Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-04-18
CUTTING THE WIRES.

After his long illness Gray has so far
recovered that we have brought him
from Williams down here to Albuquer-
que. and today l have kept him for
hours on the sunny side Of an adobe
hut. where the warm sunshine and pure
air 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.
though he still complains of the sore
places 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
left him. SO let him lead the CONVEX
sation as he seemed inclined. CHANGING
up 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
campaign?" asked
"Well, | was thinking of it, and |
might as well talk as to think. still
dream about it, or rather live it all over
in my sleep. and begin to think it will
be my nightmare as long as live.
~ always begin my dreams when we
laid down in little open space in the
jungle to let the rough riders and the
colored regiments pass stretched out
on my back and watched the clouds
float in from the ocean and roll up the
hill till they were lost in the forest
"Capron's battery came by and turn
ed to the left to take position. watch
ed the horses straining at the collar, the
drivers cursing and the cannoneers jolt
ing on the caissons and it flashed
through my mind that they would soon
be in it, and here we lay like drones.
Why didn't the call sound?
up ahead l could hear the contin-
uous crack of the Krag- Jorgensens
and, gripping my old Springfield tight,
| breathed silent prayer that might
use it.
II think we must have laid there
full half hour. To me it seemed an
eternity before the welcome bugle call
Fall int put us all on our feet. We
dropped down into the ditch called
road. and moved forward until we came
to a stream. No one thought of taking
off shoes or rolling up trousers, but with
blanket roll and rifle held at the Shout
der we plunged in.
II heard the ping of spent rifle
ball. and saw the splash as it struck the
water This was the first intimation
had that we were within range of the
Spanish rifles.
AFTER crossing the stream we OBJ
liqued 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 and
twigs. 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 down
we went in the tall, wet grass. The
first of the wire entanglelnents was
about 800 feet ahead OF rs
"A rough rider passed us, going to-
ward the rear He said not word,
though his right arm hung limp and
the blood dropped from the ends of his
fingers.
LAT that moment battery opened
to our right in the rear. but we heard
no response by artillery.
1.-The bullets seemed to rain down on
us like overripe fruit from a tree that
had been Jared by some heavy blow.
The enemy evidently had the range of
that hill and had seen us lie down, for
they were shooting low and the bullets
were Kissing their way through the
grass Corporal Butler lay beside me.
and, leaning over, he said, in his rich
Glare county brogue: 'Sargint, do yez
hear thin erasshoppers Well, mebby
there won be miny a poor divil that'll
wisht he d niver bin so clost while they
wuz singin. Poor fellowl Hammond
writes ME that a 'grasshopper' found
him not 20 minutes after I left; not
groan or culver, his head simply drop
ping on his hands
while the bullets hun ted for us the
sun found us. The very earth steamed,
and we almost gasped for breath. My
thirst became something terrible.
1T makes me thirsty now to think
of my awful desire for drink of water
at that time.
LAS we lay there lieutenant of the
signal corps. tall chap. who. as l re-
member him, looked like you. came out
of the jungle and, walking erect, went
about 80 yards in front Of us. where he
coolly adjusted his fieldglass and in
spected the works on the crest Of the
hill. What target be was for those
Spanish sharpshooters! Yet the shower
his action called forth did not seem to
disconcert him in the least. and when
he had finished his survey he returned
the glasses to their case. swung on his
heel and walked back
"How envied himl He was doing
something, while there | lay, doing
nothing bnt await orders
General Wheeler came by as uncon-
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