The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19
NOT STORIES OF HER0ISM.
,WO rLAIN INCIDENTS or THE SAN
TIIGO CAMPAIGN.

A n1E lN#FN ltNl'N VI hllt ANU 1lIlbll
Climb we're seated around a table, Tho club is
.ompn.ed OF houorably discharged volunteers
whose experiences and observations during
,ho s,ntisl, campaign convinced them that
water drinking Is the root Of all disease. The
o'pb,s hv.'aws provide that under no rrovoca-
,,on whatever shall a member use water us n
hayerage The fines provided for hncksliders
,o,e, from the urice Of a round OF beer up TO
almost any old sum that the delinquent will
,i,nJ 4 member who has dallied with Gro
ION or any other brand of water is isolated
from other club members for one week follow
ipe the commission OF the offence. This Is
referred t. in the hy.laws rs a wise and neces-
sory PROVISION against The possibilities OF con-
,ocion Members with a katzenlammCr are
permitted to take nne drought OF water in the
morning. pr rvided il is mixed with some fluid
nj a more hcalrhful nature. The club is cir
culating a petition. which will he forwarded To
the S~ecrctary Of War. that gives the typhoid
statistics uCthe Cuban camTaign. attributes full
NGU Ter cent. OF the deaths to water drinking
and resi- e'tluiIv rrays that in the future both
regulars and volunteers shall I've supplied with
lvht California wines for their cantecns, to be
used instead of water as n leverage.
The routine business of the club having been
disposed Of the President hammered on the
table with his stein and said:
"a. previous meetings each member has
demonstrated in his narrative that he Vas a
hero from HeIoyillr and the first man to reach
the bIockhouee oH san Juan Hill. At this and
future meetings no member will be permitted
TO charge the enemy. kill a Spaniard or haul
OWL a Spanish flag, II any member present
car tell n war story without committing one of
these offences. let him proceed"
The member viii the square. determined
looking Jaw took ur the challenge and began:
"Dii | ever tell YOU fellows how Lieut.. Bill
kips prepared Company y to land in Cuba UNI
der fire II the enemy? 1t was while the trans
ports were anchored in the lower bay a: Tampa
before starting for Cuba. 1t was announced
that on the arrival Of the troops in Cuba they
would have to lend on u shallow coast in small
boats and under fire. Consequently. we all
had boat practice. one red hot MONDAY Lieut..
BilKins loaded COMPANY X into boats and start
ed for the shore OF the bay. about a mile and a
half distant. The men pulled and perspired
~pan.ully. Half a mile from shore the boats
grounded and the men waded the rest OF the
way. Tley we're suIp0sed to lie under fire
from the time they lett the transport and went
through the motions OF loading and firing as
they waGed in 10 the beach.
What was their aIlazement on reaching
the shore. still supposedly under fire. to he or
dered TO strip To the skin, hang their clothes
VI Il lllNh lllI3' hl4'A nc Va nv. S'lili Al NlIt
scorchlng rays Of a, semi-tropical sun. .Du.
tiousIy but dutiiuliy. they obeyed orders.
Lieut.. Bilklns is n good fellow and Il brave Of
fcer. but some Of his BRAN cells must have
been unhattoncI that day; For what do you
men TO buckle their cartridge belts around
their naked waists. grab their rifles and
gallon for a mile down the beach in pur-
suit OF imaginary Spanlarus; Then they
mSrsTeqii the? thew l S%5S1T' ike a E'f lot Of 5fo; arm 5@f
dirnant southerners, who lived in houses
near the shore, got out their shotguns and
that the Toys narrowly escaped being pep
But; that wasn't the finish, When they
reached the place where they, left their cloth;
ing they were ordered to lie down on the sand
and rest, The sun was Just 0s hot as ever; 50
was the sand, One Of the boys said that the
odor Of scorching flesh reminded him Of the
she used TO, cook, scrapple. By the time the
boys were done brown and well basted with
respiration the uniforms were dry. Lieut.;
he personally inspected the duds TO see that
they we're not damp. or chilly. He didn't pro;
pose to have any Of the men in Company X
laid 10 with colds or pneumonia. The Their
mometers on the transports were sizzling and
spOutlng steam like a lot of tenkettles. HaN-
enough To wear. the Lieutenant told the men
10 put them on; Then he ordered them TO
wade out TO the boats. The water was lust as
they pulled out TO the TRANSPORT.
Halt al hour later three other companies
Ing Lieut.. Bilk'insI.:ianid rut 1t to bed Say.
you should have seen those men! The uri-
yate that | was detailed 10 undress and put 10
bed, suffered cus5 words so last that you
couldn't tell half the time what language he
was sweafriGG Ia; u! bet it made th Et record 6nij
III / am ordered to wade OF swim ashore
in Cuba III do my best TODD il. But when |
get there III he BANKED and double, banked
II III do the undressing act under fire. hang
ny duds on a bush. and then stand around IN
thesand until the Sraniards and sun combined
have made a irica-seed ~sieve.Of me-
Then he began 10 cuss again. and when |
let him 1t sounded AS i he were repeating
ters OF, Genesis against, time. Company \
made tho voyage TO Cuba swathed in sweet
oil and cotton batting. and there were no more
uhdress drills IN that regiment
An ex-Rriyate who had, confessed 70 taking
sccItfntally a swaIlow Of water while brush;
N 81. aid iee! "T6 f3Id rem,n wfs'G me- 20 Of com n ANY, =.
first night Oh outpost duty near Sevilla; The
OUTPOST was on, the ridge of a big hill over
Juan Hill. The hillside below the ridge was
denSeiy covered with thicket. Can't. Smithers
was the, commander Of Company Y, He was
a s3oi little man with an abnormaily deyel-
In'"d responsibilities faster than a eat can
annk mix. AZ then he passed them on t.
that was depressing.
At dusk that first, night Can't. Sm!ther5
- q ', - up CIV ~ l'l'h''o 1919 VIZ ~
oiihe hui was one Of them; III never for
get the look II dark forehoding on the Cap
tam ; ACE ns he inspected Us, Then ne gave
Us a hal hour talk in Il bunch. First he i'm
pressed upon US our dread responsibilities
Then he imrarted the cheerful information
mat plcE"ts on OUTPOST we've invariably Killed
i'Calr was impossible In the event Of an at
'acE. and there would inevitably be one tina
night, We were ali dead men. IL the enemi
Hldh I shoot us tho reserve thirty yards IN oui
rear wuHId undoubtedly do So az we fell back
men lie preached = solemn. ante mortem fu'
neral sermon over us in n body.
Say, follows, BY the time he got through
td!Elng ! considered myself n corpse: ] wa
scared So that | was ready 10 is my Kite an
axe chances on swimming back TO Florida
linen as he posted each ricket he delivered
nltln PERSONAL, lecture and condoled with th'
POOR fellow. wh- the last man he posted
Jones, said he, i regret to give you TINS
10Y because I've always liked You, But Iul.l
u ultY, lou see that opening in the lhlcket
,MtI. me. 81 anish Army will probably come
..hr"EEl hat Your post will be- ~undpuhicdl
~" point II attack. OF course, thore Is ~
hnve that YOU will get back TO our Ines aIlE'
~. a"nr in mind that the lives OF the ehttr'
tiNP rest on your shoulders. II YOU see th'
Ieds' movement OF hear the least sound, hre
nhl k"'h irlng until YOU are mot; Let M
90 l"-,. I've got your mothers address, hh'
We her that you died braEeIy. henehl
'rd IRE at tho least soundn "
Ia, men he shock my hand and SAID gooh-Dy
When he left me- leaned against a tree am
HiAIpl II thu E.,s.h 4 rp, had pnnlR thnl