ry.

"After crossing this field we came to a deep gully through which ran a
swift stream almost knee-deep. Our way led across this stream, and there
was only one means of getting over. That was to plunge in and splash
through. Tired as we all were, after getting thoroughly wet our feet felt
like lead, and marching was perfect torture. Still there was no let-up.

"We pressed steadily forward until we came to where the road forked off.
Our directions had not been very explicit, we had no maps, and our
commander took the road which he thought was the right one. It soon led
between high banks of dense growth of chaparral on either side. The moon
had disappeared behind the clouds, and had the Spaniards wanted to
ambuscade us we were at their mercy.

"I will not say that we were nervous, exactly, but I think we would all
rather have been out of that lane. The fear that your enemy may be
crouching behind bushes, that you know nothing of his presence until he
pours a rifle fire into you, is rather trying on the nerves.

"The command was frequently halted for the officers to consult, and after
we had gone about a mile they concluded they were on the wrong road, and
went to the right about. When we came out where we had started we found
Brigadier-General Chaffee sitting silent on a big horse and watching a
seemingly never-ending line of men marching past him. We fell into
position and pushed on the road to Santiago.

"How long we marched that night I cannot tell. It seemed interminable. My
watch had run down and no one around me had the time. Finally we were
ordered to halt, and the men were told to stack arms, take off their
packs, and rest.

"I dropped my blanket roll, which seemed to me weighed not less than two
hundred pounds, on the muddy road, and sat down to rest. The next thing I
knew some one tapped me on the shoulder. It was three o'clock, and I had
been asleep for some hours. The regiment was again under arms, and was
receiving ammunition from a pack-train which had come up from the rear. We
pressed on until early dawn, when we were well in front of Santiago.
Entrenchments were hastily thrown up, and we were ready for the enemy. The
enemy did not give us much time for rest. They made an assault upon our
position early in the morning, which we repulsed....

"While the Spaniards were unable to dislodge us, they succeeded in forcing
our artillery back, which had taken a position that subjected it to a
withering inf