The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-23

perform. We soon found ourselves on the
battlefield, in a fight which lasted three
days. But we are now back in our Old
camp. We were out four days altogether.
The last day Of the fight was much the
hardest, but I came through without a
scratch Two men were killed and six
or seven wounded in our company.
The first day we were out we were in
the reserve-the second on the firing line
and in action. The underbrush and
houses were so thick we could scarcely
see the enemy, so we just fired through
the houses and brush where thes most
| firing came from. After the battle was
over it was found that every house had
one or more dead negroes in it. The
third day we had TO go through an open
| field for about a mile and a half, facing
a heavy fire all the way, from a church
and breastworks the enemy had thrown
up during the night. It took us nearly
all day to cross this field, and had it not
been a rice field we could not have crossed
it at all. These rice fields are full of
ridges, from six to twelve inches high,
so as to hold the water. In our pursuit
we had 10 ford a river, the water coming
up to our necks. I had my rations in my
haversack, but they got so wet I threw
haversack and all away.
Our mascot, little boy about II or Il
years old, was shot through the leg.
When the doctor came to dress his wound
he said: do not bother with me, but
attend to the soldiers first" Or-yould
think a little boy of that age would cry
over being shot, but he did not shed
tear. When our regiment was in Cuba,
our sergeant was shot through the foot,
and in this battle he was shot through
the other one
There is no sickness in our regiment
that know Of The last fight I was in
was on the 10th, but only one battalion
of our regiment was engaged, so Claud |
and Clarence did not participate. It is |
expected today that we VII 1be moved over |
in the walled city, to do provost duty, |
and havea rest
As I cannot mail this for few days, I |
will write more later.
Since writing the above I have received |
your letter of February 6; also settlers |
from Arthur and Vina, in which they |
speak Of the good skating they are hav-
ing I have seen no ice since coming here;
not even artificial ice. I have Just re-
turned from the city, and while there l |
learned that a battalion of the Twenty |
second regulars had gone over to the little |
town where we had the fight on the 18th, |
and the negroes had surrounded them and |
gave them hard battle. Had we stayed |
there We no doubt would have been mixed
up in it ourselves. Loss, six killed and |
twelve wounded. A Spanish prisoner made
his escape during the fight and came over
to our boys and gave himself up. He said
the negroes had plenty of powder, nut
short of lead and chow chow
Some one of you write me once or twice
"a week, so that I will be sure to get
letter on every ship. We always know
beforehand the date Of the departure of
vessels for Frisco. One Will leave here
on the Both instant; so you can expect
another letter to follow this one shortly.
When [ am where I can write, I will mail
a letter on every ship bound for Frisco.
1t Is necessary to have our. letters franked
by an officer of the regiment. otherwise
it would cost us &c postage instead of DC.
Hoping you all are weF. and with love
to all, l remain, your affectionate brother
RUBY OLDFTEID.
company L, Twentieth Reg. L. ST