Kent's division and four Gatling guns. Two days later the remainder of the infantry and all of our light artillery, four batteries of four guns each, also arrived, leaving the corps rations, ammunition, fodder, and hospital supplies at Siboney, under a paltry guard of about fifty men, while three miles away Aguadores, one of the enemy's garrisons.

was

At that time, indeed, we at the front, seven miles from Siboney, would have been none the wiser had the entire Spanish force of 12,000 marched down from Santiago, through Aguadores, and on to our base of supplies at Siboney, for not until several days later were our pickets in touch with or even aware of the enemy's movements on our extreme left front. Nor at that time was there any telephone communication between General Shafter in the rear and General Wheeler at the front, although the poles of a destroyed telegraph-line followed the road all the way, and, too, for considerable lengths, even the cut wire lay along the ground. Very likely the signal corps was just then too much engaged with that cursed balloon, which subsequently caused such unnecessary loss of life before San Juan, to concern itself about opening communication between the

GENERALS WHEELER AND SHAFTER

front and rear of the Fifth Army Corps.

All the camps were pitched amidst splendid grazing for the horses and mules

VOL. XCVII.-No. 581.-101

and near good running water. In fact, those essentials were not lacking throughout the campaign. When it rained, the ground along the road and every where except on hill-sides became very swampy; but later, under the trenches on the ridge before Santiago, the distance to water was somewhat farther. There was no need of boiling any of the running water for drinking, although some did so.

Time offered during these days to look around the country a bit, feel the climate, and consider our adaptation to conditions. No one had a thermometer, and consequently no record was made of the temperature. It was hot during the day, very hot indeed in the sun, and especially wilting if you happened to be in full marching order, with filled cartridge-belt about your waist, and rifle, blanket-roll, haversack, and canteen dragging on your shoulders. But there seemed to be usually a breeze, and the shade of the trees, when you had time to enjoy it, was refreshing. The nights were cool enough to demand a single blanket, and although I heard a great deal of a "deadly chill" and a dousing night dew, I never became aware of the chill at all, or of the dew in such quantities as reported, although I slept out in the open with head bared to the heavens. I must confess that, except in the height of its rainy season, I know

few countries in which I would rather camp. Plenty of wood, water, and grass, no mosquitoes, cool nights, and a landscape as attractive to the eye as one could wish. What more would one ask for a

camp?

Given ten years of civilized rule, the province of Santiago de Cuba will, from end to end, bloom like a garden.

Meantime ammunition had been accumulating in a large pile of boxes, and a mule pack-train was doing its utmost, with a fair measure of success, to keep the troops supplied with hardtack and bacon and coffee. The monthly wage of those packers was probably only a few dollars; mayhap, along with the correspondents, they were even classed as "mere ship's stores" by the commanding general; but the accomplishments of that train, only half the size it should have been, were enormous. I saw nothing of the kind to equal it during the campaign. I have never seen such extraordinary efforts any where by men and mules. Literally, the army would have starved but for the indefatigable labors of those packers-and the only reward I heard of their receiving was curses from headquarters and fever from exposure and over-exertion.

On June 29, seven days after the landing, General Shafter moved his headquarters from the Segurança to a posi

tion on the road near General Lawton. On the same day the appearance of four heavily laden six-mule wagons started the rumor that the commissary was at last sending forward beans or tomatoes or rice to break the mo.notony of continuous bacon --sickening diet indeed for the midsummer of a tropical country. But the wagons carried a balloon! And when we asked why some por

BLOCK-HOUSE.

tion of the 1,800,000 complete rations, which included flour, canned beef, canned beans, and canned tomatoes, was not forth coming from the holds of the ships, we were informed that the engineers had not yet constructed a wharf at Siboney (to which harbor the transports had now moved), and that the landing through the surf in small boats was slow and tedious. It was actually July 12 before the engineers had constructed a wharf, about thirty-five feet deep by ten feet wide, although thousands of feet of lumber were lying at Siboney!

V.

With the coming of General Shafter rumors of a forward movement prevailed, and there appeared no reason for further delaying our advance. The fact that the troops were consuming rations about as rapidly as the United States transportation company (limited) could deliver them, bespoke the hopelessness of establishing a provision cache nearer us, while the activity of the Spaniards on their trenches along the San Juan ridge, and the daily and increasing rains, suggested we had best get about the business on which we had come to Cuba. The men were in good health, kept in good spirits

by the promise of an approaching issue with the enemy and by the evening concerts of the bands, that never failed to include

Hot Time in the Old Town" and "Star-spangled Banner." The first, which, I must add, really developed into our only campaign song, invariably aroused cheers, and the second brought every man along the entire line to his feet, silent and bareheaded.

The army was ready to fight the infantry keen to get even with the cavalry, which had monopolized Las Guasimas, and at three o'clock on the afternoon of June 30, while the rain descended in torrents, orders came for the expected move forward.

It will aid to a better understanding of what followed, the next three days, to remember that the road on which the troops were all camped runs westerly past El Poso Hill (one and a half miles out), and crosses water four times in the four miles to the San Juan block-house and

ridge. At the last crossing, two creeks, one from the north and one from the eastward, join to form what we called the forks, but which in reality become the San Juan River, which runs south to the sea. To the right of the forks, several hundred yards from the road and almost shut out of view by the thick brush on the road-side, is a small rounded hill, an outpost of observation for San Juan, of fairly gentle approach except on its east side, which commands all the country east and south.

The road goes on past the forks for three or four hundred yards, with dense brush on both sides, and then suddenly leads into open meadow-land, which is three hundred yards across, directly in front of and under the San Juan blockhouse hill, but narrows to north and south as it runs under and emphasizes the San Juan ridge. Northeast of San Juan about three and one-half miles is Caney, and three miles almost due south of Caney is El Poso. The country between these points is a densely brushed basin, with three roads bearing east and west, and one north and south.

The plan was to fall upon Caney with one infantry division, while the artillery at El Poso opened against San Juan,

and the Thirty-third Michigan Volunteers made a demonstration against Aguadores, south several miles, on the sea. Having taken Caney, the forces there engaged were to sweep west, join the other troops, and the entire army was then to make a combined and vigorous attack upon San Juan and the entire ridge before Santiago. It was uncommonly obliging of us to direct our attack upon San Juan, the very strongest point of the Spanish line, and to storm the face of the very ridges where the enemy had been industriously digging trenches since our arrival in the province. The Spaniards confidently expected us to march boldly against their all but impregnable front, instead of against their comparatively weak flanks-and we did not disappoint them.

Those who planned this attack fully expected the American troops would march into Santiago the first day (July 1) of the fighting. And so indeed they might, and at a much less loss of life than finally attended them, had the artillery figured more prominently in the fighting, had the engagement on our left not been precipitated by absence of reconnoissance immediately before San Juan, and had there been no balloon ascension to reveal