New-York tribune., 1901-03-31

me and trcklirg into my ears. L could
see a monitor firing. and apparently very near,
and the thought came To me that could SWIM
off to her if I only had a bit of plank or drift
wood, but this | could not get Ii was plain
enough that l should soon be drowned like
rat in hole unless managed To get out some
how. Dead and wounded men were lying about
in ghastly piles. but to lend me a help
ing hand. BY this time l could not my
legs in any way. and when dug my hands into
the sides of my prison and tried To pull myself
out the sand gave way and left me still lying n
the water. Finally made strong effort ana
rolled myself sideways out of the hole. When |
got out | marine a short distance away,
nicely covered by pile of sand. and firing very
deliberately at the fort. called to him to pail
me in behind his pile of sand hut he declined on
the ground that the enemy's fire was too saarp
for him To expose himself | persuaded him
with my revolver to change his mind, and in
two seconds he had me in a place of safety
that is say. safe by small margin. for when
h. fired the enemy's bullets would snip the sand
within "a few inches of our heads If the marine
had known that my revolver was soaking wet.
~Td couId NOT ,,ossitIx ba fred 7 sun1ose
should have been buried the next morning
many other poor fellows were AS soon as l
could reach some cartridges from dead sailor
lying me | loaded my revolver, thinking Il
might be useful before the job finished.
About $50 o'clock that night Captain Brease.
who commanded the brigade. succeeded in & L
ting Il lifehOat in through the heavy surf break
ing on the beach. and at once wounded officers
were tumbled into her. while the stood II
the water holding her head on TO the seas
Shortly after daylight signal was made to trans
fer ali wounded men on board TO the Santiago
de Cuba.
After a very comfortable trip. all things con
sidered. arrived at Norfolk at daylight IN
the morning and hauled alongside the wharf
! the Naval Hospital. We were landed without
! delay. and | found myself a comfortable
/ Led in "a large. clean looking ward. | slipped
| my revolver under the pillow, and, pulling the
! blankets up about my chin. went TO sleep and
dad not awake until Il" o CLOCK that night me
surgeon in charge and his principal assistant
| standing by the bedside, and after a care
! ful examination of my wounds they retired to
! the end of the room for consultation when
! distinctly heard the senior one say: Take both
! legs off in the morning did not get much
sleep that night, but did do some very serious
| thinking.
The following morning the assistant, who was
( q personal friend Of mine, came in. ana after Il
few words of greeting began to tell me how
/ seriously | wounded, and how dangerous
, wounds about the knee were. l saw at once
that he hated To tell me what he was going To
d" to me. 50 L" relieve the situation told nm
that had overheard the conversation the night
before; that had thought very seriously of
thu matter. and that preferred To die with my
legs on: that | was only eighteen years old, and
the thought OF living my life without my leg
was more than cared To face; that as the legs
belonged to me | thought had right TO say
what was to become of them. and that asked
/ the doctors TO do what they could for me with
my legs on. and if l died it no matter He
heard very quietly and, thought, with
sympathy but when had finished. said: You
know. Exams, orders have 10 he obeyed!' Think
ing that he had misunderstood me, ! went over
matters again, and wound up by asking that
they put ne out the lawn cot rather
than cut me to pieces; that L Would hhd som
one take me t. a hospital further North
Again CdG,ie the reply about obeylng OrCeFS-
Reaching over. pulled the gun from under my
pillow; / told him that there were six loads in
il. and that ii ne any else eGt5red my
door with anything that looked like case oi
Instruments | mean to begin shooting ard that
. he might rest perfectly sure that ! would kill
six before they cut my legs off. This brought
matters 80 :: crisis at once, and in Il few minutes
- the surgeon in charge came in very angry and
! full Of threats. But the result was that they
left my legs and paid very little attention L
! me in any way for two weeks when they fount
| had fever and must he looked after. To tn
Wife If tha doctor wto going to operate ant
his little laughter I owe my life. Had II not
/ been for their Kindness and care l should un
, doubtediy have died.