Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-04-28
CUTTING THE WIRES.

After his long illness Gray has so far
covered that we have brought him
from Williams down here to Albuquer-
que, and today have kert him for
hours on the sunny side of an adobe
nut, where the warm sunshine and pure
cir seem to bring back to his cheeks
some of the old color which suffused his
handsome face when we first went into
camp last May.
His wounds have apparently healed,
ylaces under his arms, and on chilly
nights when he coughs so terribly we
are fearful that the wound will break
out afresh.
Today he seemed to want to talk of
cuba the first time since his delirium
eft him. so let him lead the conyer-
sttion as he seemed inclined. CHANGING
np at the mountains. he remarked,
Captain, the clouds floating over those
hills remind me of the day we moved
up toward San Juan.
Cant you tell me something of that
aampaignr' asked.
well. was thinking of it. and |
might as we'll talk as to think | still
dream about it. or rather live il all over
IN my sleep, and / begin to think it will
he my nightmare as long as live.
II always begin my dreams when we
laid down in little open srace in the
iHngle to let the rough riders and the
Goiored regiments pass | stretched out
IN my back and watched the clouds
f1at in from the ocean and roll up the
hill till th,y were lost in the forest.
"CaprOn $ battery came by and turn
ed to the left to take position. watch
"a the horses straining at the collar, the
drivers cursing and the cannoneers jolt
,ag on the caissons, and it flashed
t5rongh my mind that they would soon
Je IN it, and here we lay ike drcnes.
Wny didn' the call solnlY
up ahead could hear the contin,
uous crack of the Krag-Jorgensens,
and. gripping my old Springfield tight,
/ breathed Il silent prayer thai | might
use 1t.
II think we must have laid there a
fll half hour. To me if seemed an
eternity before the welcome hugle cal
-Fail inr put Us all on car feet. We
dTruped down into the ditch called d
.oad, and moved forward until we came
80 stream No one thought of taking
Gif shoes or rolling up trousers, bat with
5lanket roll and rife held at the shoul
Ter we plunged in.
II heard the ping of spent rife
3aii and saw the splash as it struck the
ater. This was the first intimation
lad that we were within range of the
1panish rifles.
After crossing the stream we OBJ
!iqued to the right, through the cha
parral, and could hear the bullets sing
ing their songs of death as they passed
over our heads, clipping leaves ant
wigs am sure was not frightened
Fear had given place to the intense de
sire to get into the fight.
when we reached the open. the or
der-to lie down was repeated, and dowl
we went in the tall, wet grass. Th'
first of the wire entanglements wa
about 800 feet ahead of US
"A rough rider passed us, going TO
ward the rear He said not word
though his .ight arm hung limp an(
the blood dropped from the ends of hi
!ngers.
'.At that moment a battery opened
a., &l,n h1t Sya hAnr.
no response by artillery.
1.-The bullets seemed to rain down OF
ns like overripe fruit from tree tina
had been Jared by some heavy blow
The enemy evidently had the range o
that hill and had seen us lie down. fo
they were shooting low and the bullet
were Kissing their way through tn
grass Corporal Butler lay beside me
and. leaning ever. he said in his ricl
Glare county brogue: 'Sargint. do ye
hear thin erasshoppers? Well, mebb.
there won't be miny poor divil that !
wisht he d niver bin so clost while the.
wuz singin Poor fellow Hammond
writes me that 'grasshopper' fount
him not 30 minutes after | left; not ;
groan or quiver, his head simply drop
ping on his hands.
"While the bullets hunted for us tn
sun found us. The very earth steamed
and we almost gasped for breath. M.
thirst became something terrible.
ut makes me thirsty now to thinl
of my awful desire for drink of waite
at that time
LAS we lay there lieutenant of tn
signal corps. tall chap. who. as | re
member him. looked like you, came on
of the jungle and, walking erect, wen
about SO yards in front of us, where h
coolly adjusted his fieldglass and in
spectsd the works on the crest of tn
hill What a target he was for thos
Spanish sharpshooters Yet the Shove
his action called forth did not seem t
disconcert him in the least. and whel
he had finished his survey he returned
the glasses to their case, swung on hi
heel and walked back.
'.How ! envied him He was doinl
something while there lay, doing
nothing but await orders.
General Wheeler came by as uncon