The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-09-21
SANTIAGO HERO HERE.
Arthur spangler, Recuperating from yell
low Fever at the Home Of His Grand
father in This County.
SAW THE STARS AND srIPEs RAISED
AFTER THE SURRENDER.

Arthur Spangler, private, Seventeenth
Infantry, L. S. A., reached here from
Hartford, Conn, Friday morning. He
from a noticeable nervousness showing
that he was still suffering from weakness,
there was nothing in hs appearance TO
indicate that he had laid for days in the
foul trenches before Santiago. with scarce
ly anything TO eat Tor weeks, or that be
had been seized with yellow fever and
had been confined in an isolated hospital
camp for four weeks before he was strong
enough to be removed to a transport and
conveyed to New York, from whence he
was sent to the military hospital at Hart
ford, where he was carefully nursed until
Thursday morning, when he was given
thirty days furlough in order that he
might pay a visit to his relatives before
re-joining his regiment at Columbus, o.
"I enlisted on the 10th of May, at Pitts
burg" he said, land was sent to the bar
racks at Columbus, o., where l was as
signed to the Seventeenth Infantry. We
were among the first troops to go to Tam
pa, and were about the first, believe, 10
go aboard a transport for Cuba. We were
on the ship for seven or eight days. and
were mighty glad to get of. After leav-
ing Tampa we we're held up in the bay
windward passage we steamed an entire
night only to retrace our course the fol-
lowing morning. While none of the sol
diers knew what this meant. il was evil
dent that the fleet of transports was afraid
OF one or more Spanish warships that
were believed to be on the lookout for US.
We landed at Guantanamo on a sort of an
old trestle that had formerly been used
as pier. Lots of the boys fell into the
water before they reached the shore, and
several lost their lives.
''Sampson's fleet was bombarding the
coast while we were landing. We were
hurried right forward and took part in all
Of the fighting that followed. Over four
hundred out of our regiment were
wounded aud killed. When we we're adj
vancing on San Juan hill. the Seventy
first New York. who were at least a mile
Allu nail iIOnl tnG Alnrr NaAlC0 ~
US to retreat, as the road was lined with
sharpshooters, but we kept straight ahead.
Shortly afterwards Colonel Hasco was
pierced by three Mauser bullets, and had
to fall back the New York newspaper
man, Marshall, was shot In the spine just
about the same time. After we crossed
the San Juan river, and before we charged
the blockhou on the hill, the boys had
to cut the bsrbed- wire fences-and say,
you should see the fences-six feet high,
with the wire woven so that il was impos-
sible 20 get through until the fellow with
wire-cutters and axes had chopped them
down. Many lives were lost before the
fences were gotten out Of the way. The
blockhouse was full of loophole>, but
after the artillery got to work on 1t the
holes were a good bit larger.
'.Tl excitement in battle is so great
that you don't think of anything at the
time, and can hardly remember what oc-
Cured. The worst time we had was on
the night Of July lst. when the bullets
kept singing over US all hight / got
along as well as the rest of the boys, but
in my opinion it is mistake 20 feed sol
diers on bacon in hot country. We
didn't have anything but bacon and hard
tack, and. as a result, our bodies were
burned into big white 5listers-
81 was with the troops In Santiago at
the time of the formal surrender TO Gen.
eral Shafter, and saw the flag raised on
the municipal building The next day
was taken sick with yellow fever. and be-.
fore knew IL was in an isolated hospi-
tai, two miles from the city. The hospi-
tai was closely guarded, and no one was
allowed to come near it. Everything we
had was burned, and we were not allowed
to receive any mail or to write any letters.
lost forty pounds before | was able to be
moved from the hospital and taken on a
transport which carried US to Montauk.
From there l was sent to the hospital at
Hartford. My regiment returned 10 Co
lumbus last week. and after have spent
my furlough with mother. at the home OF
my grandfather, Jonathan Miller, near
Edie, I'll 60 back 70 the boys and serve my
three years. am not quite twenty years
old.
This newspaper talk about Miles and
shafter is all rot. They're both good men,
Alger needs boxing efier."