Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-08-02

ave didn't have any more trouble In
getting back to the fort, though we
crossed a number Of warm trails Of
bands. l met the chief when he came
Into the fort long time after to make
peace, and he told me how many times
he had shot at me on that trip and
couldn't understand how ii was that
he never got me-
"The wound that got at Los Quay
mas, in Cuba, was another lucky one.
too. You remember Sellers, how A and
B troops of the regiment were lined up
that day at the foot of the hill, and
we were getting perfect hell of fire
from the Spanish entrenched up on
top Of the hill2 Well, 1 was walking
up and down before my battalion, and
had orders to hold them fast to pro-
tect our right flank from the enfilade
fire on the right. I had just turned
around and waved my glove at them to
hold fast, and dropped my hand to my
side again, when Mauser struck me
in the arm. If hadn't dropped my
arm lust as I did, the ball would have
cut me straight through the center
It turned me around and knocked me
down, but in a short time | gathered
myself up, went to the rear to see how
badly 1 was hit, and found that the
bone was badly shattered. 1t was
three days before 1 had the wound at
tended to. There was a lump on the
inside of my arm, and when the sur
peon examined it he said 1t was a piece
OF bone sticking out, and that he would
have to cut 1t out. He made cut across
the lump and out popped the bullet
wrong end first. If 1t had come straight
as most of them do, 1t would never
have stopped In the arm, but went on
straight through me.
"The following day I wandered
around back of the firing line trying to
help the poor fellows that were worse
off than was, and I remember seeing
one of the A troop boys-Buck O'Niells
company, coming down the road with
tears running down his cheeks and
thought he must be wounded badly
He saw me and yelled;
"'Hello, major, where is the firing
Incl 1 told him it was away on ahead
In the other direction, but the fight
was over.
"Then he seemed to feel worse than
ever, and broke out with as choice a
lot of ornamental cuss words as | ever
heard a mule driver get rid of, and
wound up by saying:
otis a shame that Teller comes
all the way here from Arizona to fight
and then gets knocked out by the eli
mate within few yards Of the firing
line
"That forced march was the hardest
I ever saw. Packed down with about
80 pounds of blankets, rations and 9TH
er stuff in that hot country, we double
ouicked right by the regulars, that
were coming up at good stiff gait, too
right straight into trouble. Fellows
would drop out of the ranks along the
line Of march like they were shot, some
of 'em wouldn't come to for day OF
two after and some never were right
afterwards.
TEDDY Roosevelt came over to my
tent at four o'clock in the morning
after the fight and woke me up to tel
me that the Arizona boys made his
regiment. He said he knew that knew
II. but wanted to tell me that he knew
1t and wanted to tell 1t first.
"There's a fellow, that Teddy; full
of life, vlgor and energy, that enjoys
living and fighting. 1 was in New
York after he was elected governor anc
went over to Albany to call on hin
at the capitol. hardly expected Il
see him, as he was busy, but thought
I'd Just send in my card to let hin
know was in town. ] net the secre
tary at the door and asked him tt
take in my card to the governor. Id
told me there was no use, the governor
was busy on some important case Of
other. and there were several delega
tions of lawyers arguing something be
fore him. insisted that he take II
the card, anyway, and handed 1t t'
him. He took look at 1T and went IN
In a minute he came back with smile
on his face and said that the governor
wanted me to come right in.
when 1 went in he squinted across
the room to see who 1t was, held up hi
hands at the fellows talking, ant
rushed across the room to me Will
both hands stuck out-the same ol'
Teddy 1 knew in Cuba. After h'
talked few minutes he turned, wsve'
his hand at the waiting lawyers Will
a look on his face as much as to say
See what rot 1 have to stand all tn
time then said: It's fun being gov
ernor, though, and l rather like it,
"a third shot guess would get me
but I've got enough Of It. All 1 wan