The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-23
Bandmaster Kettley's Story of
the Battle of San Juan.
1T WAS HOT, HARD WORK
Cubans Are Worthless-Truth About the
list New York-Sufferings of the
Wounded Exciting Incidents
Told for the First Time.

infantry, VINO has Just returned from
Cuba, has been visiting friends in Mis-
soula for a few days. MIR. Kettley has
just been discharged from the military
hospital. where he was taken after the
battle Of San Juan. stricken with ty-
phoid fever, and where he suffered in
common with all of his comrades from
the insufficient provisions made for the
care Of the sick and injured. Mr.. Kett-
ley took part i'm the three days lighting
before Santiago. His story Of the bat
tie and of the conditions that exist in
eastern Cuba. as told to "A Standard re-
porter last evening In response to ques-
tions. is full of interest and throws
much new light upon the history of the
fight at San Juan hin.
Mr.. Kettley wears the service uniform
of the regular army-the khadi suit.
so-called-and his appearance has at
tracted considerable attention. The
uniform is by far the most sensible
that has been worn by our soldiery anu
will probably he generally adopted Tor
service in warm weather. Mr.. Kett-
ley, when he left Fort Sherman, Idaho,
with his regiment last spring, weighed
a little more than 200 pounds. When
he embarked at Santiago for New York
he tipped the beam at l41 pounds. Since
that time he has gained II pounds and
Is now perfectly well, though at one
time he was given up as
hopelessly i'll by the surgeons
at Siboney. His statements regarding
the battle that preceded the surrender
at Santiago were made In reply To ques-
tions from the reporter and other mem
beers of the Interested group that listen
ed TO his graphic story last evening.
There has been so much written and
told concerning the battle" said Mr..
kettley. that the public ought to be
well informed regarding II. But ii is
also true that half Of the stories that
have been told of the details Of those
terrible day have not been true in any
part. and but very few of the published
accounts have been accurate. OF course,
| can speak only of what transpired
around the position Of the 10th. which
was in the division under General Kent.
occupying the extreme left Of the line
tina made the charge up the hill
against the Notifications Of the Span
iards at III Caney and san Juan. We
We're directly against San uan and. as
that position was the one directly in
front of the road from the coast, il was
there hat the Spaniards had cJncan-
trated the most of their strength. We
learned after the battle. that they had
t'N'l ''iA'Nfh AihA AAlAN 9Nl'AAh I'EAAi''AA
could be taken. But we did it, and we
did it well, too, without the aid Of II
seige guns or of the guns Of the fleet
that was outside the harbor.
ION the night of June 30 we Camped
about four miles from the foot Of the
hill, upon which the block houses were
located. with us was the fist New
York and in front of us, nearer the
open country, was the 9Th infantry. We
were reused at ? o'clock on the morn
ing Of July l and started for the front.
The road was deep with mud and
marching vas extremely difficult, but
the men pushed eagerly onward As
we advanced, the roa narrowed To "A
mere trail cut out of the dense foliage,
and il was in this trail hat we enter
ed what has since come to he known
as the Bloody Angle. 1t was at a place
where the trail made two right angled
turns. to cross a small stream. Just
above this part of the trail was anchor
ed the big war balloon. about which
80 much has been said. II had been
moved forward TO that position, but
had not been used much. II hung there
about p feet from the ground, its top
rising above the foliage So as to af-
ford a fine range fer the uns of
the Spanish batteries and the guns
of Cervera's feet. All around us i'm
the dense foliage We're Spanish sharp
shooters. The leaves and branches
were SO thick that Il was impossible
for us to see these men, and their dead
ly work was not checked till we had lost
a lot of men. Afterward, we found
tha many of them had regular huts
built in the trees. with hammocks and
plenty of supplies. There they sat, COM
fortably picking off our men. our OFF,
GERS were the only ones who had re-
ceived the new uniforms. and they af-
forded splendid marks for the sharp
shooters. This is one reason why the
loss of commissioned officers was 50
great.
''Cervera's fleet. too. did errible exc
cution among our troops at this point
The war balloon gave them the range
and they poured I'm "A terrible fire Of
shrapnel that killed many a good IA
AS we crossed the creek We found an
other pitfall that the willy S~paniards
had prepared for us. The water was
all the way from knee deep To chest
depth and beneath the surface were
stretched lines of barbed wire that en-
tangled men and mules alike. Many
were drowned here and the crossing
Of the stream was made difficult for all.
While we were filing through This place,
with hardly room for one man To pass
al once. we We're at all times under the
fire Of the sharpshooters. the fleet and
the batteries. IL is a wonder that more
were not killed.
But we finally got out Of the BLOODY
Angle and hurried through the rest OF
the forest. When we reached the open
at the foot Of the hill we We're within
!. 900 yards OF the riflemen in the
trenches and exposed To their fire. Here
we halted for a moment and laid aside
our rolls. haversacks. Canteens, coats
everything. in fact. except our blue
shirts frauSarS and foot wear. We car
ried 200 rounds Of ammunition in two
belts each. Each company left "A sentry
to guard the line of blankets n hay
ersacks, but the lines were long and
the sentries could not guard them.
When the guard was at one end the
Cubans would raid the other and steal
all that they found, After the battle
We saw many Of the Cuban soldiers
wearing our clothes and knew hat
they had been eating our ratious. That