The times., 1899-02-26


soldier man shot through the thigh, still
stood there in the little glade, standing guard |
something something that 1t was impos-
sible TO believe was the gallant fellow mad
seen the day before pusating with life and
energy, and wholly devoted to relieving the
suffering Cf his fellows.
Amt it awful?'' said the wounded soldier, as
he the shocked expression upon my face
when | caught sight of that picture OF deccn-
position and decay. Amt il awful? And. you
know, when the road is bit quiet, the vultures
come swooping down, coming nearer with every
flight, and the land-crabs creep IN the jungle
all around me. and have 10 drive 'em both
away with sticks aud stones the best l can, hut
Won bet won't leave him alone; ! won't
He dressed this here leg for me only five min
uteS before he was shot"
Mr.. Bonsal gives unstinted praise to one
other factor in the Cuban campaign the
negro troops. He says in describing the
scenes which took place at little water
hole where the men had gathered 10
quench their thirst:
While We talked, black corporal Of the Twen-
ty-iourth Infantry walked wearily up TO the wa
Ter hole He was muddy and bcdraGgied lie
carried no cup or cantecn, and stretched hnSci
ont the stepping stones in the stream, So
ping up the and the mud together cut oi
the shallow pool. \ whlJc cavalry man ran
toward hIm, shouting; Hold on, buhhe' mere
my cup The negro looked dazed moment
and rot a few ot spectators showed ailiiZa'
mont for such thing had rarely, ii ever.
happened in the army before. ''Thauk you, said
the black corporal. ''Well, we are all lighting
under the same flag now And Sc .ie drank
out Of the white mans cup. ! was glad TO sec
that | not the only man who had come 10
recognize the justice of certain constitutional
amendments. in the light OF the gallant be-
layior oI the colored troops throughout the bat,
tie. and. indeed, the campaign. The fortune OF
had Of something To do with 1t IN
presenting the cnlored troops the opportuni
ties Tor distinguished service, OF which they in
varably ayailcd themselves to the fullest extent;
hut the confidence of the general officers in their
superb callantry. which the event proved To he
net misplaced had still more, and ii Is fact
that the services Of 80 four white regiments can
he compared with those rendered by the four col
orcd regiments. the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry. the
Twenty fourth and Twenty fifth Infantry. They
To the front al La Guasima. at Caney and
at san Juan, and what was the severest test
of ALL that came later, in the yellow fever hos
pitals.
In another place he says of the Twenty
fourth Infantry. when ordered to Siboney
on guard duty that when the yellow fever
, hospital at that place was found 10 be in
desperate need of nurses, this regiment
, was drawn up in line and the needs of
the suffering and the dangers OF the serv-
ice were explained. The major in COM
mand then asked all who wished 10 volun-
teer as nurses to step forward. The whole
I
chosen. and within two days forty-two of
them were seriously i'll with fever Again
the regiment was assembled, and nurses
asked for. and again every man stepped
forward. OF the three hundred and TWEEN
ty men who remained or duty during the
! forty days spent at this pest-hole, only
/ twent y-four escaped without serious ILL
ness.
/ When volunteers for the Merrimac ex-
] 4 !, I,1lI Ix
an evidence of the splendid spirit of the
American navy that whole ships crew
wanted to go. Yet that expedition was
! known to be one in which the volunteers
! would win certain fame. Was it less he
| roic for an entire regiment to volunteer
for duty in yellow-fever hospital. with
out hope of reward or promotion, after a
vivid object lesson of the danger involved
in such task? More than 10 per cent
of these men died in that hospital; and a
still larger number were discharged from
the service owing to disabilities resulting
! from their illness there. Mr.. Bonsal re-
cords that he met them on their way tC
Siboney, marching in pitch black night
through mud knee deep. and singing one
OF their old hymns. And it was of the
same Twenty-fourth, on the day of battle
that this story is told. The correspondent
met Liscum, the colonel of the regiment
was being helped to the rear by two o.
his men. They were taking him to tn,
division hospital three miles away. Sud
denly one of the men gave joyful ex.
clamation, and shouted, Don't you heal
'em. colonel?'
The colonel heard nothing. Said tn
trooper:
Why, don't You hear our boys singing on tn
hill? Colonel you give 'em the right steer
al nrI latrfe II
let you know il. slIah, suah. ] take my oath
Colonel, they amt regiment in the arm
, that can sing like that but the old Twenty
( fourth.
That regiment evidently faces death witt
song, whether in camp or on field
There is considerable fun in the book
sandwiched in between the horrors, as ex.
perience followed experience. Under tn,
date Of July We have an amusing story
of smart young man who appeared a
headquarters evidently with high expec
tations. In part it runs as follows:
He wore smart English rain-coat. and cal
ned silyer-knobbed cane. He was evideutl
IN very bad temper, at which wof
t deTed. for the bottom seemed to have droppe
2 out Of the whole countryside. Our ponchOe
1 even were leaking, all the fires had been drdwr
4 ed out. and there wasn't match in the whol
mess 10 light a pipe with. There som
mild betting in progress in ltardtaCks for
! change. 10 how long IL would lee before n
l valley in which camped would become a
q arm OF the sea, when the young gentleman
question stTulled up 10 where We were drppin
{ in our hammocks, and said: Il am Major -,
9 Colorado
"Ah, We heard that rc-cnforccrncnts wei
: ! coming, came from one Of the lamnocks. TO
8 lowed by suppressed laughter from the Others.
n The major went on to say that he wa
attached to the staff of certain general
I l,a cod tf.,- l,a1
pers, and he would give $500 for a null
or even a burro. He had applied to I'll
official in charge at Siboney. who had tol
him that the only way in which he coul
q send his visitor up to the front was
y pork, or something that the boys coul
eat. So the major had walked. He bC
s lieved that he owed his appointment mair
u ly to his knowledge of photography an
his church influence" The author goo
D on to say:
on the following day but one. without i
o Photographic material, without even his raj
= coat, which someone had ''rustlod" during
. interude of sunshine. the ior reached &c
eral IS headquarters, and stood a latter
n | picture Of perspiring wUe before MS new chi,
y chanced 10 be near at the moment.
s Right glad TO You, major said t
II unfortunate general, Whose miscellaneous coll,
: tion Of staff officers was known throughout I
! army as the "menagcrie." Right glad 10
you. Brought any grub? No? Well. I'm :,
!. ~. Los, your outfit? Too bad You had bctl
u hustle out the Cauey road a bit. | saw a re.
&C ment Of volunteers wading along thorc sh,
IS while ago and they 10 drop s0rnethu
e Perhaps You may pick up a blanket a sh
= ter-tent half; but if you don't shake down an
e where. rs very easy TO shake down in the mu
- you know"
- The poor major! He did look sorry and pei
- tent. He had come too late to be the hero
= San Juan; he had lost his Photographic outi
/ and could no longer help on his operations
II taking snapshots. He evidently wunderi
al 10 himself what in the world he lad come f
& So the general, but lie was touched at