The record-union., 1899-05-29
WAS WOUNDED At SAN JUAN.
]. E. JEFFORDs NOW GOING TO
MANILA.
Though Shot Down in Cuba He is
Anxious to Take the Aguin-
aldo Outfit.

When war with Spain was declared
J. E. Jeffords, then a railroad employe
of this city, enlisted in Company Z.
Sixteenth United States Infantry, then
stationed in the State of Washington,
and of which he is now Sergeant.
And since then he has seen service-has
stood where the hail of lead fell thick
and fast; bore his part in the Cuban
campaign; marched through the heat,
the rain and the darkness of night; cut
his way through mesquite brush, the
while a target for a hidden foe; forded
rushing torrents; ate army beef;
lived for days on hardtack and bacon Ga
very little bacon); marched all day
with his company up the incline to San
Juan Hill, and just before the final
charge, resulting in its capture, was
stricken down by a Mauser bullet, and
yet he lives to tell about it.
j. E. Jeffords is home again. His
regiment passed through this city yes
terday en- route from its station on the
plains, for the Philippines, and he was
granted short leave of absence by his
regimental commander. He arrived in
this city about 2:30 o'clock yesterday
afternoon and spent the remainder of
the day shaking hands with old friends,
and in answer to a shower of inquiries
recounted bits of his experience in the
Cuban campaign.
He is a modest young man, is JEFF
fords, and in his interview with
Record Union" reporter he had little
to say about himself except what was
drawn from him by direct questions.
The Sixteenth regulars, according to
his story, had business on their hands
from the instant they landed on Cuban
soil. They landed on June 10th and
were introduced to a fight Immediately,
but it was the fight at San Juan on
which he dwelt. They marched from
Siboney to within six miles of San Juan
HILL where they went iISo camp. AT
$50 O'Clock on July 1st they turned out,
and four hours later took up their
march toward the hill 1t was through
tangled thickets, swollen streams, up
hill and down, with Spanish sharpshoot-
ers in trees cracking at them all the
time.
1T was 2:3O O'Clock" said Jeffords,
when we stormed the hill, but did not
go with the boys. Just as the word was
passed to charge there was a crack
something like a childs pistol, and 1
went down. l knew that I was hit but
thought at first a she'll had burst
overhead and 1 had been struck with a
splinter. / was dazed for about two
minutes, and when 1 commenced get
ting on my feet a bullet cut through
my blouse and shirt and scared my
shoulder, and another struck my rifle,
damaging it. While this was going on
the Sixteenth had got up the hill and
the regimental f1ag-the first one plant
ed on the hill by our men-was flying
where that of the Spaniards had fioated
all day.
When I got back to Siboney I
waited twenty-four hours to have my
wound dressed, but 1 had no kick Why,
there were 800 men worse hurt than I
was, and only four or five surgeons to
take care of them, and while waiting
my turn I kept hugging myself to think
how lucky had been.
About the beef? Well, if I had a
dog I wanted to kill 1 would give him
four cans of it and it would be all off
We We're short of rations before San
Juan, but there was no grumbling, as
every bit of food had to be packed on
mules from Siboney over a mountain
road. I'm going to San Francisco in
the morning, and I understand we are
to sail for the Philippines in a few
days. The men in my company are all
anxious to make the trip. Most of
them, however, were not through the
Cuban campaign. We have nearly a
new outfit
Jeffords' mother is in San Francisco
waiting for him to arrive at that city,
and he will leave on the morning train.