The Detroit times., 1914-06-08
BIZ FREDERICK FUNSTON.
Brtgadier- General. 4 nited states Army
CHAPTER n.

CHAPTER Nl.
Early the following March the or
der went forth for a part OF the
troops IN the province OF Qriente 20
concentrate near the town OF Jiguanl,
In the Bayamo district OF that prov
inee
The days OF hardship and hunger
had come with a vengeance. The
thousands OF Cuban families living in
the bush" of the lines OF operations
of the enemys columns were eklng
tout a miserable existence. All the
able-bodied men being in the war. the
women and children could barely
raise enough vegetables TO keep on
starvation Clothing could not be OBJ
tanned at any price, and II was no IN
common sight TO see women who had
been gently reared whose raiment
consisted OF a patchwork OF gunny
sacks.
The insurgent forces were barefoot
led and clothed in rags and tatters and
were always hungry
We now had with US a gun that had
NOT been used in the sieges described
in the previous chapters-R l2.pound.
Ter Driggs-Schroeder naval landing
ssun, one OF the inventors OF which
was the present ADMIRAL Schroeder
of the United States navy. This gun
came near to the field-piece type,
having long barrel and high yeloc.
aty. We always spoke OF II as "Cayo
Hueso''--Key West--because II came
from there,
The town of Jiguani was much
larger than any we had heretofore al.
tackled, being q local commercial cen.
ter OF importance. The garrison was
about 500 strong consisting mostly
fof infantry, but with detachment or
artillery ana a troop or gterrttitfsT
The strongest work. and the one that
was really the key 10 the whole sit
uation, was very substantial two
story masonry fort known as nj cas-
tillo 1.-THE CASTLE. This was STU
ated on the end OF ridge, about 50
feet above the streets of the town
and was surrounded by formidable
trenches and wire entanglements. in
the upper story OF the castle was
AN eight-centtmeter krupp gin' atfd
ION the roof was the heliograph sta
tion. used in communicating with the
town OF Bayamo Around the town
was the usual circle OF blockhouses
about dozen OF them
Besides "Cayo Hueso,' we had
Hotchkiss 12.pounder and two
FOUNDER On the night OF the 18th
Strong parapet, with overhead cover
land embrasures for two guns, was
CONSTRUCTED al the principal position
800 yards from "the castle. took
command OF the main battery and as
signed the smaller one TO Cox, who
had Janney with him, while Jones,
I.atrobe, Joyce, and Pennie were with
me.
When dawn came. on a beautiful
but very hot day, our guns were load
ed and pointed, and we sat about.
waiting for orders These came just
after sunrise, and old "Cayo Huesof
with a crash sent a shell that made
a beautiful burst on the identical spot
at which it had been aimed on the
side OF "the castle" We realized
that now we had something OF a gun
In a couple OF seconds the Hltchkiss .
12.pounder let fly and scored a hit;
and then we heard, away beyond the
acastle," the bark OF the little gun
stirring up the blockhouses We sent
In two more shells, both OF them
bursting against the stone wall with ,
out penetrating The fuses were so !,
sensitive that they burst before the I
full effects OF their blows could be
felt
At this time We saw a cloud OF
smoke puff from portfolio in the up
per story Of "the castle" and soon
heard a rumble as OF train crossing
a bridge, followed by the swish OF a