The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-13
JUST BEEN DISCHARGED
HE SAW THE GREAT NAVAL BAT
TIE ON JULY 3rd.
NE ARRIVED AT TAMPA SATURDAY
On His Way TO His Home in Beaufort County
lie Gives Graphic Account of the
Scenes, Battles and Incidents
Around Centre Of War.

Around Centre OF War.
Mr.. w. S. Clayton, recently of SAINT
ago de Cuba, was in Raleigh last night
Mr.. Cayton was prior to Satnf,la!
July 2nd. a member of Battery III. Sec
ond artillery, L. S. A., and was one
those who went with Major Genera
Skaters invading army to Cuba
He had enlisted in the regular army o.
the United States three years ago au'
had been stationed at Fortress Monroe
from whence he was ordered To CUB.
with the invading forces. He landed OF
Cuban soil at Daiquiri on June end. an,
on July ond his three years expired. III,
was. of course. given the privilege 81
re-enlisting or of an honorable discharge
He chose the latter. and arrived III kal
eigh Yesterday afternoon on his way Il
his home near Washington. in Beaufor'
county. Mr.. Clayton is a very intelligent
young man neatly dressed and talks very
inteligently and earnestly of the stua
ton at Santiago.
He was seen by Il reporter last night
and gave a graphic description of the
conditions around the doomed Cuban
city. 81 obtained my discharge" sale
Mr.. Cayton. ION Saturday. July End. an,
Immediately boarded a hospital ship thai
was then about to sail with $40 WOUNDED
Americans bound for Tampa.
'Our ship did not sail until Tuesday
the 9th. and we We're lying off the por
at Daiguiri on Sunday. the Bird. wher,
we could witness the great naval battl,
between our warshfps and the Spanish
squadron. / could see the smoke as i
engulfed the Texas. the Iowa and TIL,
other ships. and the terrific laundering,
from our own big guns seemed to shake
the very ocean.
Il never expect to hear again this
awful. terrific. air-spliting. earth-shakinc
sound that came over those waters
when the magazine of the Eizcaya ex-
ploded. As we steamed away from the
port ] could see the hulls Of the three
Spanish cruisers as they lay beached IN
on the sand. it was an awful sight.
1--WE landed in Cuba on June 22nd.
said Mr.. Cayfon. land the landing of
that vast army was an interesting sight
My company and one other company had
been ordered over to man the siege guns.
eight in number. The men We're landed
but our guns were not taken off. General
Shafter having decided to make the
charge with the infantry and light ar.
tillery. at which decision the men i'm orr
battery wer very much disappointed and
dissatisfied.
I'VE believed. and | believe now.
said the young artilleryman. that these
heavy siege guns should have been in
place before any attack was made.
But about that famous aIl-day's
fight" continued Mr.. Cayton. "It was
one of the hardest battles ever fought.
was not in it. but / was near enoguh to
hear it and almost see it. and / tell yon
that the accounts given by those wound
ed soldiers would make mans hail
stand on end.
The Spaniards are great fighters. bu
the can't hit. they are wild marksmen
IL they had not been they would hav,
killed every American in that battl,
before those Notifications were taken.
Their bad craftsmanship was show,
in that battle by the fact that the mos
of the men killed and wounded on oll
side We're in the rear. the SpaniarL.
shot over the front column. and these
front columns pushed on like fighting
demons until they had poked the muz
zles Of their guns almost in the Span
iards faces"
1.-THE Cubans," says Mr.. Clayton
''will fight if you keep them in front
but if YOU put them in the rear they
will run sure. but before they get clear
away they will pifer the blanket rolls
and steal the rations of the soldier.
eyerytime. They don't seem TO think
II at all wrong to steal something t.
eat. even though they are stealing il
from soldiers who are there in battle
lighting for their liberties"
But they seem very grateful, and
saw tears of joy come into many OF
the Cubans eyes when our army landed
One Cuban woman came into our cam
every day i'll great distress. When ON
battleships had bombarded the coast
prior to our landing. and had run tn,
Spaniards away. This Cuban woman
husband came down near the water
edge and waved ii white handkerchief t,
let our commander know that the Span
iards had evacuated, n squad Of Span
iards saw it. they caught the Cuban
took him off and beheaded him, and hi
poor wife wept day after day.
''The country around is tcrribl
rough" says Mr.. Clayton. "and our pee
pie had to practically bore their wa.
through and over the toughest kind o
mountains
1T is horribly hot, and tell You Their
is no fun in fighting under the dilficultie
that exist there"
mo SIR" those three hundred AM
forty wounded men who came over wit
me. don't want any more lighting n
Santiago. All that | spoke to. told IN
that they had enough of it to last then
the balance Of their lives, "and ] hope
said Mr.. CaytOn that the war will 500
be over and that no more of our boy
will have to bear their noble breast {
Spanish bullets"
Mr.. Cayton left for his home at Ia
o'clock last night.