Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-03-23
crouching rushes, until they were
very much mixed up.
Battalions and companies became
| ,r,ka Ill =


intermingled, for it is impossible to
keep prostrate or crouching regiments
in even lines, and re-enforcements
were pushing up speedily from the
rear. 1t was not from Generalization
that the troops were mixed up, but
from the very rapidity of their ad-
vance, and because the regiments were
kept too close together to enable them
to move in extended order without be-
coming intermingled.
When the foremost officers came out
from the San Juan woods upon the
broad meadow which lies at the foot
of the winding ridge where the Span
ish were entrenched, they found them
selves in hotter fire than ever of bull
let's and bursting shells. The order
was to charge the hill.
The meadow grass was tall and
thick, and here and there were little
clumps of thorny bushes; but these
were nothing to q high barbed-wi
fence, which stretched right across
the fat
When the disordered soldiers
reached this fence they had to pause
Then they dropped like pins bowled
over by ball. The Spaniards had the
range of the entanglement perfectly
Our men were under a trebly severe
fire. 1t was enough to put brave sol
diers to rout, but not one single
American company was routed.
Forward the wire cutters! Right
here with the wire-cuttersr' shouted
the company commanders. SO many
officers had already fallen that cap
tains were commanding battalions,
and lieutenants-often second lieu
tenants, and sometimes boys hastily
graduated from West Point in May
last-were commanding companies.
Detached squads of men were there,
pressing forward without an officer to
| lead them.
Then the soldiers with the wire
cutters had an opportunity. Under
the terrible fire, with their comrades
lying or crouching behind them, they
stepped forward, and with steady
hands and strong wrists cut the loose
strands of wire one by one, snatched
them to one side, and made breach
in the fence.
So many instances of this cool
bravery on the part of meu were told
to me after the fight that they blend
themselves in my mind in one scene.
Captain Charles Byrne, of the Sixth;
however, told me q story which diff
fered from the rest.
Whom he came to the wire fence
with his company, which was one ol
the very first to get across the meadow,
he found no breach-and the man
with the wire-cutters had disappeared;
but Providence seemed to have pro-
vided means of getting through.
In the woods the company had been
joined by big Cuban with a machete
and gun. The Cuban was rushing
bravely on, firing and leod ding the way.
Few Americans could tell from which
direction the Spanish fire came. Bull
lets and shells seemed to come from
all directions. General officers were
doubtful which way to turn. This
Cuban knew better than any American
in what direction the Spanish position
lay. 1t was by his help that Captain
Byrnes company was among the first
to clear the woods, and so advance
toward the Spanish blockhouse.
But the barbed-wire fence barred
the way. Gould the Cuban cut it with
his machete? 1t seemed impossible
to sever loose wire which would sag
beneath blow.
But this Cuban had cut barbed wire
before. Coolly picking out the
straightest post that was near, he stood
beside it, lifted his machete high above
his head, and struck downward with
all his might close against the post.
One wire was severed, then the next,
in the same cool way. The Cuban did
not allow himself to hurry nor to get
excited. If one of his blows had failed
for want of steady hand and sud-;
den, swift stroke, he might have been
unable to open breach; but no blow
failed. He drew the severed wires
away and opened length.
Then Captain Byrne ordered his
company through the breach in column
of twos, and put them at double-quick,
and led them clambering to the very
top of the hill All the way the big
Cuban went with him. The captain
noticed him at the very summit; then
he saw him no more.
Neither the captain nor any one else
in his company nor in the whole Ameri-
can army ever knew who this brave
Cuban was, nor how he came to be
fighting among. American troops, nor
where he went when the charge was
over; but all who saw him knew that
he had performed service of great
value, all for the love of his country,
and without the hope or prospect OF
reward, distinction or commendation.
Youths Companion,