Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-09-21

With the intensity of tropical day
the sun seemed to expend its entire
force of furnace heat upon the un-
sheltered spot in front of Santiago
where lay grievousty wounded
American soldier boy. The wide,
tortured eyes of the youth stared fear.
fully upward to the glaring zenith,
past the foul birds watching his suf-
ferings with calculating vision and
waiting for the human feast which
seemed sure to come. He thought
with sickening brain of his northern
home-the green hills, the running
streams, the dear mother. Tears welled
up into his aching eyes. He did
not try to wipe them away-he could
not. A mauser bullet had struck him
in the thigh, another in the right arm
and another in the left. He was help
less. But what matter The dead
could not see, and the mother would
probably never know how he had
nobly fought even to the gates of
death. At his feet lay the dead body
OF Cuban, slain by the bullet of a
Spanish sharpshooter. For these
Cubans he was dying. For them he
had come to help free the island from
the tyranny of Spanish rule
Then he recalled the events of that
day at San Juan hill. The American
troops had been on their feet since
day break. There was scanty break
fast, and as the men ate it there we're
indications of the coming clash of
arms. The files on the march to the
firing line were closed up: every sense
was alive. The bugle sounded and
then came the order to advance. The
| tempest of musketry and shrapnel
through which they moved forward
drove like storm of steel into the
faces of the men, brt nothing could
resist the imperious advance and the
first line of the enemy was swept
away.
The battle grew. Here and there g
soldier went down, but the column
stood firm; the officers marched close
by the men. Sometimes, through the
smoke they caught glimpse of the
colonel leading on in front.
The din increased; the earth seemed
|
horrid shrek and flung out quick
death. Still the men pushed on. AL
officer picked up the gun of mar
who had fallen and spoke CHEEKY
word.
The Spanish artillery and the far,
reaching mausers swept within Ger.
tian limit every inch of ground, but
with firm and rapid step that un.
finching column moved forward.
Louder grew the tumult and thick ker
came the angry messengers. A SHARP
cry of pain and one of the men is
holpel to the rear. The bullets came
hotter and faster from the Spanish in
the trenches and from the blockhouses.
More comrades stretched out quietly
with the death mark on their faces.
There was no time for words only a
mad swelling of the heart and throb
bing OF the brain "a deadly thirst fol
blood dried up all other feeling a.
another man was lifted back.
Suddenly cool voice they hat
heard before rang out an order
'Come on, boys, charged and the thir
line rushed through the smoke ant
advanced up the hill. With a cheel
they answered the fiery blast thai
swept into their faces with suddel
fury. The air seemed instinct will
leaden life, and volley after volle,
pealed forth from the deadly rifles.
For one awful moment the men fal
tered! Groans of agony and hoars
commands mingled, and all arount
American soldiers lay down to die
But the check was only momentary
and on into the jaws of death the col
umn went. Every man leaned for
ward as though breathing a heav,
wind. From right, left and from
they felt the pounding of the enemy
guns, and shrapnel swept through th
ranks like hail.
On the summit of the hill the block
house swarmed with the foe, diml,
seen through putting lines of smok
from our guns. The Spanish wer
Observation-Disclosures in the open
But never mind! Forward! And 500
the foreign fos was driven back an
the stronghold captured.
Half way down the slope as the vic
tors pursued the flying eneIpy.