The record-union., 1898-08-21

from this, was justifiable. it was at this
time. But not a man budged. pro
longed cheers for Jackie" A few min
utes later when this same group was in
the water, cHnging, with their heads
just above water, to the catamaran,
when the enenly's picket boats came
peering around with their lanterns, in
the endeavor to find something living.
when the impulse was strong to give
UP and swim to the bank, the same
order was given, .sNo man move until
further orders and there for nearly an
hour these men stayed-every one
READY TO Do TT AGAIN.
When that afternoon the same after
noon of the sinking of the Merrimac, by
the kindness of the gallant commander
in-chief of the Spanish forces, Cervera
-(cheers)-the effects Of the sailors
were brought off from their ship, by a
boat thatVwent out under a flag of
truce, to tell Of their safety, one of the
men, in distributing these effects, was
allowed to come over to my cell. This
man-Charette was his name-was the
spokesman of the others, and after re-
ferr1ng to what they had been through
during the night, he said: I'VE would
do it ever again tonight, siri" (Tre-
mendous cheers) Next day, when it
seemed that perhaps remnant of the
inquisition was to be applied to get in
formation from the prisoners. to ascer-
tain what was the name of the ship
that had been sunk-whether it was a
battleship, with a crew of five hundred
or six hundred-impertinent questions
n he ny.ico
coming along would make significant
signs like this (here the Lieutenant
drew his hand across his throaO at
winch our seamen merely laughed
(Laughter) That was a fact. (Cheers.
Charette. who speaks French was the
spokesman of our party, and he was
asked by the Major who had charge of
US, What was the object of your COM
ing IN here?" Charette drew himself
up ana replied: I'm the United States
II is not the custom for the sailors to
Know or to ask to know the object of
his superior officers" (Cheers.)
Now, friends, if you will draw the
proper deduction and regard these men
as simply types of the whole fleet. if
you Will properly look upon this little
incident of the Merrimac as a simple
indication of the material in the fleet.
whose whole personnel was willing and
ready and is always willing and ready
to do any work or duty, whatever be its
end; when you make this proper de-
duction and consider these little fea-
lures which I have related. you will
nave an accurate and more or less com
plete idea Of the American sailor. loud
cheers)
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.
MY experience with the soldier has
been limited and restricted, but 1 re-
Gently saw his behavior under such
conditions as conveyed to my mind a
proper estimate of the American sol
der. From my prison window in Santi-
ago | was able to see the advance of
all our troops. My cell overlooked the
Spanish intrenchments. | had seen
them plant their artillery and dig their
trenches. On July ID the battle opened,
and l watched it with breathless inter-
est, and I wish to refer to certain
features of that day which thrilled me-
Our infantry advancing had prac-
tically driven the Spaniards into the
trenches. But they did not stop. They
went right on to engage the intrench-
ments, an unsupported infantry to en-
gage an intrenched infantry I saw
the first assault, and thought we would
surely take it, but when they reached
certain point the enemy's artillery
opened. My heart sank. The artillery
was f1anling artillery There came
pause. Our firing ceased. felt that
now the individuality of the soldier
must come into play, the individuality
of soldier who has never been under
fire. and who believes that probably
the next shrapnel will take him away.
I noticed that more rapid firing set in
after that little pause, and more rap
i'd rush was made up to the trenches.
One line was followed by another, and
six assaults I counted until the
trenches became ours. In spite of the
flanking artillery we had taken those
trenches by unsupported infantry.
(Cheers)
And now, friends, I have little fur
ther to say. The sailor cannot go out
of his experience with his tongue, but
I really feel that I must refer to SUBJ
sequent impressions when, after being
exchanged, I passed through our lines
I would examine the countenances Of
individuals as we passed along. I was
introduced to the officers, and spoke
to the men. I found that many of
them were citizens, men who had left
ease, many Of them; men who had left
personal responsibilities at home; men
who had left under conditions that
would entail enormous personal sacri-
fees to come out there to enter on this
campaign, in a tropical climate in the
rainy season, with the fevers as well
as the trenches of the enemy ahead of
them.
When again duty brought me back
for a few days to our country and
saw that the men at the front were
really but a small portion of the men
who We're ready to go to the front;
when / learned that in the encamp
ments throughout our country the only
fear felt was that each ones company,
each ones regiment might not have a
chance to go to the front, and when
l found that of all those who had been
called out, that of all these there was
comparatively handful of enlistments,
that they had simply been taken as
individuals from groups; when I saw,
as a matter of fact, the whole citizen
life of the nation was ready and will
ing; when I found that women were
engaged with all their zeal, with all
the powers they had, with all the de-
votion imaginable, to alleviate the scon-
ditions of those at the front and care
for the dependent left behind; when
1 consider all these conditions, it drew
to my mind a picture, the magnitude
of which I cannot compass in any
sense Sight fails, distance would not
measure it. 1t represents to our Amer
lean country the fact that the whole
nations life blood, the breath and