comrades would sink wounded and bleed
! ing around us Not so. The scenes thrill
ed US with excitement and determination
| 10 win the victory, and / suppose most
| Of the men felt like me. ! did not once
thing Of the danger until after the battle
was over.
COULDN'T STAND THE CHARGE.
zone characteristic struck me in the
| fighting qualities Of the Spaniard. SO long
as We remained at a reasonable dis
| lance they fought as steadily and as
| effectively as any soldiers. The closer we
| pushed them the more uncertain became
their lines, and when they saw that we
| were coming straight at them on a Vi
cious charge. and would advance as near
| as two hundred yards, their courage for
| sock them 10 some extent, and they be
| gan 10 give away
| in concluding his account of the fight,
| Captain Jones said: 1.-THE Seyenty-hrst
| Regiment and the Rough Riders got the
| greater part OF the credit for the vic
| tory: but neither did any more than the
| Twenty-second Regiment. We were in
| the thick OF the fight throughout, and
| the records will show that our men COW
cred themselves with glory"
| Captain Jones said that most OF the
reports about the intensely hot weather
were exaggerated. He did not suffer with