The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-27
Continued from Page oneo

patiently to give Roosevelt's men, who
were toiling the little trail along the
crest Of the ridge. time to get up.
At 7.30 a. m. General Young gave the
command to the men at the Hotchkiss
guns to open fire. The command was
the signal for time for stubbornness
that has seldom been equallei.
The instant the Hotchkiss guns were
fired, the hillsides commanding the
road gave forth volley after volley from
the Mausers of the Spaniards.
Don't shoot until you see something
to shoot al" yelled General Young, and
the men, with set jaws and cleaning
eyes, obeyed the order
Crawling along the edge OF the road,
and protecting themselves as much as
possible from the fearful fire of the
Spaniards, the troopers, some Of them
stripped TO the waist, watched the base
Of the hill and when any part OF a
Spaniard became visible they fired.
Never for an instant did they falter
One husky warrior OF the Tenth cav
airy. with a ragged wound in his thigh
coolly knelt behind rock, loading and
firing, and when told by one OF his
comrades that he was wounded laughed
and said: "Oh, that's all right. That's
bsen there for some time.
In the meantime away Off to the left
could be heard the crack of the rifles
Of Colonel Woods men and the regu-
lar, deep-toned volley firing Of the
Spanish. over there the American
losses were the greatest
Colonel Woods men with an advance
guard we'll out In front, and two Gu
ban gunners before them, but appa-
rently with no bankers, went squarely
into the trap set for them by the Span
iards, and only the unfaltering courage
OF the men in the face of a fire that
would even make veteran quail, pre-
vented what might easily have been a
disaster.
AS it was Troop H. the advance guard
under the unfortunate Captain Capron,
was almost surrounded, and but for
the endorsements sent forward every
man would probably have been killed
or wounded.
"There must have been nearly fifteen
hundred Spaniards in front and to the
sides of u.s. said Lieutenant Colonel
Roosevelt today, when DISCUSSING the
fight. They held the ridges with
rifle pits and machine guns, and had "a
body of men in ambush in the thick
jungle at the sides of the road over
which We were advancing.
our advance guard struck the men
In ambush and drove them out. But
they lost Captain Capron, Lieutenant
Thomas and about fifteen men killed
and Wounded
The Spanish firing was accurate so
accurate, indeed, that it surprised me,
and their firing was fearfully heavy.
Il want to say y word for our own
men" continued Lieutenant Roosevelt.
Every officer and man did his duty
up TO the handle. Not a man flinched."
From another officer VINO to9S a
prominent part in the fighting more
details were obtained
when the firing began" said he.
Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt took
the right wing with Troops d and G.
under Captains Llewellyn and Jen-
kins and moved to the support of
captain Capron who was getting it
hard. At the same time Colonel Wood
and Major Brodie took the left wing
and advanced in opon order to the
Spanish right wing.
Major Brodie was wounded before
the troops had advanced 100 wards.
Colonel Wood then took the right
wing and shifted Colonel Roosevelt to
the left
In the meantime the fire of the
Spanards had increased in volume.
but Notwithstanding this. an order
Tor general charge was given and,
with a yell. the men sprang forward.
Colonel Roosevelt, in front of his
men, snatched rifle and ammunition
nett from wounded soldier and,
cheering and yelling with his men,
led tho advance.
For moment the bullets were
singing Ike swarm Of bees oil
around them and every instant some
poor fellow went down.
On the right wing Captain Mo-
Cllntock had his leg broken BY bull