The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-04

In Company X laid up with colds or
pneumonia. The thermometers, on the
transports were sizzling and spouting
steam like a lot of teakettles. Having
assured himself that the uniform3Swcrc
hot enough to wear, the lieutenant told
the men to put them on. Then he or
dered them to wade out to. the boats.
The water was just as wet as when they
waded In to the shore Then they pull
ed out to the transport.
Half an hour later three other COM
panies were detailed to undress Com
pany Y. including Lieutenant Bllkins.
and put 1t to bed. Say, you should have
seen those men! The private that l
was detailed to undress and put to bed
sputtered cuss words so fast that you
couldn't tell half the time what Ian
guage he was swearing in. I'll bet 1t
made the recording angel dizzy to take
EN- down. When he'd cooled down q
bit, he said:
"If I'm ordered to wade or swim
ashore In Cuba I'll do my best to do it..
But when / get there I'll be blanked
and double BANKED II I'll do the I'M
dressing act under fire, hang my buds
on bush and then stand around in the
sun until the Spaniards and sun COM
blned have made fricasseed sieve OF
me.
Then he began to cuss again., and
when left him 1t sounded as II he were
repeating all the begats In the tenth
and eleventh chapters Of Genesis
against time. Company Y made the
voyage to Cuba swathed in sweet oil
and cotton batting. and there were no
more undress drills in that regiment"
An ex-private who had confessed to
taking accidentally drink Of water
while brushing his teeth told the waiter
TO do II again. and said: THAT reminds
me of Company VS. first night on out
post duty near Sevlla. The outpost
wns on the ridge of hill overlook
Ing the valley that extended toward San
Juan hill. The hillside below the ridge
was densely covered with thIcket. Capt.
| Smlthers was the commander of Com
pany Y. He was a good little man
with an abnormally developed sense OF
responsibility. He accumulated re-
sponsib!ities faster than cat can
drink milk. And then he passed them
on to the prlvates of Company Y with
Il solemnity that was distressing.
"At dusk that first night Capt. Smith
ers posted the first relief Of pickets
along the brow of the hill. l was one
of them. L II never forget the look of
dark forcboding on the captains face
as he inspected us. Then he gave us
half-hour talk in bunch. First he
| impressed upon us our dread RESPONSE
bIlities. Then he impaired to us the
| cheerful information that pickets on
outpost were invariably killed. Escape
was impossible. In the event of an at
tack. and there. would inevitably be one
that night, we were all dead men. II
the enemy didn't shoot us the reserve
thirty yards In our rear would un-
doubtedly do so as we fell back. Then
he preached O solemn, nte-mortem fu-
| neral sermon over us in body.
Say. fellows! BY the time he got
| through talking I considered myself Il
corpse. l was scared so that I was
ready TO fly my kite and take chances
on swimming back to Florida. Then he
posted each and delivered n little per-
souul lecture and condoled with the poor
fellow. l was the last man he posted.
"'Jones. said he. L regret to give you
this post because I've always liked sou.
But duty Is duty. You see that opening
In the thlcket? Well. the Spanish
army will pr5bablY come through that.
! Your post will be undoubtedly the point
OF attack. or course, there is no hope
tlatayou will get back to our lines
alive. But bear In mind that the lives
of thetcntirc army rest on Your shoul-
ders. 1tyou see the least movement or
hear the least sound, FIRE. And keep
firing until You are shot Let me see,
Yes, I've got your mothers address,
and I'll write her that You died brave
~. Remember. fire at the least sound,'
Then he shook my hand and said
eood-by. When ne left me I leaned
against II ,"ee and sasped. II the Span
ish army had come then instead OF n