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

VII au'ance guard was in touch with
the Spaniards, and there had been n
skirmish between the latter and some
Cubans, who were repulsed. General
Wheeler made a 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
Shafter was afoat he had command
ashore.
l had succeeded in finding Texas,
my surviving horse, much the worse
for his fortnight on the transport and
his experience in getting of, but still
able to carry me.
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 led my squadron,
and Major Brodie followed with his.
1t was hard march, the hilly jungle
trail being sc 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 we're 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
packe end threw themselves on their
backs. Then at the word to start
they would spring into place again.
The captains and lieutenants tramped
along, encouraging the men by exam
pie and. word. A good part of the
time l was by Captain Llewellyn, and
was greatly pleased to see the way in
which ne 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.
1t 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 ne 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, Jared just as the
men did. Hardly had we finished
eating when the rain came, a regular
tropic downpour. We sat about, shell
tering ourselves as best we could, for
the hour Or two it lasted then the
fires were relightcd and VIC 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 see General
Young. as General Wheeler had in
structcd General Young to hit the
Spaniards, who were about four miles
away, as soon after daybre 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 privates; among the latter
were Sergeant Hamilton Fish and
Trooper Elliott 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-
durancc and dauntless courage, he
took naturally to soldier life. He