The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-08-25

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brown and yellow, and wore dark
mustache something he did not have
when he left here. He first spoke
about the charge up San Juan hill, the
taking of Ell Caney and the city of
Santiago. He said that the storming
OF San Juan was not by order of the
officials. The troops simply got
started on the hill, and amid the Wild
est cheering all along the line, they
ran up the hill in the mouth of the
enemy's guns, and captured the
Spaniards, the block house and their
entrenched positions. When the
privates got started nothing could
hold them back, and the officers we're
simply carried with their men. The
path which his regiment pursued in
going up the hill was so narrow that
only two companies could get up at
time, and the remainder was held in
reserve. "Gee, we shouted when we
got up there" remarked tho Redwood
private.
"Did l dodge when the bullets
whistled bys Well, l guess SO. The
boys all did, even the oldest soldier.
1t was natural to move the head to
one side or the other: Of course, it
didn't do any good, but it was natural,
and we did it.
"The negroes make fine soldiers
the regulars are simply immense.
They never retreat, but 20 ahead all
the time, and their fearlessness is what
cowed the Spaniards, many times, I'll
bet. When the list New York ran up
and fred volley and retreated, the
negro troops we're the ones to hold
the position and march steadily for
ward in the face of a CALLING fire. Be-
sides, like to be with them. They
are full of fun, and when not in battle
they sing plantation songs, and are
making merry. They 60 into battle
with smile on their faces. and
enthusiasm in their hearts.
II was in the charge on San Juan
hill, at the battle of ElCaney, and in
the trenches when Santiago was sur
rendered, and it was there that I was
overcome with heat and malarial fever.
"The greatest fear all of the boys
had was from the shells from Cervera's
feet before it was destroyed. These
shells made a horrible noise going
through the air, and the explosion of
them is terrific, causing the blood to
run from nose, mouth and ears. One
poor fellow was sitting under a tree,
near where a she'll exploded, and the
noise completely stunned him, and the
hospital stewards, passing by later,
thought him dead, and left him to be
buried in the morning. The next
morning the fellow was found stripped
of everything, leaning up against a
tree, alive. The stripping was the
work of Cubans. The fellow re-
covered. A similar incident is where
colored trooper was shot through
the head from ear to ear, Mauser
bullet doing the work. saw him fall
and supposed that he was dead. When
l reached Fortress Monroe the darkey
was there and he was recovering
Mausers don't make the tearing
wound that the Krag -Jorgenson bull
lets we fired, do.
"You see those patches in my
trousers. Well, those rents we're
caused by barb wire that we crossed
Spanish fences by barb wire, made to
strengthen their Notifications and en-
trenchments. We all wore leggins,
but as we crawled along the ground,
in the high grass, our pants worked
up out of our leggins, and that is how
that particular tear came to be so low.
Here is another one up higher. It is
mean stuff to monkey with, and
Spaniard behind makes it bad stuff to
fight against.
"Cuba is bad place for soldering,
unless you are thoroughly acclimsted,
and that is why so many of our boys
have been dying during the past
month. 1t rains every afternoon, and
the soldier is continually drenched,
producing malaria, and the hot sun
makes it worse.
Call of our officers we're brave men
and those who fell in battle were
leaders, every one of them. With
them, as with many of the living, IL
was case of keeping ahead of the