Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-08-08
THE VOLUNTEER.
A Sketch Of the
Cuban War.


+ Cuban War. :.
+ + !. + + + + + !. + 1. + + !. -
With the intensity Of a tropical day
the Gun seemed 20 expeDd its entire
force Of furnace heat upon the unshcl
tered spot in from, Of Santiago, where
lay a grievously wounded American
soldier boy The wide. tortured eyes OF
the youth stared fearfully upward &c
the glazing zenith. past the foul birds
watching his sufferings with calcnlai-
ing vision and waiting for their human
feast which seemed sure 10 come. lie
thought with sickening brain Of he
northern home-the green hills, ths
running streams. the dear mother
Tears welled up into his aching orhs.
and the hot drops crept down bis cheeks
He did not try to wipe them away he
could not. A Mauser bullet bad struck
him in the thigh. another in tde night
arm and another in the lief, He was
helpless Bot what matter The dead
could not see. and the mother would
probably never know how he had nobly
Tough, even 10 the gates Of death A,
his feet lay the dead body Of Cuban.
black and burly. slain by the hullet OF
q Spanish sharpshooter For these Gu
bans he was dying. for them be- bad
come TO help free tine island from the
tyranny Of Spanish rule.
Then he recalled the events Of that
day ut San Juan hill The American
troops had been on their feet since day
break There was scanty breakfast
and as the men ate IL there were indi'
cations 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 teInpes, Of mus
kerry and shrapnel through which they
moved forward drove like n storm OF
steel into the faces Of the men. but
nothing could resist the imperious ad
vance, and the first line Of the enemy
was swept away
The battle grew Here and there a
soldier went down. but the column
stood firm. The officers marched close
by the men Sometimes through the
smoke they caught a glimpse Of the
colonel leading on in front
The din increased. The earth seemed
reeling underfoot Shells burst with
horrid shrek and flung out quick
death. Still the men pushed on An
officer picked mp the gun Of man who
had fallen and spoke CHEEKY word.
The Spanish artillery and the far
reaching Mausers swept within GER
tain limit every inch Of ground. but
with a firm and rapid step that untiinch-
ing column moved forward
Louder grew the tumult. and thicker
came the angry messengers A sharp
cry of pain. and one OF the men Is help
ed to the rear. The bullets came hotter
and faster from the Spanish in the
trenches and from the blockbouses-
More comrades stretched ont quietly
with the death mark on their faces
There was no time for words only
mad swelling Of the heart and throb-
bling Of the brain A deadly thirst for
blood dried mp all other feeling as. an
other man was lifted back
Suddenly cool voice they had heard
before rang ont an order Come ON.
boysl Chargel' And the thin line rushed
through the smoke and advanced up the
hill With cheer they answered the
fiery blast that swept into their faces
with sndden fury The air seemed in
stinct with leadeu life, and yolley> after
volley pealed forth from the deadly
rifles
For one awful moment the men fal'
tered Groans Of agony and hoarse com
mands mingled. and all around Aineri-
can soldiers lay down to die, But the
check was only momentary. and on into
the jaws Ut death the column went
Every man leaned forward as though
breathing heavy wind From right.
left and front :hey felt the pounding Of
the enemy's guns. and shrapnel swept
through the ranks like hail
On the summit of the hill the block
house swarmed with the foe, dimly seen
through putting lines of smoke from our
guns The Spanish We're intrenched-
Americans in the open. But never
mind Fcrward And soon the foreign
foe was driven back and the stronghold
captured
Half way down the slope, as the vic
tors pursued the flying enemy, a with
ering blast Of Mauser bullets swep,
across the open ground. and the boy
who now lay dying in the open space
in the tall grass fell forward with ball
in his thigh A comrade ran to his as.
sistance. and he made his way painful
ly to the rear, but as he passed along
another Spanish bullet struck him 10
the right arm, and presently he wac
wounded in the left Then his day of
battle was done, and the black hours OF
Inconsistencies followed.
When reason returned the sounds Of
battle had ceased. and be wondered
where his comrades were. Were they
all deadi Would they search for him I
He was alive, but he knew that death
would come in q few short hours. How
hot the sun beat down. How still ev-
erything seemed to him-no whizzing
Of bullets in the air, nor shrek Of
screaming shell. nor the yell Of charg-
ing troops-nothing but the silence OF
an ocean of grass. There was the dead
Cuban lying ut his feet--a chastity
bunch of mortality. How big and black
he vast His eyes were staring at him
like balls OF glass What were they
staring at him fort The night was COM
ing on apace-would he have to lie in
the tall grass until the morrow He
could not tell And then the dark cloud
again settled Ger bis senses and il was
hours before the light came into his
soul
Deaths door 10 mirror and the dy-
ing have good memories When con-
sciousness returned the boys mind
went back to his home. he wondered If
all was well on the old farm. where he
and his mother and brother had lived In
peace until the war with Spain called |
him to the front He had letter In his
pocket from home-he would read IL |