The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-06-29
WHAT ROOSEVELT SAID.

welt today when discussing Tue hShI'
They held the ridges with rihe pits
and machine guns, and had a body
Of men in ambdsh IN the thick Jungle
at the sides of the yoad over which
we were advancing. Our advance
guard struck the men i'll ambush and
drove them out. But we lost Capt.
Capron, Lieut.. Thomas and - men
killed or wounded.
The Spanish firing was accurate,
SO accurate, indeed, that 1t surprised
me: aud their firing was fearfully
heavy" :.
Il want to say word for our men,
continued Lieutenant CJlonel Roose
welt. Every officer and man did bis
duty up to the handle. Not a man
fiuched."
AN OFFICERS STORY.
From another officer who took Il
prominent part in the fighting more
details were obtained. when the
firing began" said he, Lieut. Col.
Roosevelt took the right wing with
Troops G and X under Captains
Lewelen and jenkins and moved to
the support of Captain Capron, who
was getting it hard. At the same
time Col. Wood and Maj. Brodie took
the left wing and advanced In open
order on the Spanish right wing.
Mai. Brodie was wounded before the
troops had advanced 100 yards.
Col. Wood then took the right wing
and shifted Col. Roosevelt to the left.
"In the meantime the fire of the
Spaniads had increased in volume,
but, Notwithstanding this, an order
for a general charge was given, and
with a yell the men sprang forward.
Col. Roosevelt, in front of his men.
snatched rifle and ammunition belt
from q wounded soldier and cheering
and yelling with his men, led the adj
vance. For a moment the bullets
singing like swarm of bees all
around them and every instant some
door fellow went down. On the right
wing Capt. McClintock had his leg
broken by a bullet from a machine
gun, while four of his men went
down. At the same time Capt. Luna
of Troop L lost nine OF his men; IN;
Then the reserves, Troops X and L
were 500 yards away, aud Col. Roose.
velt 500 yards on the left, charged a
block house at the same time. Ur
the men went, yelling like fends and
never stopping to return the fire OF
the Spaniards, but keeping on WITH
a grim determination to capture that
block house.
DESPERATE CHAEGE-VICrOEY.
That charge was the end. WheI
within 500 yards of the coveted point
the Spaniards broke and ran, and fol
the first time we had the pleasure
which the Spaniards had been ex
periencing all through the engage
ment, shooting with the enemy II
sight
! SHINING DEEDS OF HERpISM.
In the two hours fighting duline
which the volunteers battled against
their conceled enemy enough deeds
Of heroism were done to fill volume
One of the men Of Troop +, desper
ately wounded, was lying squarely
between the lines of fire. Surgeon
Church hurried to his side and, witt
bullets pelting all around him, calmly
| dressed the mans wound, baudagec
it and walked uncopcernedly back
soon returning with two men and
litter. The wounded man was place
en- the litter and brought into our
lines. Another soldier Of Troop J.
concealing himself as best he coulo
behind tree, gave up his place to
wounded companion and moment
or two later was himself wounded.
THE WAY FOR 4 SOLDIER TO DIE.
Sergeant Bell stood by the side
of Captain Capron when the latter
was mortally hit He had seen that
he was fighting against terrible odds
but he never hinched. Give me
your gun minute he said to the
sergeant ard kneelipg down, Gle
liberately aimed and fired two shots
in quick succession. At each shot a
Spaniard was seen TO fall. Bell, in
the meantime, had seized a dead
comrades gun and knelt beside his
captain and fired steadily. When
Captain Capron fell he gave the
sergeant parting message to his
wife and father and bade the SER
geant goodbye in cheerful voice and
was then borne away dying.
YOUNG FISH THE FIRST KILLED.
"Sergt. Hamilton Fish, Jr., was
the first man killed by the Spanish
fire. He was near the head # the
column as it turned from the wood
road into range Of the Spanish am
buscade He shot one Spaniard who
was firing from the cover of dense
patch Of undelbrush. When a bull
let struck his breast be sank at the
foot of tree with is back against it.
Capt. Capron stood over him shouting
and others rallied around him, cover
ing the wounded man. The ground
this afternoon was thick with empty
shells where Fish lay. He lived 20
minutes. He gave a small lady,s
bunting case watch aid bis belt to a
messmate as last souvenir.
BURIED On TIE RATTlErIELD.
with the exception of Capt. Cap
ron all the Rough Riders killed in
yesterdays fight were buried this
morning on the field of action. Their