Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-07
'EIARDSHIPS UNDERGONE BY 1898
VETERANS REMEMBERED; MANY
SICK IN CAMPS; GOT WELCOME

on the transport Yale, formerly
the liner City of Paris, Rita, 4
Spanish prize, and the Miami and
the cruiser Columbia and at mid
night July sailed for Santiago,
Cuba, to help the forces then be-
sieging the place. Company A be-
came separated from the remainder
of the regiment and was finally
given a place with the Sixth Mas
sachusetts on the Yale, the largest
and most comfortable boat of the
squadron Several hours were lost
because Of the sailors aversion to
sailing on a Friday, which was the
day the troops got aboard ships.
The start was made just after mid
night early Saturday morning, July
8. On the southern coast of Cuba
evidences of the destruction of Ger
vera's feet a few days before were
sighted. Several wrecked warships
were lying on shore where they
had been driven to keep them from
sinking with all on board. July IL
fastest boats in the squadron ar
rived off Santiago, which was then
about to capitulate 1t was deCid-
ed il would be unnecessary to land
the troops. and so they were kept
aboard ship for FIVE days in front
of the place. There was no anchor
age and the boats. together with
the warships guarding the mouth
of the harbor, kept constantly NOV
ing. The Rita did not arrive till
July 16, and the Miami, with he
balance of the Sixth Illinois, being
even slower, came the day follow
ing. Then the squadron went 10
Guantanamo bay, a short distance
east and now a United States naval
station, and the expedition to in
vads Porto Rico under General
Miles was gotten together.
May q the expedition sailed,
conveyed by warships and scout
boats, and proceeded leisuTely to
Porto Rico. effecting a landing az
Guanica, about thirty miles from
Ponce, the objective point and the
main port on the southern coast,
July 25. Here Company a almost
engaged in actual warfare. In fact,
the members heard the rattle Of
muskets and saw evidences Of their
work. though not actually having
a hand in the doings.
There was only a small squad OF
Spanish soldiers at Guanica and
the resistance was feeble. The gun
boat Gloucester led the way into
the harbor and shelled the place.
A squad of marines were lande
and the enemy fed inland. leaving
few prisoners. Next morning
they made a stand a few miles in
land, but the Massachuset men
and Company G of the Sixth Hi
nois put them TO fight after a
sharp skirmish. Three Massachu-
sets men were wounded and the
Spanish lost half a dozen killed
and IL wounded. These were the
only casualties of the campaign in
southern Porto Rico. The Spanish
headed for the north side of the is
land and the United States troops
followed them, never but once get
ting within striking distance. and
then a couple of companies Of reg
ulars frightened them away by a
show of force.
Snare Of Hardships.
Company A. however. while not
doing any actual fighting. had its
share of hardships. Marching with
the regulation army load and in
heavy wooden uniforms under the
blistering rays OF a tropic sun is
no snap, as anyone who ever tried
it will testify, and when you add
to that the softness and iueXper-
fence of the men, the blistered feet
caused by fording streams in
land where there are few bridges,
and the cold rains which fell every
night, chilling the soldiers 10 the
marrow. there is cause for enough
misery to give the average trooper
vivid recollections for the remain
der OF his lifetime
Company A was on The island
only from July 20 to Sept. Z, but
the members were more than glad
to leave They marched in that
period only a little over a hun
dred miles. but it was done in
stunts of Is to 20 miles a day and
under forced conditions. The mea
were raw and unframed and did
not know how to take care OF
themselves. They were soft from
lying 10 days on transport with
out chance for exercise and most
of the time they were poorly fed.
The period was one of torrential
rains. Mountain streams, which
are numerous in that land, were
high, and invariably they had 10
be forded. Porto Rico Is a beauti-
full island and an ideal place for
a pleasure trip with the usual ac-
cessories for comfort and conven-
fence, but as d field for such a
campaign as Company A partici-
pated in it has its drawbacks.
The expedition under General
Miles left Guanica July 30, pro-
ceeding to Yauco and thence TO
Ponce. AT the latter place resist
ance was expected. but there was
none, the Spanish having fled