The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-11
BY FREDERICK FUNSTON
General. United states Army
XIII.

BY FREDERICK FUNSTON,
lnEndier-G General. United states Army.
CHAPTER XIII.
Later that same afternoon Col.
XTenocal informed me that he would
DON lead an infantry charge, where
mon. we opened terrific and sus-
ained bombardment Suddenly l
aw two lines OF men emerge from
he brush, and yelling like mad charge
eH-the Spanish trenches The next
aoment was certainly the most in
ense In the lives OF rs serving the
runs. A slight mistake might land a
hell among our own people. kept
,peating, Keep cool! Keep COOL /
Imply shook with excitement.
our shells, Plunging at the rate OF
bree a minute from each gun into
he trenches, were demoralizing the
offenders TO such an extent that they
ould do but little firing, but from a
rench on It's right the attacking regi-
nent was brought under hot flank
ire at 700 yards range and suffered
eyerely A number OF the officers
having been shot down, and II seem
ng impossible 20 get through the en-
|anglements. some confusion arose.
The men began 10 bunch up and lie
Town
II looked as If the gallant attack
must fail. and that IL vas only a
Question OF drawing out those who
ould be saved from the wreck, when
Ilenocal and two other officers OF the
Itan mounted their horses and "a. a
cad run rode into the charge, acrral-
coming within 80 or 40 yards of
-tt4---I+4-l+e@- hefnre- their horses all
Vent down killed and Menocal had
Is leg shattered
But the other two officers, With Get
arcia and those OF the regiment, rose
b their feet and, with cries OF al
hachete" rushed into the barb wire.
The men followed their lead and with
heir machetes began to hack fran
cally at the wires, and In a few mo
aents had cut their way through.
Ne had continued our artillery fire
Until this time, but now We're glad
o cease The Spaniards took ad-
antase OF the opportunity to escape
yhile the Cubans were getting
through the entanglements. and un
er cover OF the ruins OF the building
cached the town, and were distrib-
ted among the other defences. They
ad left behind very considerable
lumber OF killed and wounded.
More or less desultory firing now
ollowed, the Cubans having loop
|oled a number OF the houses TO ia
ilitate their operation against those
7 the Spanish works that Trad not yet
|een taken. The whole force OF in
urgents, with the exception OF those
hen stationed TO escape on the north,
ere now in the town in the shelter
the houses The work left was
he capture, from the interior OF the
own instead Of from its outside of
he stone barracks and Telegraph
Fort.
The strongest work was the Quartet
e Ia Infanteria Its masonry walls
ere three feet thick, loop-holed and
defended by two hundred men. The
main business street OF the town
ould not be crossed by us, being
wept by the fire OF this work at one
nd and by that of the Telegraph Fort
[ the other
We found a warehouse in which
Ne dragged the dynamite gun and a
2pounder, and making loopholes,
opened fire The Hotchkiss shell
lanced of the stone wall. That from
he dynamite gun made a terrific ex-
plosion, but the result was about the
anne as would be caused by throwing
n egg against a house There was
fine spatter and nothing else Not
stone was displaced By either shot
But the moral effect OF the explosions
Pf the nitro-gelatine bombs was In
ime To do the work
Very early I'm the morning a soldier
al escaped from the quartet and
brought 10 Col Menocal the nforma.
ion that he was an emissary from
is comrades, who had come TO the
Conclusion that they had reached the
init of human endurance They were
n sore straits from hunger thirst.
nd fatigue and their nerve had been
completely shattered by the. eXplo-
ions OF the nitro-gelatlne bombs The
commander and the other officers
you'd fight to the end, but If be would
AXE possession at daybreak they
would throw down their arms. They
. NEW the situation 10 be absolutely
hopeless, and did not propose to be
sacrificed TO save the honor OF their
officers
The sun had not yet risen when a
Few officers, including Janney and my
| elf, left the warehouse and walked
into the open We felt bit ticklish
As we approached the grim line of