The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-08

ton ADVANCE SudIu Wae III Ioucu Will
the Spaniards, and there had been a
skirmish between the latter and some
Cubans, who were repulsed. General
Wheeler made reconnaissance in per
son, found out where the enemy was,
and directed General Young to take
our brigade and move forward SO as to
strike him next morning. He had the
power to do this, as when General
lShafter was afoat he had command
ashore.
I had succeeded in finding Texas,
my surviving horse, much the worse
for his fortnight on the transport and
his experience in getting off, but still
able to carry nae.
1t was mid-afternoon and the tropic
sun was beating fercely down when
Colonel Wood started our regiment
the First and Tenth Cavalry and some
of the infantry regiments had already
marched. Colonel Wood himself rode
in advance, while l led my squadron,
/, and Major Brodie followed with his.
1t was hard march, the billy jungle
trail being so narrow that often We
had to go in single file. We marched
fast, for Wood was bound to get US
ahead Of the other regiments, SO as to
be sure Of our place in the body that
struck the enemy next morning. If it
had not been for his energy in push
ing forward, we should certainly have
missed the fight. AS it was, we did
not halt until we were at the extreme
front.
The men were not in very good
shape for marching, and moreover they
were really horsemen, the majority be-
ing cowboys who had never done much
walking. The heat was intense and
their burdens very heavy. Yet there
was very little struggling. Whenever
we halted they instantly took off their
packs and threw themselves on their
backs. Then at the word to start
they would spring into place again.
The captains and lieutenants trsmped
along, encouraging the men by exam
pie and word. A good part Of the
time I was by Captain Llewellyn, and
was greatly pleased to see the way in
which he kept his men up to their
work. He never pitied or coddled his
troopers, but he always looked after
them. He helped them whenever he
could and took rather more than his
full share Of hardship and danger, so
that his men naturally followed him
with entire devotion. Jack Greenway
was under him as lieutenant, and to
him the entire march was nothing but
an enjoyable outing, the chance of
fight on the morrow simply adding the
needed spice Of excitement.
It was long after nightfall when we
tramped through the darkness into the
squalid coast hamlet Of Siboney. AS
usual when we made night camp, we
simply drew the men up in column Of
troops, and then let each man lie down
where he was. Black thunder-clouds
were gathering. Before they broke
the fires were made and the men cook
ed their coffee and pork, some frying
the hardtack with the pork. The
officers, of course, fared just as the
men did. Hardly had we finished
eating when the rain came, regular
tropic downpour. We satabout, shell
tering ourselves as best we could, for
the hour or two it lasted: then the
fires were relightcd and We closed
around them, the men taking off their
wet things to dry them, so far as pos
sible, by the blaze
Wood had gone off to scc={icneral
Young, as General Wheeler had in
structed General Young to hit the
Spaniards, who were about four miles
away, as soon after daybreak as pos
sible. Meanwhile I strolled over to
Captain Capron's troop. He and I,
with his two licutenants, Day and
Thomas, stood around the fire, togeth-
er with two or three non commissioned
officers and priyates; among the latter
we're Sergeant Hamilton Fish and
Trooper Elicit Cowdin, both OF New
! York. Cowdin, together with two
other troopers, Harry Thorpe and
Munro Ferguson had been on my Oys-
ter Bay Polo Team for some years be-
fore. Hamilton Fish had already
shown himself one Of the best non
commissioned officers We had. A huge
fellow, Of enormous strength and en-
, durance and dauntless courage, he
took naturally to soldier life. He
never complained and never shirked