Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-05-27

and they never had to sleen on the
ground or in the rain-they had plenty
OF canvas and a plank bottom TO STOW
themselves on at night.
Inc names of the men who did this
necessary work so efficiently will never
De known to history. They were not
enrolled IN volunteer or regular COM
inahds. only a deep digging among
the humble and unilluminated pavroIIs
OF the commlssary generals depart
meht would ever bring them to light
Inc general run of Spanish trenches
differed from the American, in being mar
rover and deeper. The trenches nn -
Juan hill, when the Americans cant,,rad
Il, were about shoulder high, with hardIS,
room lor a man TO turn around These
VIZ, mete feTTidentiy made to stand up in only
certainly not to sit in nor to sleep in For
long distance firing and not TOD Ion.,
watches they answered the purpose adj
mirably. a Spaniard could lean aroins,
me fear wall of his trench ana fire from
that easy position with right shoulder
supported against the bank and his Jeft
Iool well braced against the forward
wall; or, for closer work he could iea1
forward on the front bank and fire with
ease and comfort.
When the Americans took possession of
them. Besides this, they put bags Of
earth on the bank nearest Santiago 10
add to their defensive strength. the
American trenches We're generally wide
put not deep. A lying-down position was
the idea in the minds Of the Americans.
Trenches, therefore, were dug so as TO af
iord room 70 stretch at fun length, with
mead 10 the enemy. AS a man Was NAT
supposed 10 stand up, but to fire living or
kneellng down, the Americans dug
trenches somewhat shallow iust deem
enough 10 allow man to sit down. back
10 the Santiago wall ana have his head
protected. The earth floor sluped slightly
Gunnybags filled with earth and placGd
on the 'front.' embankment they found
great additional protection. The men
poked their rifles through the crevices he
tween bags ana fired with much grearer
elaboration because head ana shoulders
We're better protected than before A
MauSer bullet that would "a rhrougb
twelve inches Of hardwood ana xiii a
man on the other side would get lost I'm
one ol these bags Of earth. The loose
art would catch il and defect il and NJ
terly Kill its riiing motion, 50 that IN
soon came 10 a rest. No case Is IN re-
cord where bullet Went tnrough a bae
gr bank Of earth. and hurt anybody This
Spanish trenches nearest the civ wrra
more like the American, being wide ana
not " much owing u Spanish rfiopepiy fdcas I
10 Inc local conditions. The Spaniar1s
simply took things as they found them
such as roads already IN existence. AMI
improved them somewhat.
The long trenches occupied INV the gar-
ond and Twentieth Infantry ana tha
Ninth Massachusetts Volunteers on I'M.
lett fiank O me line was a natural gully
once IN" bed Of a tributary Of the san
Juan river. There were thick bushes I'm
front Of The greater length Of III. Thr
work there was comparatively light. They
had only To shovel in earth for cross am
bankments ana slightly level up the floor
TO be well fixed. Some Of the regulars
dug special deep CrpsSCutS for their own
particular selves, making them still safer
p al the blockhouse on the right of
san Juan hill the twenty-fifth Infantry
tcOloTcd) spent days toiling iii the unf
sun. making over the old Spanish
trenches They widened them and com
pIetely covered the front crest with earth
bags three high. When they cot
through they had the safest trenches IN |
the whole line, and the most comfortable.
Here they could cook. eat and sleep with |
but small danger even under 4 heavy !
fire. Indeed, when the Americans had |
completed their trench work on the hills |
before santiago they could have held |
their position against an immense force |
Ihe decisive way in which they repulSpl !
that night attack on July >, showed wha
they could do with only partially com
pleted breaStworkS. Some companies
We're exceedingly ingenious in application
Of their ideas OF defence Several bomb
proof roofs were noted over parts Of the |
American line. Presumably, the men re-
tired under these when things We're com |
ing their way too fast ana they could 40 |
no good outside. Bamboo poles filled with |
earth We're used ~ strengthen the line at
other places.
The courage Of the Spanish sharpshoot-
erS, who perched themselves in the trees
before Santiago ana did signal damage IL |
the Americans was never properly appre-
ciated by the men Of the American army |
Here We're a lot of men despatched with |
instructions to get out OF sight some
where and do all possible harm to adj |
Vancing American troops. And we don't |
care if YOU never come back. was the
substance Of the parting message hurled |
into their ears as they left on this mis- |
sion of almost certain death. They took |
IL,
cigarette paper ana tobacco ana al the !
Mauser cartridges they could pack in the |
pockets Of their paiama suits. Then |
climbing into the little lunches of vegeta- |
tiOn that stuck out from the tops of he |
palm trees scattered around. they awaited |
the advancing American army to begin |
operations. Wherever they saw an Amer |
lean torso they fired They had far |
Their Mauser rifles made no more noise |
than 50 many popguns ana threw out no |
more smoke than the cigarettes they |
pufftd between WhileS
The Americans were confused by this |
fire. These almost silent bullets. coming |
from nowhere in particular, with only |
quick ping! 10 announce their messages |
of death, We're confusing and bewilder- |
ing. The braVeSt perceptiby wilted un- |
der the sharpShooters' fire. much hard |
er thing to stand up under, though lighter |
in attack. than trench firing.
To locate these fellows was usually |
difficult matter: but once located it was |
iii up with the poor Sraniard. The gen
eral mode of disposing of a Spanish |
sharDshooter caught in action was SIM |
BE but decisive The Americans usually |
circled the tree and VolleYed till their |
man came tumbling down. The member |
of the Twelfth Infantry who accounted |
for the death of one of these poor fellows |
by the grave declaration to the surgeon |
that 1.-THE fall killed him, | guess" must |
have been a bit of a humorist, for when |
the surgeon out Of professional curiosity
looked over the body he counted sever /
Krag bullet wounds.
Very few of these SharpshooterS vino |
were sent out to harass the Americans |
in this way ever saw their Spanish homes |
again. They were taking long chances. |
And they knew this when they went. |
Two Of them We're seen in the Sboney |
hospital. They had been dislOdged from |
their trees near San Juan hill a few days |
6efore one had five krag bullets in him !
and the other six; both had shattered |
legs from their falls, and both We're dy |
ing. one of them could speak English a |
little Me shot seventeen of you Amer |
icanos." he boasted feebly before he died. |
No doubt he spoke the truth, They had |
great opportunities to do damage and !
they took full advantage of them.
When the American army advanced 50 |
rapidly toward Santiago on July l many |
Snanish sharpshOoters We're left behind |
their lines This gave them a chance to /
fire from the rear, almost demordliznS |
the Americans and causing them to think |
for a time that their own comrades were
firing into them. Most of these We're |
pvantuallV treed. Discovered. their finish /