Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-08-30
THE VOLUNTEER.
60
A Sketch of the
Cuban War.

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With the intensity of tropicaI 6av
the sun seemed 10 expend its entire
force of furnace heat upon the unshel-
tered spot in front of Santiago. where
lay a grievously wounded American
soldier boy. The wide. tortured cyc~ Of
the youth stared fearfully upward To
the glazing zenith. past the foul birds
watching his suii,riL-s with calculat-
ing vision and waiting for their human
feast which seemed sure 10 come He
thought with sickening brain Of his
northern home-the green hills. the
running streams. the dear mother.
Tears welled MP into his aching orbs.
and the hut drops crept down his cheeks
He did not try 10 wipe them away He
could not. A Mauser bullet had struck
him in the thigh. another in the rieht
arm and another in the left He was
helpless. But what matter, The dead
could not see. and the mother would
probably never know how ne had nobly
fought even II the gates Of death At
his feet lay the dead body of a Cuban.
black and burly. slain 10y the bullet Of
Spanish sharpshooter. For these Gu
bans he was dying for them he had
come TO help free the island from the
tyranny Of Spanish rule.
Then he recalled the events Of that
day at San Juan hill The American
troops had been on their feet since day
break. There was scanty breakfast,
and rs the men ate it there were indi-
cations of the coming clash OF arms
The files on the march to the firing line
were closed up. Every sense was alive.
The bugle sounded. and then came the
order To advance. The tempest of mus
kerry and shrapnel through which they
moved forward drove like storm of
steel into the faces of the men. but
nothing could resist the imperious ad-
vance, and the first line Of the enemy
was swept away.
The battle grew. Here and there
soldier went down. but the column
stood firm. The officers marched close
by the men. Sometimes through the
smoke they caught glimpse Of the
colonel leading on in front
The din increased. The earth seemed
reeling underfoot. Shells burst with
horrid shrek and flung out quick
death. Still the men pushed on. An
officer picked mp the gun of a man who
had fallen and spoke a CHEEKY word.
The Spanish artillery and the far
reaching Mausers swept within GER
tain limit every inch of ground, hut
with firm and rapid step that unfiinch-
ing column moved forward
Louder grew the tumult. and thicker
came the angry messengers \ sharp
cry of pain, and one of the men is help
ed to the rear. The bullets came hotter
and faster from the Spanish in the
trenches and from the blockhOuses.
More comrades stretched ont quietly
with the death mark on their faces.
There was no time for words only a
mad swelling Of the heart and throb-
bing of the brain. \ deadly thirst for
blood dried mp all other feeling as an
other man was lifted back
Suddenly cool voice they had heard
before rang out an order Come on.
boys ChargeI And the thin line rushed
through the smoke and advanced up the
hill With a cheer they answered the
fiery blast that swept into their faces
with sudden fury. The air seemed in
stinct with leaden life. and volley after
volley pealed forth from the deadly
rifles
For one awful moment the men fall
tered Groans of agony and hoarse com
mands mingled, and all around Ameri-
can soldiers lay down 10 die But the
check was only momentary, and on into
the jaws of death the column went.
Every man leaned forward as though
breathing heavy wind. From right.
left and front they felt the pounding of
the enemy's guns. and shrapnel swel
through the ranks like hail.
On the summit of the hill the block
house swarmed with the foe, dimly seen
through putting lines Of smoke from our
guns. The Spanish We're iptrenched-
Americans in the open. But never
mind Forward And soon the foreign
foe was driven back and the stronghold
captured.
Half way down the slope. as the vic
tors pursued the flying enemy, with
ering blast of MauSer bullets swept
across the open ground. ana the boz
who now lay dying in the open space
In the tall grass fell forward with a ball
In his thigh. y comraGc ran To his as
sistance. and he made his way painful