The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-14
Close Shayc of a Corporal.

Alfred Butcher corporal ion Company
y. Second United States Infantry, vino
enlisted in Helena. Mont. was i'm the
fight before Santiago. was taken sick,
and brought TO New York ON the hospital
ship Relief. lie thus describes the mar.
row escape he had on the battlefield from
bullets. and, after the battle from an
acute attack Of tropical disease:
Well people can howl for war AN they
please, but after they have seen 1t don L
think they are so anxious about IL. IL is
horrible to- see men falling an around
you, torn in all sorts Of shapes by bullets
and shell aud shrapnoL ] wish You could
have seen us so up that hin at San Juan.
Say but we went up that hin like a lot
of devils turned loose. You lose all feel
ing. you fear nothing; an you think
about is getting a shot 40 the Spaniards.
The only time 1 was afraid was on the
morning of the fight when We were
marching up 20 take our place on the LETT
Of the fighting line, where men were fall
ing right and left. and you couldn't see
where the firing was coming from. MY
bunkie. my tcnt-mato was shot in the
shoulder when we were q mile from
where the fighting was going on. Then,
as we We're marching on. the man I'm
front of me was shot through the heshy
part of the eyebrow by piece Of shell
When we We're a quarter OF a mile from
our place in line one of our men had a
ball go through his havcrsack and just
Craze his leg He kept right on with us
Going up the hill on that charge OF
San Juan 1 felt something hit me in the
left breast and l thought ] was gone up
sure. 1 tore open my blue shirt, but saw
no hole and no blood and then started
ON again. when ] felt something hit me
on the right side. l looked down and there
were three of the thimbles Of my belt
just cut of as clean as IL 10 had been
done with a knife. Aft-r we took the hin
/ examined my breast @.ain and found
that the bah had passed through my
short-pocket. where had extra ammuni-
ton. II dcnted four OF the cartridges so
that they could not be used no all. So
think God was watching over me pretty
closely and / thanked Him for 30. too.
il seemed TRANCE 20 me. after the battle
was over tho first day. how a man could
go into battle and not fear death. or even
think about II. All you think YOU about IS
whipping The enemy and getting their
position. On the 20 We entrcnched our
selves in a sunken road on the hill We
had taken. and didn't do a thing but
hold II and take more ground from them.
nicht. but we drove them off I'm no time.
on the same night about y o'clock 7
was taken with cramps in my bowels.
I thought 1t was because We had had
nothing to eat since the night OF the
e0th. I'm the morning l was worse, but
about 10 ocloch l got a little better, but
could not stand up. At 4 =. NJ. l was
taken again with cramps ana kept getting
worse. The captain had me carried down
to the hospital. When 1 reached there
my stomach was all bloated. The doctor
said ] had appendicitis They were going
TO operate on me. when a man was
brought I'm whose leg had 10 be taken OF.
so they left me until later. They kept
putting IL off and on the 18th day sent me
down to Siboney 10 go on board of the
hospital ship as / was beginning 20 get
better. Well 1t was a drive Of eleven
miles from the hospital % the ship and
awful rough and IL shook me mp so
that got worse. When / got aboard Of
the ship the doctor shook his head. but
did not say anything. Yesterday evening
he said I would come out all right-Les-
lies Weekly.