The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-06

membered, we, In San Severino, were
cavalry. not artiliery-mer; but this Is the
true explanation Of our bad work through
out tho whole war. We saw nothing to
war-ships that carried their smoke back
as they moved, and ct this We fired with
as much GOODNESS and desire for ef1e,t ~
could we'll inspire the hearts of soldiers
eager for victory. OF course. we fred
high, because We fgui cd that suoh shots,
some Of the rigging batteries Of success
sion Of vessels; whereas q shot under
water, unless right home. would be utter
ly lost.
The ooncussion from the first shot had
scarcely subsidized ere we became aware
that our land batteries, on the other side
of the Punta. were also In extreme dan
ger. The American craftsmanship was
90 perfect that every shell seemed to fall
directly upon q gun. The firing was very
rapid. In twenty minutes the interior
of the "San Severino" was int ruins AMI
to garrison was being formed in tins
patio" to take shelter under tn: SEA wall
and uss their Aausers, Is the ia merican
ships were quite Gloss; one especially.
monitor 1.-THE Puritan.) came within one
hundred yards Of the castle esoarpments
As the 18th Battalion dc AstunAs had
about completed Its formation shell fell
right into their midst. killing outright
tulEty-tWo lueu anu WouuoA38 boHrntys
looked at my watch and was calculating
how long we should Iast. when another
shell burst about ~ feet TO my right and
rear. Simultaneously / experienced o
sensation as II bass ball had struck me
on the head. put my hands up to see II
no blood, ! felt dazsp and could not think
commercially. tried to convince myself
that what I was feeling must be the
effect of the vibration, and again placed
my he nd to my head; this time felt the
warm blood, but no pain. then began
to probs with my finger, the point OF
which inserted itself into . hole In the
back Of my head. 1 turned round to an
swer the call Of one Of nay eff ,srs, and
while speaking to him fell unconscious.
When I revived a few hours after WAS In
the military hospital In the city. and was
informed by the surgsona that Q Iisce of
shell had lodged under the base Of my
skull and that delicate operation would
be performed as soon As possible. Our
surgeon general, q particular friend OF my
family, was at that thine attending the
aiok bed Of our Captain General at Hava-
ne, and autographed for him. Day after
day passed and i'll he came not, TIL the
surgeons bscame alarmed and told me
that II would not submit to the opera
ton at once should die, as "oerebro-
meningitis" was tn reatened, which. oon-
sidering my condition, would assuredly
prove fatal. l waited, however, eleven
days for the arrival of my friend, who
found me ON the operating table, with the
surgeon close by, chloroform In hand, as
bad insisted upon SEEING my friend be-
fore permitting Its administration. The
operation lasted twenty eight minutes
and was quite successful. Five ounces
of pus was removed, together with the
entire mastoid process, which was entire
ly destroyed. as also a considerable por-
ton of the skull, which was trspined.
Notwithstanding the severe shock my
system sustained as a result Of this trying
ordeal, within six weeks from the time
l received my wound was again re-
turned to duty with my command, mean
while having been advanced to the rank
OF lieutepant-colonel. remained In the
field until the final surrender OF the
Spanish army at Santiago, after which
on account Of my weakened condition,
resulting from my wounds and continued
privations, l was permanently retired
from the guardia civil and the military
service of Spain.