The Portland daily press., 1898-12-23

of hundred yaPdS unuer neAVy ufe 1
found that no one else had come. AS
discovered later, it was simply because in
the confusion with men shooting and be-
ing shot they had not noticed me start. l
told the five men to wait moment as I
might be misunderstood If we all ran
back, while ran back and started the
regiment, and as soon as | did so, the
regiment came with rush. But mean
while the five men coolly lay down in the
open returning the fire from the trenches.
1t Is to be wondered at that only Clark
was seriously wounded and he called out
as we passed again to lay his canteen
where he could reach 1t, but to continue
the charge and leave him where ne was.
All the wounded had to be left until after
the fight. for we could spare no men from
the firing line.
Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Lieut.. Col. First q. S. Volunteer Cavalry.
The second and more important OF the
two reports begins with the movement
forward of the regiment at the head OF
the second brigade past Ell Peso sugar
mill and on to the block house which was
stormed and taken. Col. Roosevelt says
that his regiment was the first to capture
any fortified position and to break
through the Spanish lines. 1t was during
the first part of the movement that Capt.
O'Neil and Acting Lieut.. Haskell was
wounded. Col. Roosevelt speaks in the
highest terms of O'Neill's efficiency and
says the bravery of Haskell calls for some
action to be taken regarding him.
Col. Roosevelt reoites in detail the
movements of the troops over whom he
had command, tells how they were obliged
to throw away their packs and lie in the
trenches with nothing to sleep in and
nothing to eat.
Bomb proofs were built by the men
which afforded them good protection
during the night before truce was de-
clared.
I do not mention the officers and men
who particularly distinguished themselves
as have nothing to add In this respect
to what was contained in my two former
letters There were numerous Red Cross
flags flying in the various parts OF the
city, two of those arranged that they
directly covered batteries in our front and
for some time were the cause OF our not
firing at them. The Spanish guertllas
were active, especially in our rear, where
they seemed, by preference, to attack the
wounded men who were being carried on
litters, the doctors and medical attendants
with Red Cross flags on their arms and
the burial parties. | organized detail of
shareholders and sent them out after the
Querillas, of whom they killed thirteen.
Two OF the men thus killed were shot
several hours after the truce had been IN
operation because in spite of this fact
they kept firing upon our men as they
went to draw water. They were stationed
in the trees as the guerlllas were general
ly and owing to the density of the foliage
and to the use of smokeless powder rifles.
it was an exceedingly difficult matter to
locate them. For the next seven days
until the tenth we lay in our line while
the truce continued. We had continually
to work at additional bomb proofs and at
the trenches and as we had no proper
supply of food and utterly inadequate
medical facilities the men suffered great
deal. The officers chipped together. pur-
chased beans. tomatoes and sugar for the
men SO that they might have some relief
from the bacon and hard tack. With
great deal of difficulty we got them coffee.
A for the sick and wounded they suffered
SO in the hospitals when sent to the rear
for lack of food and attention that we
found 1t best to keep them at the front
and give them such care as our own force
could, As I mentioned in my previous
letter, Is of our wounded men continued
to fight through the battle in spite OF
their wounds and of those sent to tx rear
many, both of the sick and wounded came
up to rejoin us rs soon as their condition
allowed them to walk; most of the worst
cases were ultimately sent to the states.
On the 10th the 6ruce was at an end and
the bonn bardment re-opened. AS far as
our lines were concerned 1t was on tbs
Spanish part very feeble We suffered no
losses and speedily got the fire from their
trenches in our front completely under.
On the lIth we were moved three quarters
of mile to the right. the truce again be-
ing on, nothing happening here except
we continued TO watch and do our best
to get the men especially the sick, proper
" fed and having no transportation and
being able to get hardly any through the
regular channels, we used anything we
could find, capturing Spanish cavalry
horses, abandoned mules which had been
shot but which our men took and cared
for, diminutive skiney ponies purchased,
from the Cubans, etc.
BY these means and by the exertions OF
the officers we were able from Gime 10
time to get supplies of beans, sugar,
tomatoes and even oat meal, while from
the Red Cross people we got our IN,
valuable load of rice. corn meal. etc., ana
all of this was of the utmost consequence
not only for the sick, but for those oml-
nally we'll, as the lack of proper food was
telling on the men. 1t was utterly i'm
possible to get them clothes and shoes
those they had were. in many cases, liter
ally dropping to pieces. On the 18th the
city surrendered. On the 18th we shifted
camp to here. the best camp we have had
but the march hither under the noon day
sun told very heavily on our men, weak
ened by underfeeding and over work and
the next morning one hundred and
twenty three cases were reported to the
doctor and now have but half of the 6O0
men, with which I landed four weeks
ago, fit for duty, an d these are not ut 90
do anything like the work they could do
then. AS we had hut one wagon, the change
necessitated leaving much of onr stuff be-
hind with night of discomfort, with
scapty shelter and seanty food for the
most OF the officers and many of he men.
Only the possession of the improvised
mack train alluded to above saved us from
heing worse. Yesterday sent in detail
Of six officers and men to see If they could
= ot nurchase or make arrangements for q
snnnly of proper food and proper clothing
for The men, even if we had to pay for it
ont of our own pockets. Our suffering
has heen due primarily to lack of trans
portation and of food or sufficient cloth
ing and of medical supplies. We should
now have wagon sheets for tentage.
Very respectfully,