The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-03-15
ASANTIAGO VETERAN.
Dwight Wagner OF the Seventy
First New York in Town.

Beef-Nearly died from Fever after
( Starting for H0me-Reiease from
Montauk Point saves his Life-Comes
to Morgantown to get His health back
Again.
Dwight H. Wagner, of Wheeling,
is in Morgantown for an indefinite
stay for the benefit of his health He
is a relative of many Morgantown
people and has many friends acre
who are glad to see him and who will
try to make his stay here as pleas
ant as possible.
MIR. Wagner was a member of the
Seventy first New York one Of the
two volunteer regiments who saw
fighting at Santiago. 1t was in the
San Juan fight and lost the largest
number of men of any regiment in
the fight. This was due to the arms
they carried.
These consisted of the old fash
toned Springields and the smoke
from them drew the fire of the entire
Spanish line. The other regiments
were armed with Krag- Jorgensens
and the cartridges were loaded with
smokeless powder. These offered no
target for the Spanish sharpshooters
while the dense puffs of smoke from
the Springfelds we're excellent OBJ
jects at which to aim.
The regiment was almost cut to
pieces while lying in wood exposed
to the fire of the entire Spanish line.
They had been ordered to remain in
position which was entirely untena-
BILE and because they were volun-
teers and not regulars they obeyed
orders at a terrible loss to the regi-
ment.
Some regulars overlook them and
seeing the plight they were in told
them to come on which they did and
the Spaniards were swept before
them in the charge.
The fighting was very severe on
the part of the field occupied by the
Seventy first and owing to the fact
that they were armed as they were
lost more than any other regiment
in all of the fighting.
Among the killed was student
friend of Mr.. Wagner's. Two other
Cornell students had joined the reg
iment at the outbreak of the war
and went into the field together.
Two of them came out uninjured but
the other one was killed. His name
was Brown and he was from Cleve-
land.
Neither of the other men were
wounded but narrow escape was
experienced by Wagner. He had
handed his canteen to surgeon and
the latter had just retu- led it when
La bullet from concealed Spanish
sharpshooter struck him in the head
killing him instantly. The ball
whistled very close to the soldier on
it's way to kill the surgeon who d :
spite the Red Cross on his arm was
the target. The Spaniards did not
respect the Red Cross at all and
busted themselves with shooting all
ouC oul SCOuo pOooiDiC.
When asked about the feeling of
the men about the ultimate outcome
of the fight Wagner stated that they
never had any doubt but that they
would whip the Spaniards and had
an order been issued to fall back as
contemplated at one time the men
would not have obeyed it. They had
decided among themselves that they
had come for and intended to hold
what they had and reach for more.
The fight between the two fleets
coming on the third day of the fight
ing was plainly heard and the men
knew what the outcome of this would
were be. They did not expect such
bitter defeat of Cervera however.
They heard the news at night and
quietly enthusiastic. The severe
fighting for three days had taken
away the desire to be very demon
strative over it however.
The embalmed beef was asked
about. The statement was made that
some of the beef was encountered.
This was not embalmed as far as
could be seen and if obtained soon
after it reached Cuba was all right.
But it soon became utterly unfit for
food and very offensive. 1t had to
be cooked right away if it was de-
sired to use it.
Among the exciting experiences of
the campaign was one with taran-
lula. One morning on awakening
something was felt on the cheek.
Without moving he asked his tent
mate to see what it was and was told
tu lie perfectly still If he wanted to
live. While the tent mate was get
ting stick the tarantula started up
across the face and stopped directly
over the eyes Of the thoroughly para
lyzed man. A smart blow with al
stick disloged the insect and saved
the life of the soldier who says that
he did not pay very much attention to
the blow in the face since it saved his
life!
Shortly after this experience the
regiment was started home. They
came on the transport "Grand Ouch
ess." Several Of the men who were
sick on board died and were buried at
sea. Among the number of sick was
Mr.. Wagner. He thinks that the one
thing that saved his life was deter
mination not to give up. Another
help to preserving it was the fact that
man in the cooking department was
bribed to bring delicacies suitable for
the sick from the officers mess.
The ordinary rations were fed to the |
sick and being totally unsuitable re |
suited in the death of several of the |
men who could not live on hard tack
and kindred articles of the soldiers
fare. Arrived at Montauk Point the |
sick man remained there for a week
when the efforts of his friends got him
release and he was taken to a hospital
where he received proper attention.
Had he remained there a few days
longer nothing on earth could have
saved him.
Since his recovery he has remained
in Wheeling but the air there is not
at all adapted to men in his weakened
condition and he has come to Morgan
town in the hope that he will be rid
Of the malaria from which he is still
suffering. 1t has taken the form of
an intermittent fever and an attack
seizes him on each alternate day even
now. These have become less violent
than they were at first and will event
ually disappear.
With all the hardshins and r,rixa |