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CANNON AND CAMERA
L
CANNON AND CAMERA
SEA AND LAND BATTLES OF
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
IN CUBA, CAMP LIFE, AND THE
RETURN OF THE SOLDIERS
Described and Illustrated
By JOHN C. HEMMENT
War Artist at the Front
With Index, and an Introduction by
ir. I. LINCOLN ADAMS
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1898
18532
Copyright, 1898,
Bv D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
A// rights in Text and Illustrations
are reserved.
\
\oM^b3'b vAravJ^'^«^'i>
JUebicatcb to mn tOifc,
.^
f
PREFACE
I AM more familiar with the camera than
with the pen. but my range of personal ex-
periences has been so wide during the Span-
ish-American War that I have been led to
hope that this record of what I have seen in
camps, on battlefields, and on shipljoard will
prove of interest and value to readers.
My thanks are due to a very old friend,
Mr. A. J. Kenealy, who took my work in hand
and kindlv saw the pages through the press.
J. C. H.
New York, October i, i8g8.
f
INTRODUCTION.
The practical application of modern
photography is daily becoming more wide-
spread and useful. The camera is now a
most important product of our nineteenth-
century civilization. It is an almost indis-
pensable instrument in nearly every profes-
sion and all the sciences.
Reproductive photography has revolu-
tionized periodical and book illustration.
The photo-engraver's camera has been for
several years a most important agent in the
preparation of the great daily newspaper, as
well as the illustrated weekly and monthly
magazine; and the improved hand camera is
almost as important an implement in the out-
fit of a special correspondent as his pencil
and notebook. It is more effective and
satisfactory than the sketching pad, and has
consequently superseded it.
X CANNON AND CAMERA.
The camera has long been a favourite im-
plement of the chase, capturing the image of
game whicli it did not kill. But it remained
for the author of this book to demonstrate its
effectiveness as an instrument of war. Pho-
tographs have been made heretofore of camp
life, the fields of military operations, and naval
manfEuvres, l)Ut so far as I know Mr. Hem-
ment is the first photographer to obtain a
complete pictorial description of an entire
war, including not only the pictures of life in
camp or on board the men-of-war, but also
faithful views of actual engagements both on
land and sea.
Mr. Hemment has been a recognised lead-
er for a number of years among the most skil-
ful ])hotographers of the country, especially
in instantaneous work. ha\-ing successfully
photographed with his special ap])aratus —
designed for him after his own directions —
the most difficult athletic events. An athlete,
also, himself, he was peculiarly well fitted to
undert.nko the hazardous entor])risc of photo-
graphing the scenes and deeds of the recent
war with Spain.
That he has done his \\()rk well and com-
INTRODUCTION. xi
pletely the following pages fully attest. His
pictures and account begin with the exciting
scenes which followed the destruction of the
battle ship Maine, include characteristic
scenes in the various American camps, de-
pict the stirring deeds of our squadron before
Santiago de Cuba, and end with the opera-
tions which resulted in the fall of that city
and the victorious close of the war.
Mr. Hemment was not satisfied to photo-
graph only those scenes which could be
caught without danger to himself; he made
some of his most successful pictures to the
thrilling accompaniment of Spanish Mauser
bullets. It is therefore to his courage as a
man as well as to his skill as a photographer
that we owe this very satisfactory pictorial ac-
count of the war for Cuba's independence.
W. I. Lincoln Adams.
New York.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTHR
PAGE
Introduction by W. I. Lincoln Adams, ix
I.— The blowing up of the Maine . . i
My arrival in Havana — The wreck of the
Maine— Welcomed by Captain Sigsbee and Con-
sul-General Lee — Hostility of the Spanish volun-
teers — Insults to Americans — An arrest and escape
— Arrival of the Montgomery — The Board of In-
quiry — The camera in the bull ring — With Senator
Proctor among the reconcentrados — Brutal Span-
ish soldiers — Our train attacked by insurgents —
I bribe the custom-house officers and depart with
photographs of the forts.
II. — S0LDIER.S IN CAMP '. . . . . 40
Scenes at Hempstead — Effects of red tape —
Drilling volunteers — Unsanitary conditions in
camps North and South — Red tape and transpor-
tation.
III.— Off for the seat of war ... 61
My work in packing my photographic and
other supplies — Lessons learned in Cuba stand
me in good stead — Medical stores and comforts
— My shipmates and my vessel — Our stay at
Jamaica, where we buy polo ponies, and take in
necessary stores.
xiii
xi^. CANNON AND CAMERA.
CIIAITER PAGE
I\'.— Landinc. in thk knk.mv's countrv . 70 _
Our first encounter with the American navy
— Welcomed by Admiral Sampson and received
by Ceneral Shafter — Interview with General Car-
cia, of the Cuban army — Insurgents made glad by
presents of rations — Delight of our troops at land-
ing — The Red Cross Society begins its work of
mercy.
v.— WiiH Sh.aI'Ter .and his staff . . 87
I follow the general on a reconnoitering ex-
pedition in the direction of Santiago, and photo-
graph the graves of the Rough Riders — From
the summit of a lofty tree 1 get my first view
of Santiago — A tropical storm and difficult roads
make tiavelling arduous — Where the Rough
Riders were killed.
\'I. — .\KT UNDER DIFFICULTIES ... 98
In the dark room on the Sylvia — Quick work
in printing — Back to Santiago again — A despatch
boat's devices.
VII.— Bombardment of Morro Castle 106
The Sylvia in the thick of the fight— A visit to
a wounded war correspondent on the Olivette.
\T!1. - .Among thk Cuban pickets . . .114
Warfare of Cubans and Spaniards — Our men
suqirised while bathing — A battle in undress —
We repulse the attack — Disguises and am-
bushes.
I.\. TlIK MULE IN IHK ( A M I'AIC.N . . .1:4
I'ack trains and their drivers — Transporting
stores and ammunition — The mule confirms his
reputation for wisdom.
CONTENTS. XV
CHAPTER . PAGE
X. — In camp with the soldiers . .130
Incidents during the advance on Santiago —
Hard-tack sandwiches and cartridge pudding —
Foraging for cocoanuts and mangoes — Evening
amusements — The difficulties of letter writing.
XI. — The siege of Santiago . . .135
Advance to the front under difficulties —
Graves of the Rough Riders — Observations by
balloon — Grimes's battery opens fire — Response
by shrapnel — In the thick of the fight — Bravery
of the Seventy-first.
XII. — The charge at El Caney . . .164
Heroism of our colored troops — Bold dash for
the fort — A correspondent's wound — A non-com-
batant's prisoners — Victory at last — Some unex-
pected horrors.
XIII.— Our bold Rough Riders . . .178
Colonel Roosevelt as a fighter — He inspires
his brave men — Heroes in the field — Sad scenes
in the hospitals — Criminal incompetence or what ?
— Burial of a soldier without benefit of clergy.
XIV. — Sharpshooters in action . . . 194
Persecution by Spanish marksmen — Narrow
escapes from death — The capture of the block-
house — Life in the trenches — The roll call.
XV. — The great naval battle . . . 206
How Cervera's squadron put out of Santiago
and was destroyed — Photographing the stranded
ships — A capture of Spanish prisoners.
I
xvi CANNON AND CAMERA.
CHAPTER PAGE
X\'I.— Surrender of Santiago . . . 229
General Miles prevents a retreat — General
Toral yields to moral suasion and gives up the
city.
X\'1I.— Return of the Rough Riders . . 236
General Wheeler and Colonel Roosevelt wel-
comed at Camp Wikoff — Suffering of troops at
Montauk Point — Home coming of the Seventy-
first — Contrast between naval militia and volun-
teers.
Al'I'KNDIX 263
Hints to amateur and professional photog-
raphers.
Index 273
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FACING
PAGE
The Maine passing Morro Castle, Havana Frontispiece
The wreck of the Maine
Fort Punta, Havana ......
The Spanish admiral leaving the U. S. S. Mont
gomery ...-••••
Spanish divers at work on the wreck of the Maine
Board of Inquiry in session at Havana
Chaplain Chidwick superintending the transfer of
bodies to the Bach .....
Chaplain Chidwick offering prayer at the graves
of the Maine sailors in Colon Cemetery
A narrow escape .....••
The final thrust .....■•
Among the reconcentrados in the interior.
Making photographs from the fighting top of the
Maine ........
Camp Black, Hempstead, Long Island
Peeling potatoes .....••
Breaking in raw recruits at Camp Black .
Larned, the polo player, one of the Rough Riders
Sergeant Goff, died at Camp Wikoff .
Bob Wrenn, tennis champion, one of the Rough
Riders ......••
Guard on outpost duty, Camp Black
Troop A drilling at Camp Black
xvii
5
lO
14
17
24
26
29
32
32
35
3S
41
44
47
48
48
50
52
55
XVlll
CANNON AND CAMERA.
After drill at Camp Black
The quartermaster's and commissary's department
Seventy-first Regiment, Camp Black .
Ready for company mess, Seventy-first Regiment
Camp Black .......
Company H, Seventy-first Regiment, packing up
On a transport bound for Santiago
The New Orleans ......
Admiral Sampson ......
Michigan volunteers landing from transports at
Siboney .......
Massachusetts volunteers landing at Siboney .
Cuban soldiers watching the United States troop
bathing .......
Cuban troops marching into Siljoney
Garcia's headquarters ......
Cuban scouts going on outpost duty .
Siboney, showing mountain climbed by the soldiers
The engineer corps landing supplies .
General Shafter and his staff
General Shafter's headquarters at Playa
Fort El Pozo, showing heavy dew and atmospheric
effect after a rainstorm
Developing negatives .
In Siboney harbour
The Texas .
The Gloucester in action
Morro Castle, Santiago
A scout hiding under palm leaves
Guantanamo Bay, Camp McCalla in distance
A typical Cuban soldiers' tent .
First blockhouse at Siboney, where the American
flag was hoisted ......
Cuban scouts concealed behind stumps of trees
Pack-mule train on the march ....
FACING
PAGE
58
61
63
64
67
70
73
74
76
78
So
83
85
87
S8
92
95
98
100
103
107
109
112
114
117
119
121
122
125
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
XIX
FACING
PAGE
Pack mule overcome by the heat while taking am
munition to the front .....
Bill Hill's pack-mule train ready to move
A camp at Las Guasimas .....
Cavalrymen preparing an early breakfast
Regular officers in consultation ....
Second United States cavalrymen turning out a
reveille ........
The Sixth Infantry near San Juan
Graves of the Rough Riders at Las Guasimas .
The Seventy-first Regiment crossing the river at
San Juan .......
Part of the Seventy-first Regiment, near El Pozo
awaiting orders to the front
In front of El Pozo ......
Rough Riders reconnoitring in front of El Pozo
Cuban soldiers dodging shrapnel while looking for
dead and wounded .....
Wounded of the Ninth Cavalry waiting for ambu
lances ........
At the graves of the troopers of the Tenth Cavalry
The fort and blockhouse at El Caney
Spanish soldiers in the trenches at El Caney .
Spanish prisoners captured at El Caney .
Refugees on the way from Santiago to Siboney
Seeking refuge before the bombardment .
Colonel Roosevelt addressing the Naval Reserves at
Fort Hamilton ......
Carrying a wounded officer to the hospital
Major Wood, at Playa, directing disposition of the
wounded .......
Wounded soldiers awaiting their turn at the operat
ing tents .......
Cubans, near San Juan, carrying a wounded soldier
to the rear . ......
126
12S
130
132
134
137
139
141
142
144
147
151
158
161
165
169
172
175
176
iSi
1S4
186
18S
191
CANNON AND CAMERA.
A wounded Rouf,'h Rider being helped to hospital
by Cubans .......
Members of the Seventy-first Regiment searchin
for sharpshooters .....
On the hunt for Spanish sharpshooters near Sa
Juan ........
The town of El Caney the day after the battle .
Spanish lieutenants on the way to General Shafter'
headquarters ......
United States trooper and Cuban scouts trailin
Spanish sharpshooters .
The wreck of the Viscaya .
The wreck of the Cristobal Colon
The Oregon in fighting trim
Cuban soldiers awaiting Spanish sailors
An interior view of the wrecked Viscaya
Starboard-bow view of the Viscaya .
Our party capturing Spanish sailors .
The wreck of the Oquendo
The Maria Teresa ....
Lieutenant Hobson and commission boarding th
Maria Teresa ......
Interior view of the Maria Teresa
The wreck of the Reina Mercedes
Port-side view of the Maria Teresa, showing gun
without breech blocks .....
The New York signalling off Santiago
Rough Riders assembled at Camp Wikoff on day of
arrival .........
General Wheeler and General Young at Camp Wikoff
Colonel Roosevelt greeted by Mrs. John A. Logan
on his arrival at Camp Wikoff ....
The Rough Riders' first meal at Camp Wikoff .
Lieutenants "Yale" Greenway and Woodbury Kane
writing telegrams ......
FACING
PAGE
KJI
198
204
208
211
213
214
216
218
220
222
224
226
229
231
234
236
239
242
244
246
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xxi
PAGE
Hospital tent, Camp Wikoff 248
Carrying away the sick and wounded at Camp
Wikoff ......... 250
The Seventy-first Regiment leaving the train at
Long Island City ....... 252
The Seventy-first Regiment on the ferryboat arriv-
ing at the Battery ...... 254
Honours to the Seventy-first Regiment on Broadway 256
The Seventy-first Regiment on Fifth Avenue . . 258
The depleted ranks of the colour company, Seventy-
first Regiment ....... 260
CANNON AND CAMERA.
CHAPTER I.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
My arrival in Havana — The wreck of the Maine — Welcomed
by Captain Sigsbee and Consul-General Lee— Hostility of
the Spanish volunteers — Insults to T^mericans— An arrest
and escape — Arrival of the Montgomery — The Board of In-
quiry — The camera in the bull ring — With Senator Proctor
among the reconcentrados — Brutal Spanish soldiers — Our
train attacked by insurgents — I bribe the custom-house
officers and depart with photographs of the forts.
The cable despatch announcing the l)low-
ing up of the battle-ship Maine in Havana har-
bour on February 15, 1898, came to me as
a great shock. Of all the vessels in Uncle
Sam's navy, she was more endeared to me
than any other. I had known all her crew,
from Captain Crowninshield down to the
youngest apprentice boy. The ofiticer with
whom I was perhaps most intimate was Lieu-
tenant Jenkins, and just before the sailing of
2 CANNON AND CAMERA.
llic vessel from the I'-rooklyn Xavy Yard 1
had lunclied wilh him in tlie warth-ooni. He
spoke cheerily ahoiu the war ship's mission,
as was his custom. If he had any premonition
of peril in the comins;- trip, he effectually con-
cealed it from me. .\s we parted at the gang-
way, he wrun_c: niy hand cordially and prom-
ised to look me up at my studio on his return.
Little did 1 think then that the next time
I was destined to see him would be when
his almost unrecognisable body was brought
to the surface of the harboin" of Havana by an
American diver.
I was familiar with every inch of the
Maine, having photograi)he(l her from nearly
every effective standi)oint. J^ach successive
telegram from the scene of the disaster
was eagerlv scanned by me for news of
my friends aboard, and 1 was much af-
fected when the name of Lieutenant jeid<ins
appeared amonn;' the lost. .\s the exidence
grew more and more convincing that the
Maine had been sent to the l)Ottom by S]ian-
ish treachery. I grew correspondingly more
eager, for ])crsonal and professional reasons,
to reach Havana and observe for mvself.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 3
It did not take me long to make arrange-
ments for starting. I was instructed by the
United States Government to take photo-
graphs of the shattered ship, and Secretary
Long of the navy furnished me with a letter
to Captain Sigsliee, who had succeeded Cap-
tain Crowninshield in command of the Maine,
requesting him to make my task as easy as
possible. In addition to this. I had several
commissions from pictorial papers, so that,
in packing up my traps for the trip. I in-
cluded a large supply of photographic neces-
saries, not knowing of a certainty whether
my wants could be filled in the Cuban capital,
this being my first visit to the Pearl of the
Antilles.
It was on Saturday. February 19. four
days after the destruction of the Maine, that
I embarked on the Seguranca. bound from
\ew York to Havana. My friends fiocked
to the dock in large numbers to see me off
and wish me good luck. Nothing of conse-
quence occurred on the passage to interest
the public. The only matter of personal in-
terest was that my old enemy seasickness,
with which I am afflicted in fair weather and
4 CANNON AND CAMERA.
foul. aL;ain attacked mo. Xothini^' else was
talked about hut the destruction of the Maine,
and nearly all on hoard hlanied the S|)an-
iards.
( )n Wednesday niorninj;- we sighted in the
distance old Morro Castle, stately and beau-
tiful, a mass of solid battlemented masonry
before which the lofty lis^hthouse, one hun-
dred and forty feet in height, stands up like
a giant sentry. The observatory and signal
station are in the castle, which was built in
1589, and was at that time doubtless a formi-
dable defence, but its gray stone walls, mas-
sive as they are. would soon crumble and suc-
cumb to the blows of modern projectiles.
The entrance to the harbour is |)ictur-
es(|ue. Morro Castle and white- walled Fort
Cabana on the east and Castle Punta on the
west were so attractive that I lexelled mv
camera on them with excellent results, con-
tinning my operations as we steamed up the
bay. taking photographs of all the fortifica-
tions and other objects that a])pealed to mv
artistic sense. .Xnd so I worked on until we
came abreast of the sunken Maine.
The shattered shi]) at this time was a sight
I i
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 5
which I shall never forget. I had last seen
her, beautiful, g-raceful, and majestic in all
her strength, floating lazily on the waters of
Chesapeake Bay, all hands on board in good
spirits, jolly and gay, and they were as fine
a lot of fellows as ever served under the flag
of Uncle Sam.
Hence, when I saw her now, an unrecog-
nisable mass of twisted, mangled, charred
scrap iron, formerly the home, now the sepul-
chre, of so many brave men, it would 1)e dif-
ficult to portray accurately my emotions.
The vessel was lacerated and mutilated be-
yond recognition. A single mast alone re-
mained. Her massive steel beams and
p-irders were bent and twisted. Her funnels
and ventilators were rent and distorted. 1
was overcome. I could not possibly believe
that this battered hulk was once the battle
ship I knew so well.
We passed beyond her to an anchorage
not far distant, and there began the work of
disembarkation. The day was a scorcher;
such heat I had never encountered. I was
not in any way prepared for this high tem-
perature, but lost no time in getting my traps
6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
together and lowered into one of those boats
that surround e\ery incoming steamer,
maimed by land sharks eager to prey on
strangers luckless enough to fall into their
clutches. W iiii hag and ])aggage we were
hurtled oti to the custom house, where we
were the observed of all observers, (irins on
the debased and begrimed faces of the ped-
dling women and supercilious sneers on the
countenances of the haughty dons ga\e us to
understand that we were looked upon as in-
truders, and treated as such. The custom-
house officials stood round wailing foj- some-
thing, I know not what. Soon a hotel pro-
prietor came to our rescue, lie told u> that
the I'asaje Motel was the only high-class
hostelry in lla\ana. We had heard of the
Inglaterra, but u]) to that time the fame of
the Tasaje had not reached us. The en-
treaties of mine host, howe\er, were so win-
ning, and it wris apparent that he had so strong
a ■■ pull " with all the officials, that I yielded
to his blandishments, and was led o(T an easv
prey, lie reminded me of the typical S])an-
ish innkeeper. portra\ed so vi\idly in Gil Bias
and I^on Ouixote. ilaj)pily, 1 was nt)t alone;
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 7
Others had joined me, ready hke myself to
enchire with patience and philosophy any-
thing that might befall. Our baggage was
piled into one of those numerous mule wag-
ons that swarm in every street, and we were
ushered into a rather rickety coupe and
started otT for the Pasaje. The first thing
that struck me was the noticeable narrowness
of the streets and the comparative absence of
sidewalks.
Obispo Street, through which we passed,
was hung from side to side and end to end
with what the natives were pleased to term
their t^ag of " blood and gold." From every
possible place the eye met the Spanish col-
ours. Not a single Cuban flag was visible.
x\fter passing through several streets crowded
with queer-looking individuals, who seemed
as though they would be benefited by a bath
and a full meal, we arrived at the hotel. To
us the landlord and his servants were all
urbanity, bowing, scraping, and patting us
on the back in a manner so effusive as to be
offensive.
We were shown to our rooms almost im-
mediately. A l)ed surrounded by a mosquito
8 CANNON AND CAMERA.
canopy occupied the middle of niv chamber.
'Ihi.s was (HscouraL;in^-. for if there is one in-
.sect on earth wliich seems able to ])erforni
cre(htal)]e sleuth work where 1 am the hunted
object, it is the moscpiito. My room had no
windows, a tiled floor, and a wooden ceiline^.
It opened into a courtyard i)retty well hlled
with .S])anis]i army officers, regulars and aux-
iliaries. This liotel. by the way, was cpiite
a liead(|uarters for the officers of tlie Havana
vohinteers.
Soon dinner was rumomiced. It was a
puzzler for me. the bill of fare l)ein^- printed
in .Spanish, and. as my Spanisli vocabulary
was in inverse ratio to my appetite. 1 feared
the worst. IIowe\er. 1 contri\ed to make
known my wants to the waiter at our table.
Idiis waiter was a character. While he served
us with |»Teat j)oliteness, and was ol)se(|uious-
ly ser\ile in our presence. 1 noticed that when
lie went back to the kitchen a sinister sneer
came over his swarthy countenance, which
seemed to say, " ( )h. those pii^^s! " On my
left and ri^ht, in front and behind, at nearly
e\ery table in the restaurant, one or two
Spanish ot'tlcers sat. The\' did not look as
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. g
though they were in Havana for war, but
simply for pleasure. They were accom-
panied by wives and sweethearts, friends
and children, and were thoroughly enjoying
themselves. The scene recalled the frivolities
of Paris.
After dinner I strolled up to the Casa
Inglaterra. This hotel was the headquarters
for the ol^cers and newspaper men in gen-
eral, and everything that was going on was
hrst known there. Having with me Secre-
tary Long's letter to Captain Sigsbee, I went
in search of him. On presenting my creden-
tials, I cotild not help being impressed by
his frank and earnest face, which bore well-
defined traces of the fearful mental strain of
the past few days. His was indeed an ardu-
ous position, but he passed through the grim
ordeal as a brave American sailor should, re-
flecting credit on his coimtry and compelling
the admiration of friend and foe. Captain
Sigsbee knew that I had come to make photo-
graphs for the Government. He told me that
he would be pleased to help me in obtaining
good pictures of the wreck of the Maine,
and I am indebted to him and Lieutenant-
lO CANNON AND CAMERA.
Comniander W'ainwri^-ht, executive officer
of the Maine, for many courtesies.
At a tal)le in tlie dining room of the hotel
sat General Fitzhugh Lee, the American con-
sul general. When dinner was over and I
had l)een presented to the general 1)\- one of
the many newspaper correspondents. 1 took
the opportunity to present a letter of intro-
duction to him which I had from Mr. W. j.
.\rkcll. The general shook me heartily by
the hand. and. dul)l)ing me " captain." saitl
that lie would be pleased to do anything he
possiljly could for me. I felt at last as
though I were at home again, and after a
time I strolled hack to the Pasaje and went
to bed.
.\fter a good night's rest. I woke in the
morning and came down to the breakfast
room at al)()ul haH' past seven. onl\- to find
that no breakfast was served so early. It is
the Spanish custom to take but a cup of cof-
fee, go to btisiness for two or three hours, ami
to take breakfast at i i a. m. in Cuba scarce-
ly any work is done in the middle of the day.
the heat being so intense. Offices and l)anks
close from i i a. m. until 2 \\ m.
IffiiSISttM
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. i i
After breakfast I got my camera and plates
together, and with my assistant stowed my-
self away in a one-horse vehicle (my rever-
ence for age debars me from attempting to
describe it), which took us to the wharves
and docks. There we found characters and
scenes galore. I walked along the water
front from the San Francisco dock to the
Regla Ferry, making pictures of everything
that struck my fancy. This part of Havana
reminded me of ^^'est Street, Xew York.
Here ships filled with all kinds of grain and
provisions were being unloaded by Spaniards
and Cubans. The rowdy element was pres-
ent on all sides, and as I passed from dock
to dock I not unfrequently heard the remark
which translated means, " The dirtv Ameri-
cans! " While they did not insult us openly
to our face, sneers, jeers, and ridicule were
everywhere encountered.
My ignorance of the Spanish language
prevented me from comprehending the mean-
ing of their words, but I drew my conclusions
from the malign expression of their counte-
nances. \Xe came to a gang on a dock, all of
whom pointed to the wreck of the Maine with
12 CANNON AND CAMERA.
uiiniistakal)lc ])ri(lc. Ilicy niailc us under-
stan<l that they ^ioricd in tliat dastardlx- deed.
and that they were sorry that all of our coun-
trymen were not at the bottom of the sea.
All liaxana knew that the Maine had been
destroyed purposely, and only tlie educated
classes affected to believe that the ship had
l)een sunk by an interior explosion. The
mob. incapable of artistic dissimulation, did
not try to conceal their joy. Little did they
then know in how short a time the\' would
ha\'e to pay the awful ])cnalty of that terri-
ble outrai^'e.
My experience that afternoon taui^ht me
that the best way to treat these jjeoplc was
to take their insolence and say nothint;'.
In passiui^ along the streets we continual-
ly came in contact with the \'olunteer ele-
ment, which was a most dangerous one. The
Spanish xoluntccrs are bloodthirsty and fero-
cious. The Cubans have reason to hale them.
During the rebellion their cruelt}' t(j the Cu-
bans was terrible. They maintained a reign
of terror. l^xeryw here I went I was im-
pressed b\- the bitter hatred that exists be-
tween Castilian and Cuban. cause<l bv cen-
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
13
tiiries of tyranny and oppression. The vol-
unteers exhibited it more than any other class
of Spaniards. They were licensed lil)ertines,
suffered only to exist because of their loy-
alty to their government. They were perpet-
ually looking for a fight, and would think no
more of firing a bomb off in a public street
than a cowboy on the " rampage " does of
discharging his revolver in the air as he gal-
lops through a frontier town in the far West.
Beneath the thin veneer of vaunted Spanish
chivalry which these volunteers affect, there
lies a solid stratum of the baser qualities of
degenerate humanity. I fear that in the re-
construction of Cuba harsh measures will l)e
necessary to bring them under control.
The sidewalks, where they do exist, are
narrow, and will accommodate pedestrians in
single file only. The officers and the men
of the volunteer regiments seemed to think
that they had the right of way, and to me.
carrying a camera which was rather weighty,
stepping off the sidewalks all the time to
allow one of these swashbucklers to pass
seemed useless and monotonous exercise. I
therefore made a rule for myself, and deter-
3
H
CANNON AND CAMERA.
mined to liold niy own. witli my faitlifnl man
to back me. On one occasion 1 enconntcrcd
an officer of the Spanisli \-olunteers. and. de-
clining^ to make way. remained on the side-
walk. He glared at me in indignant amaze-
ment becanse 1 did not get off for his ICxcel-
lency. 1 stood and looked at liim for a while
and simp]}' motioned, as mncli as to say:
"This is mine; you get off this time." lie
did not seem to understand wliat I meant,
and as I could not tell him in his own lan-
guage, and it was im])OSsible for liim to ask
me in mine. I forced my way past him. with
the result that he went oft'. Some foreign re-
marks of an uncomplimentary character came
from this gentleman, but 1 ])assed on un-
heeding.
This little encounter occurred on Cu\rd
Street, where m}- dark room and little impro-
\ised studio were located, so that 1 had to
tra\-el up and down this street cpiite frecjuent-
1\-. I enforced this regulation of m\' own
making as far as possible. If 1 met one of
the o])i)osite sex. a fashionablx' dressed wom-
an, or a ])oor. emaciated creature with a baby
on (.)ne arm and seseral more tanking at her
The Spanish admiral leaving the U. S. S. Montgomery.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
15
tattered garments, I invariably gave way,
but whenever I met one of the haughty
snobs of Spain's volunteers I took pleasure
in showing him that he did not own all
Havana.
My duty sometimes called me to work
rather late, developing my plates and getting
my prints ready, so that it was often midnight
before I left my studio. It was my misfor-
tune on several occasions to have some of
these volunteers walk close behind me, when
they took great delight in spitting upon my
person. Mark you, behind my Ijack! I felt
this more than once, and knew it to be a
fact, but I thought discretion the better part
of valour, for had I resented this insult it
would have l)een far worse for me. I knew
that they were cowards, or they would never
have done such mean tricks. I realized then
that these Spanish volunteers would prove
themselves poltroons in battle, for no man
that is not a dastard will do behind another
man's back what he dare not do to his face.
One of the volunteers, a carpenter by trade,
was so bitter against Americans that he re-
fused to make a few necessarv alterations in
l6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
my studio, although I offered him iiaxiiient
ai an cxtra\agant rate.
It remained, liowever, for the arrival of
the Montgomery to slunv the risk run by a
man in the fullillment of his (hU\, and the
ohl(j(|uy one meets in a hostile country. On
the morning the Montgomery was sighted
several miles off Morro I went down to Fort
I'unta to await her j^assage into the narrow
hay. During my wait I focussed my camera
on Morro Castle just across the hay, when
1 heard some one calling, as I thought, to
deride and ridicule me. 1 paid no attention,
when suddenly a gentleman came up to me
and warned me that the garrison was about
to fire on me. I looked up in amazement,
and saw a com])an\- drawn u]) on the para-
pet of Fort l^mta. ddieir guns were pointed
at me as if they were just about to shoot. An
officer mounted the ])ara])et. and. gesticulat-
ing e.xcitedl}', yelled to me (in Spanish, as I
afterward learned) that 1 was under arrest.
1 was thus in a dangerous predicament, for I
had entered this fort, without being hindered
by the guards at the gate, with m\' camera
and my plates. Aly assistant was with me
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
17
and my interpreter, the good and faithful
Mike, stood by me as a brother would. He
told me the officer was going to send a squad
of men round to arrest me. 1 asked him why.
and he replied that, from what he could make
out from the officer, it was for photograph-
ing the fort, which was an illegal act, pun-
ishaljle in Havana with imprisonment, and
perhaps with death.
I at once realized my peril, and saw that
there was little chance of escape, for I was
conspicuously clad in a pair of linen trousers
atitl a blue and white sweater. However, I
ordered my man to move off in double-quick
time with the camera and plates. This was
comparatively easy, as people were allowed
to enter this fort and go down to the water's
edge without being molested. As the guard
had to make a considerable detour of the
fort before they could reach me. it gave my
man ample time to escape, which he did suc-
cessfully.
When the guards arrived with drawn
machetes, and accused me of having photo-
grajihed the fort, I asked them how I could
photograph the fort without a camera. Hieir
l8 CANNON AND CAMERA.
actions indicated tliat they thought I had a
camera in ni\- pocket, for they examined me
\]\) and down, and seemed nnicli surprised at
not being" aljle to find it. I told them that 1
was innocent, and Mike assured them that
I was sim])ly an onlooker, and that the other
man had done it. This recalled my boyhood
days, when we used always to blame the other
fellow. All excuses were in vain. I was
marched off to the guardhouse and confront-
ed with the captain of the guard. Mike was
not allowed to accom])any me, so 1 thought
that 1 was in for it; and so I was, for they
conducted me to a dirty cell and gave me sar-
castic smiles, which led me to think 1 was
going to be a \ictim.
In the meantime my man had gone to the
American consul and told him of my predica-
ment. General Lee said that if 1 had been
so indiscreet as to ])hotograph the forts, he
could i\n nothing for me. When Mike
brought nie this news, 1 told him to ask the
ca])tain of the guard to sunnncju the sentry
from the post at the entrance to the fort and
ask him if he saw me enter.
Now, as luck wouUl ha\e it, this sentrv
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. m
had given me permission to pass into the
fort. As I was not carrying my camera, nor
had anything on my person resembHng a
camera, he certainly would have no evidence
against me. This sentry proved my salvation.
He told the captain of the guard that I en-
tered the fort without a camera or anything
resembling a camera, and that he knew me
again by my blue-and-white jersey. In my
heart I thanked good old Columbia College
for adopting these colours, for they undoubt-
edly saved me from perhaps a long imprison-
ment. After the captain had consulted with
several other othcers, they decided that there
was no evidence against me, and let me go.
By this time the Montgomery was right
ofT the Morro. As soon as I could make my
way outside of this Fort Punta, I looked
round for my camera, and to my great de-
light, skulking behind a wall which protects
the street from the bay. I saw my faithful man
Hughie. There he was, all ready to shoot.
Taking advantage of the circumstance that
the guards were all gazing seaward at the
saucy Yankee cruiser, and were paying no
attention to me, I started in and made pic-
20 CANNON AND CAMERA.
tiires of tlic Monl^oniory. Then I turned
the lens wliieli ne\er lies tii)on this threat and
wonderful fort, which at best is btit an anti-
(juated ruin. I took this photograph just for
spite, and then 1 followed the Montgomery
into the inner l)ay. where we were hailed with
derisive shotits. rotten onions, decayed pota-
toes, and putrid fruit of every kind. Cries
were heard from the warehouses along the
water front that they had already sunk one
of our ships, and wotdd serve the Montgom-
ery in the same way.
We encoimtered a mob at Caberellos
which looketl rather threatening, but, as 1
wanted to follow the ^Montgomery along and
get good views of her as she entered the inner
bay, we forced om'sehes through the crowd,
being hustled and knocked about consider-
ably. If ever T felt .strong, this was the time;
but the masses were against me, and so I be-
came pliant, and with cur\ed back and bend-
ing knee wriggled my way through the mob.
This rough treatment from the Spaniards
lasted during oiu' walk along the water front.
When we reached the Machina (custom
house) a great crowd had assembletl. which
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 2 1
was hooting, jeering, and calling the Mont-
gomery all kinds of abnsive names, and in-
dicating by pointing to the wrecked l^attle
ship the fate they had in store for the
cruiser.
As the little Montgomery passed close by
the Spanish men-of-war V^iscaya and Oquen-
do. the mob indulged in more jeers, pointing
out how easy it would be for the two great
war ships to annihilate the American cockle-
shell, whose size they ridiculed. The Span-
iards, as I learned later, have a vocabulary
remarkably rich in obscenity and profanity,
and I believe that they exhausted it on the
Alontgomery. Little did they know what
sterling stuf¥ Captain Converse and his men
are made of! If they had been fired on. the
Montgomery would ha\'e sunk fighting, and
would never have surrendered.
At this point we took a boat manned by
a Spaniard. Robustiano, who pulled out to
the Montgomery, where I once more felt at
home, and, drawing a little American flag
from my pocket, I stood upright in the boat
and waved it so that those on shore could see
it plainly, and those on the cruiser still more
22 CANNON AND CAMERA.
SO. 'J'lie boys on the Montgomery, from the
apprentice to the execntive oflicer. were
anxious to cheer in return; but "Silence!"
was ordered from the quarter-deck, and not
a single response did we get. They did not
want to make any demonstration whatever.
This I was told afterward when I boarded
the vessel. Captain Converse and his men
said that they were pleased to see such a
show of patriotism, but could not answer by
cheering at that moment.
.\fter making some good pictures of the
Montgomery saluting the forts and the com-
mandant, we stayed by her to see the officers
exchange official courtesies, and became wit-
nesses of the following incident: The S])an-
ish admiral visited the Montgomery, and
while on the deck of the vessel displayed all
that oily suavity characteristic of his race.
When leaving the vessel, and while still on
her gangway at the starboard side, just before
entering his barge, he stopped, drew out
paper and tobacco, rolled and lighted a cigar-
ette, and began smoking on the gangway of
the Montgomery, throwing the small frag-
ments of tobacco on the steps. This was an
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
^l
unpardonable breach of naval etiquette. An
orderly was sent to go down and clean these
specks off the gangway, which he did with
much humorous officiousness.
That night was an uneasy one for the boys
of the Montgomery. Most of them slept on
deck. In fact, the decks and the boats were
crowded with men, who did not mean to go
down with the Montgomery as their fellow-
tars had with the Maine. Eternal vigilance
was kept on everything, and nothing w^as al-
lowed to approach the vessel without being
hailed. This was hard for the men, who
would have much preferred lighting a bold
and open foe to guarding against a possible
treacherous attack such as destroyed the
Maine.
In going to the wreck of the Maine to
make photographs, I found her in a terrible
condition. Spanish divers were at work on
one end, and American divers on the other.
Slowly the work proceeded. Bodies were
being recovered, and scenes in themselves
heartbreaking and distressing were occurring
every hour. This did not seem to affect the
Spaniards in the least.
24
CANNON AND CAMERA.
\\'hi]c the (li\ers were busy one afternoon
hoisting up a six-inch gun, one of them re-
l)orte(l tliat the l)0(ly of an officer was in the
forward torpedo room. It was recovered a
little later. The features were all but unrec-
ognisable, l)Ut it was identified as being that
of Lieutenant Jenkins. 1 was on the wreck
when it was recovered, and was so much af-
fected that I had not the heart to photograph
it, for. as 1 remarked in the opening of this
chapter, he was a dear friend of mine, a gal-
lant officer, and ])oi)ular with his sliipmates.
One day at a cheap restaurant in the Plaza
de Lux they had on their l)ill of fare " chick-
en fricassee a la ]\Iaine " — in fact, no oppor-
tunitv was allowed to escape by which they
could show their contem])t for the intrusion
of the Americans.
About this time the board of incpiiry ar-
rived at Havana; they were there to secure
evidence from the divers and survivors of the
wreck. I secured a very good photograph of
one of the sessions of the board, consisting
of Admiral Samjison, Captain Chadwick,
Conunander Potter, and Lieutenant-Com-
mander Marix. with luisign Powelson on the
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 25
witness stand. At the request of Captain
Sigsbee and the judge advocate, Adolph Ma-
nx, I made several photographs of the pieces
of plates that had been torn by the force
of the explosion from the forward part of the
Maine. I did not know at the time I made
them how important these pictures were, but
when the report of the board went to Con-
gress these photographs, which had been put
in evidence, were conclusive beyond a doubt
that the Maine had been wrecked from an
external source, and that source a Spanish
mine. It will thus be seen that my lens
played a significant part in fixing the respon-
sibility. It seems to me that the day is not
far distant when those who plotted and exe-
cuted this dastardly deed will be brought
face to face with justice. A crime so stu-
pendous can not remain forever unrevealed.
Father Chidwick, chaplain of the Maine,
could be seen flitting hither and thither, now
on the shore and now afloat, caring for the
bodies recovered from the wreck, placing
them in their coffins, taking notes of all marks
of identification on each victim, as well as
those on their clothing, so that all means pos-
26 CANNON AND CAMF.RA.
sible for identitication would be had. Many
of the l)odies were bront^ht ashore and re-
ceixed an impressix-e burial. The Fire De-
partment of Havana turned out and joined in
the mournful procession, the reconcentrados
contributed their numbers to increase the
pageant, and many wreaths were brought and
placed ujxin the biers of the victims, whose
remains were taken to Colon Cemetery and
laid to rest there with due naval honours and
solemn religious rites. These men. although
in a foreign country, rcjxjse in one of the
most beautiful cemeteries in existence any-
where. Stately palms and other magnihcent
trees branch out with tropical luxuriance, and
till the s])aces not occupied by handsome
monuments. The gra\-e of Holzer. the hero,
stands out distinct and conspicuous. On this
grave, which 1 ])hotographed. T ])laced the
Stars and Stri])cs.
llolzer was h'ather Chidwick"s indefati-
gable and zealous assistant. In the explosion
his hands were severely lacerated. When he
was dying in the hospital. Captain Sigsbee
said a few cheering words to him and held
out his hand.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
27
" I can't shake hands with yon. Captain
Sigsl)ee." he said; "my hand is not in con-
dition, sir."
" Ah, my lad." said the captain. '' you
shipped in the wrong ship when you chose
the Maine."
" No, sir! no. sir! it was the right ship. T
have nothing to regret."
He (hed soon after.
At this cemetery a Cuban is employed as
grave-digger and general attendant. Scarce-
ly a day passed that this sympathetic patriot
did not bring flowers of some kind wherewith
to beautify the graves of our sailors.
March 4, 1898, was a day set apart by the
American tourists and newspaper correspond-
ents then in Havana as a day of decoration,
to be observed as an anniversary by Ameri-
cans in the Cuban capital. This, no doubt,
as things have happened, will always be a
memorable day.
Sunday in Havana is devoted to jollity and
recreation: bullfights are carried on, and the
theatres are wide open. While on the ferry-
boat during one of its trips to Regla, the
scene of the bullfights, the few Americans
28 CANNON AND CAMKKA.
scattered anioiii; llic iiiaiu S])aniaril> could
nut fail to realize the undercurrent of ill feel-
ing;". I was one of the ])arl_\' on a (to me)
memorable Sunday bound to the bullfit^ht
with the intention of making photographs. I
had applied to the management iur lea\e.
The manager \-er}' t^ladly granted ])ermission.
and told me that he wcnild do all he could to
help me in my pur])ose.
W hen the bullli^ht bc,L;an. the i^oaded
bull was turned loose into the rin^', and 1 felt
somewhat ner\-ous. 1 have photoL;raphed al-
most e\erything from a doghi^ht to a funeral,
but ne\er had I been so hii;'hly strung' and
impatient as 1 was on this occasion. Know-
in<;" that 1 was anions^' enemies, 1 tried by force
of will to assure m\self that 1 was safe.
The i)osition 1 had secured was favour-
able in all but one ])articular, which was that
the bull was all the time in the shade, instead
of in the sun. To oN'ercome this it would be
necessary for me to get into the ring: but I
was told by the manager that he was liable
to a tine if a pri\ate individual entered the
ring during the light. 1 waited m\- oppor-
tunit\- b\' the low fence which encircled the
THE BLOWING UF OF THE MAINE. 29
ring, and, just as the matador was about to
give the bull the final sword thrust. I leaped
the fence, and before any one was aware of
it had a splendid picture. This caught the
crowd. Spaniards and Cubans, Americans
and Englishmen — in fact, the entire audience
— roared with laughter and gave me a hearty
cheer. 1 was censured by the management
and threatened with a heavy fine. Aly re-
sponse was that the negative was worth it,
and that if they wanted some good pictures
I should be pleased to let them have them.
That settled it. everything was lovely, and
the game proceeded. In the judgment of
experts who have taken part in these bull-
fights, the pictures I secured that Sun-
day were among the best ever made. Re-
turning from the bullfight. I had ceased
to be looked on as an enemy, and was
quite a hero on the boat all the way to
Havana.
That evening I had the ])leasure of meet-
ing one of Spain's greatest generals. Father
Chidwick and I were invited through some
Spanish friends to dine with General Arrolas
at the house of Sehor Gonzales, the owner
30
CAXNOX AND CAMERA.
of a lar<4'e tobacco warcliousc. llis family
is among the most intUicntial in Ila\ana so-
ciety, and it contains a charming young lady
in the person of Sehorita Gonzales. General
Arrolas is engaged to this beautiful girl, and
it was rather amusing to see the old warrior
enjoying I'atlier Gliidw ick"> ((uainl stories
and my own costermonger songs through the
medium of this charming intcr])retcr. It was
e\-ident from the conxcrsatioii 1 had with the
general that while he was not greatly em-
bitteretl against the Americans, yet he con-
sidered it his dut)- to stand up for the glory
of Spain. 1 am indebted to Sehores Gon-
zales and Gadalia for nuich information con-
cerning Ctiba.
W hen Senator Proctor arri\'ed in Havana
to make his historic in\estigation of the con-
dition of the reconcentrados, it was my ]jri\i-
lege to accom])any him. 1 >a\\ all the hor-
rors that existed in the hos])itals and among
the reconcentrados of which Scn:ilor Proctor
ga\'e a gra])hic report to Congress. 1 went
with him to Matanzas, Pinar del Pio, and
other points in the interior, and witnesse<l the
destitution of the opjiressed Cubans and some
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
31
terrible instances of sickness and starvation
in the hospitals.
The regnlar Spanish soldiers stationed in
Cuba have no sympathy for these poor crea-
tures. They gratify their unbridled passions
on the women and treat the men with bar-
baric cruelty. It was my unpleasant duty
while N'isiting" these ]ilaces to witness unspeak-
able scenes of rapine committed by these
armed licentious ruffians. In one little mud
hut covered with palms there were living two
families, each minus the male head of the
household, who had either been killed in war-
fare or in some private way in order that the
female occupants of the wretched tenement
might be easier \ictims. I saw very young
girls in a condition indicating the near ap-
proach of maternity. These poor creatures
were living in absolute want from day to day.
while the vile soldiers who had ruined them
paid no heed to their cries for food. Let me
draw the curtain on these horrors, which cried
to Heaven for righteous vengeance and have
been righteously avenged.
In visiting the camps, and especially the
camp at Montserate, I had an opportunity to
32 CANNON AND CAMERA.
investig-ate the regular soldier and his con-
dition. Being an old national guardsman,
I knew something of military tactics, and was
competent to form an opinion. In a])])roach-
ing this camp, where we were entire stran-
gers, we had no difficulty whatever in enter-
ing. When 1 wanted to make a picture of
one of the sentries charging and challenging
an intruder. I had to take the i)iece from him
and show him how to do it. Just fancy a
man wearing the uniform of Uncle Sam al-
lowing any one to take his rifle from him
while on his post!
'Jdiese soldiers are ignorant beyond con-
ception. They are of frail and puny physique,
induced by insufficient rations, and the mor-
tality among them is large. Some of them
had nearly a year's i)ay due them. Dirt v. un-
kempt, and ragged, they were a disgrace to a
so-called civilized nation. They were simplv
eking out a nn'serable existence. This I found
to be the rule wherever I went.
Returning to Havana from Matanzas. a
distance of about sixty miles, by means of
the one-horse railroad runin'ng between there
and Havana, an extra car was put on for the
A narrow escape.
The final thrust.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.
33
special armed guard accompanying the train.
This guard is composed of a company of
Spanish regulars. It is not often that thev
have a chance to distinguish themselves —
more's the pity, for there would be fewer of
them! They are thorough cowards, to say
the least. On the night when we came in, at
a point on the road eighteen miles from Ha-
vana, we were suddenly fired upon by a band
of insurgents. It was amusing to see these
Spanish soldiers drop to the bottom of the
car and never return a shot, although the car
was protected with sheet-iron casing, sup-
posed to be bullet proof, and there were loop-'
holes through which they could fire. The
passengers in the train were quite excited,
but it was not until one Englishman, a little
more inquisitive than the others, exposed
himself to see what was going on, and found
himself wounded, that we realized our dan-
ger. Xo protection at all did we get from
these brave soldiers of proud Spain, who cow-
ered and grovelled on the floor of the car.
At this time the town of Matanzas could
have been taken by five hundred of our New
York volunteers without any trouble, while
5
34 CANNON AND CAMERA.
any single regiment, with the helj) of a couple
of good second-rate cruisers, could just as
easily ha\e routed lUanco from Havana. I
make this statement advisedly, and will ahide
hy it.
The guard mount and parade m front of
the Hotel Pasaje every morning were spec-
tacles worthy of opera bouffe. The raw re-
cruits recently arrived from Spain were turned
out in this guard, and I thus had a capital
opportunity to examine them. They were
lean, hungry, and footsore, and they marched
with no military precision. Thev were not
jnit through any tactics whatever, but sim-
ply mustered, while the band i)layed martial
music and Spanish fandangoes, all of the sol-
diers smoking foid-smelling licorice cigar-
ettes, whiling awa\- an hour or two. and imas"-
ining that it was glory. After this they
marchc(l in front of the palace and went on
their lour of duly, which consisted in enter-
ing the many warehouses along the streets
and loafing on boxes or anything else con-
venient for the remainder of the twenty-four
hoiu's.
1 )uring ni\- sta\- in IIa\ana 1 made m;ui\-
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 35
photographs under (Hfficult and trying cir-
cumstances, at one time ashore, surrounded
l)v a crowd of scoffing Spaniards, at another
on the water. i)erched in the fighting top of
the Maine, cheered by the boys of Uncle
Sam's navy. Making photographs in a trop-
ical climate is trying indeed. I found the heat
and other difficulties great bars to successful
achievement. In the early hours of the morn-
ing the light is beautiful, all one could wish
for, but when it comes to dark-room work
obstacles in ])lenty confront you. A good
supplv of ice is absolutely necessary, provided
vou wish to have some film remaining on
vour plates after development. But. in spite
of all climatic impediments, the effects which
can be obtained in the picturesque purlieus
and unclean streets of Havana are varied and
interesting. The types of character, from the
mule driver to the lady in white, become more
fascinating the longer one remains among
them.
It was quite a relief to visit the office of
the American consul general, there to meet
his smiling countenance and jovial salutation:
"How do you do, captain? What can I do
36 CANNON AND CAMERA.
for you to-day? " General Fitzhugh Lee was
always ready with some information that was
newsy, bright, or ini])ortant.
The cnstoni-hou^c officials were e\-er on
the alert for something to turn up. I shall
long remember my (le])ariurc frcjm Havana.
During my slay there reports reached us from
time to time concerning the critical state of
the relations between the United States and
Spain. 'Jdie ofhcials were becoming more and
more alert daily; spies of every description
loomed ii]) in imexpected (juarters. The mob
grew still more |)r()(ligal of their insults.
1 observed one day that I was being
watched with more than usual care and at-
tention, and w.'is told that I was sus]iected
of ha\"ing made ])h()tograplis of the fortifica-
tions and other ])()ints of stategic importance
to the L'nited States (lo\erument. When the
report of the board of in(|uir\- was ready, and
it was settled beyond a doubt that it was im-
possible to raise the wreck of the Maine, I
decided that my missit)n. so far as lla\;uia
was concerned, was ended. I realized that
war between the two coiuHries was inevita-
ble, and so p!-epared toi- an earl_\- departure.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. 37
The same box and the same cases in which
I brought in my photographic material did
service for the homeward journey.
When all my baggage was ready to be put
aboard the steamer, I went to the custom
house, through which everything coming in
and going out must pass, and was told that
I must unpack my cases so that their con-
tents could be examined. This would have
been disastrous for me, for had I not taken
photographs of all the forts and fortifications
that were in and around Havana and Matan-
zas? 1 had everything that would be of value
to an invading force. However, I soon found
a way out of this difficulty. I knew that the
custom-house officers at Havana w^ere be-
hind in their salaries for some months, and
thought it possible to secure a complaisant
grandee willing to salve his conscience with
the ointment used by Shakespeare's apothe-
cary. Doubtless to his father confessor he
mumbled something about his poverty and
not his will consenting, provided always that
his better nature had not been stifled into in-
sensibility by custom. After anointing this
official's palm, my load of goods moved off
]^S CANXUX AM J CAMERA.
with magical promptitude. My effects were
then transported to the Yucatan.
(Jncc on hoard iliai stout steamer, I
thonglit myself safe; hut. to my (hsgust, with-
in half an liour of sailing- lime a custom-house
officer, accomjjanied h\- a poHceman, hoarded
the \'essel and demanded that m\- eft'ects —
l)lates. cameras, and all — l)e taken hack to the
custom liouse. 1 remonstrated, m-i^ing that
my hag-gage and effects had already heen ex-
amined and passed hy one customs officer.
All ex])ostulation was of no a\ail. The cap-
lain of the N'ucatan said that 1 should have
to comply with their orders, so hack I went,
sad at heart, not knowing what the end might
he. .\rri\ed at the wharf, we were met hv a
pompons personage, who demanded m\- rea-
son for taking m\- elTects on hoard the \'uca-
lan hefore he had examined them. 1 tokl
him they had heen ])assed h\' one of his offi-
cers (I his ohicer was then nowhere to he
seen), and as I had no lime to lose, the x'e.ssel
heing on the point of sailing. 1 tried the same
stratagem on this ofhcial that I had i)ractised
on the other. This was just what he wanted.
After his " i)alm had heen greaseil," he be-
Making photographs from the fighting top of the Maine.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAlxNE. -,q
came as iirl^ane as only a Spaniard can. Fear-
ing there might 1)e others of equal rapacity,
I hurried hack on board ship with my effects
untouched. \Mien I got them on deck, the
Yucatan weighed anchor and steamed out of
the bay.
In passing the Viscaya and Oquendo. both
of which were swinging leisurely in the dirty
waters of Havana harbour, I took from my
pocket the same little flag that I had waved
so proudly on the arrival of the Montgomerv.
and tiaunted it in full sight of the officers and
men on the quarter-decks of these two mag-
nificent vessels, and said to myself. " I hope
some day to see you in as bad a predicament
as we now see the Maine! "
^ly hope has been more than realized,
for not only did I see these two vessels, but
also the remainder of Cervera's proud fleet
destroyed off Santiago on July 3d l)y the
American war ships under command of Ad-
miral Sampson.
CIIAPTI'I^ II.
SOLDI HRS IN CAMP.
Scenes at lleniji.^tcad — Effects of red tape — Drilling volun-
teers — Unsanitary conditions in camps N'orih and South
— Red tape and transportation.
Mv tri]) from Iia\ana on the N'ucatan
was without incident. We liad with u> a
s^reat nian\- ("nhan famihes who were fleeing
front Havana, anticipating tronbles to come.
W'lien we arrix'ed at (|narantine. in Xew
\'ork harbour, we were placed under the re-
strictions of the ti\e-(hiy rule, and had to
report to the hoard of health to get otir re-
lease. iJuring all this time things were
growing warmer and warmer down Sotitli.
Keports were freeh' and tre(|uentl\' circu-
lated that (leneral I.ee had been assassinated,
and that in disturbances created by the
mob element anu)ng the Si)anish \olunteers
American resident > had suffered.
I ha\e ah'eady de>cribed the unruly ele-
40
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
41
ment of the Spanish voktnteers, and shown
their hostihty to the United States. Had
they revenged themselves on General Lee, I
should not have been surprised in the least.
Those capable of blowing up the Maine
would think nothing of killing a consul. As
a matter of fact, the general's life was in con-
stant peril as long as he remained in Ha-
vana. His friends were disturbed in their
minds until he had orders to quit. When
General Lee and his party left Havana, a
great many Americans and Cubans took their
departure with him. Soon after this war
was declared.
In the meantime Uncle Sam had been
making ready to meet the Spaniards. Camps
were being established all over the country
— at Hempstead, Long Island, Peekskill,
Chickamauga, Tampa, Washington, Key
West, and other places. The call by the
President for volunteers was answered with
remarkable alacrity. Our young patriots
responded nobly. It was their first oppor-
tunity to show the stuff they were made of,
and right good stuff it was.
The first camp I visited was Camp Black,
42 CANNON AND CAMERA.
at Hempstead, Loi\g: Island. Here the \()1-
unteer regiments of New \uvk State were
being assembled preparatory to being shipped
to the seat of war. This is where the Sev-
enty-first, that gallant regiment, was first
sent. Company 11 was sent down to organ-
ize the camp and ])nt it into some "nd of
condition. The\' worked with '.. ame
might and will which they showffl at San
|nan, and before they were ther lo" '.ley
had a white-capped city of large and did
proportions ready to receive the vo' "ers.
Their troubles. howe\er. hail not yt. cc^n-
menccd.
St)on after their arrivrd the terrible wet
weather set in. eciual in intensity to the
L'nban rain\- season. Rainstorms and high
winds deluged and blew down tents as fast
as the\- were \n\\ up. Xight after night
men were comi)clled to sleep on the wet
ground in pools of water. This was but the
first instance of criminal inefiiciency so pro-
lific of mom-nfid results later on in the cam-
j^aign. Cots were at a premium, and straw
— even straw so cheap ancl so plentiful
evervwhere — could not be had. The cause
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
43
I know not. What I know is that men
slept or tried to sleep all the time they
were in that camp with nothing in the way
of bedding between them and the wet earth
but their overcoats. Fever of the light
malarial kind soon made itself manifest.
Younr- men accustomed to the luxuries or
comfc lL of life for the first time in their
existence -^^-ere confronted with actual hard-
ships, 'the nost harmful of which was sleep-
ing iini'-nud puddles. They were ready and
willir to make any sacrifices demanded by
their country, and I was much impressed by
their cheerful spirit, which rose exultant over
all minor depressing circumstances. At this
early stage of the campaign these generous
souls were victims of departmental red tape
and carpet-bagging corruption which were a
disgrace to the Empire State. Our official
incompetence has been duly exploited in our
leading daily newspapers, not being one whit
exaggerated, and the grim results now rankle
in our hearts. Is the game worth the candle?
Will this fearful lesson of inefficiency, un-
paralleled since the Crimean War, teach the
nation to do better in future? Will our
44
CANNON AND CAMERA.
young men, with the cxi)ericnce of the Cul)an
campaign so fre>h in their minds, resjjond
with tlie same cheerfnl ahicrit\- to a new call
f(M" \(»lunteers as did their hrcthreii to the
patriotic missi\'e of {'resident Mckinley.'"
Let us hope the\' will.
.\mong the regiments at Camp I Hack
were the Sevent\-tirst, I^'otnneenth, Forty-
se\enth. Sixt_\-ninth, a ])ro\isional regiment.
and cavalry troo])s .\ and C". which in all rep-
resented, r shotdd estimate, a total of fi\-e
thousand men. all at this time imder the
connnand of ( ieneral Uoe. It nuist he re-
memhered that these young and willing citi-
zens had been taken frt)m comfortable homes
to face inc\ital)le hardshi])S and perha])S
death. The paltry sum receixed from the
Cioxernment for their sei-\ice was certainl)-
no inducement. In the various callings of
ci\il life tlie emolnments are far larger, while
the arm\- ration had no attraction to the man
accustomed to a scpiare meal once a tlay.
Men were detailed from the dilTcrent com-
panies in camp to aid in the preparatit)n of
the food at the (|nartermaster"s de])artmeiU.
During their stay in camp the food was oi
.^.
\
TTS^^iJl.'?^^
V I
QM-j
"i
\
*«»;v:
'1 '.\ :
X
I
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
45
a fair fjuality — corned beef and cabbage,
fresh beef several times a week, with good
fresh bread and plenty of potatoes — plain
food. ])nt wholesome, snitable for men in
robust health. But even thus early in the
campaign the sick suffered cruel privations,
while those in good health endured much dis-
comfort from the lack of necessary clothing.
In the first place, no man should have been
called upon to suft'er the hardships of camp
life during the detestably wet weather which
prevailed all the time they were there. This
is especially true with regard to Xew York
city, which is the proud possessor of so many
costly armories — more than sufficient to ac-
commodate all the regiments which were
actually to serve as New York's quota. In
these armories the men could have been in
touch with their homes, and could have been
better prepared for work in the field than at
an ol3scure point on the line of the most
decrepit of modern railroads. Take, for
instance, the Forty-seventh Regiment of
Brooklyn. This regiment was hauled off to
the plains of Hempstead before its rolls were
complete. There they waited in weeks of
46 CANNON AND CAMERA.
wet weather before they had their ranks filled
out. all the time sutTeriiii;- nnaecustonied
hardships.
W h\ eoiild not the authorities have
withdrawn the^e men from the eamj) in
Hempstead, and therel)y reetihed the error
of judgment which sent them there, ])artieu-
lail\ when the movement would ha\e been
attended with less cx])cnsc, and drills could
have been had in the armories which the
weather ])re\ented at Hempstead? it is sit^-
nilicant that ret^iments leaxin^- this cam]:)
were sent away with half the men ha\in<j;-
no uniforms or suppHes.
Hempstead Plains was an ideal location
for a camp, beint^- on sandy soil, which ab-
sorbs the rain freely. Many of our society
leaders who went to serve their countrv
with tlie Kou^h Riders have hunted o\er this
i^round. and otlierwise used it in excitint;"
Sj^orts. This piece of comitr\- was now con-
verted into a white city, and in decent
weather with projier management it would
ha\e proxed as ^ood a spot for a camp as the
world could alToi-d.
After an-i\al in camp, the raw recruit was
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
47
put through the A B C of military tactics.
First of all. he was placed in the awkward
squad, where a corporal took him in hand and
showed him the distinction between riofht
and left and front and rear. There he was
taught the rudiments of soldier life. After
undergoing this preliminary licking into
shape, he was placed in his company and pro-
vided with a rifle and his uniform, if obtain-
able. It is difficult, as a rule, for the average
man to come down to the hard discipline
of camp life.
The camp at Hempstead was conducted
on a war basis. This was capital work for
the men, as it taught them what they would
have to encounter in actual warfare. In
walking down the company streets, you
met the strong and robust fellow, the idol
of his company, with stripes on his arm, won
by hard work. Next to him you fell in
with one not less enthusiastic, but less vig-
orous — a slender, pale-faced young man per-
haps from an office. These types, so differ-
ent, did equally gallant work for Uncle Sam.
The lithe and the wiry often came through
the campaign unscathed, while his " bunkie "
,j^ CANNON AND CAMERA.
with ihc robust ph_\si((iic Miccunibcd to dis-
ease. Tlie lithe and wiry may be classified as
Woodbury Kane, the gentleman cross-coun-
trv rider and polo ])la_\-er. Larned and W'renn,
the tennis exi)erts and polo men. Sergeant
Goff and Private Cheevers. of the Seventy-
first, were instances in the contrary direction.
Amoni;- the res^iments of our Xational
Guard were some of the finest marksmen that
ever held a piece. They distinguished them-
selves as shar])shooters in the lines before
Santiago. 'Idiev were worthy of the splendid
records made in their armories and at Creed-
moor. Among my many friends who suc-
cumbed to the gross and crinunal incom])e-
tence which cliaracteri/.ed the conduct of this
campaign was one especiall\' dear to me. 1 le
was in tlie .Xational Guard with nic. W e
were in different regiments, but each thought
his regiment the best. We met on the rifie
range at Creedmoor, where we hrst smelt
I'ncle Sam's i)o\\(lcr and indulged in wliole-
some rivalry. developing our manhood, thanks
to the untiring efforts of General W'ingate.
'Idiis fellow -soldier was known all o\er the
I'nited States — in fact, all o\cr the world. I Ic
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
49
excelled in different branches of amateur ath-
letics, winding up as all-round champion of
the United States. It was a pleasure to gaze
upon this man. practically faultless in phy-
sique. He could have posed as a model for
statuesque strength. His enthusiasm for
athletics was second only to his zeal as a citi-
zen soldier. His ambition led to his speedy
advancement. He rose from private to cor-
poral, from corporal to sergeant, and when
the call came for volunteers to go to the
front, his regiment not being one of those
selected by the Governor of New York to
make up the quota on the first summons to
arms, he enlisted in the Seventy-first, which
formed part of the Fifth Army Corps, and
invaded Cuba.
His ambition was gratified. Soon after
joining, he was promoted to sergeant. He
was a great helper and encourager of the
men in his company. W hile some of his
weaker comrades dropped out on the way-
side on the voyage to Cuba, Sergeant E.
W. Goff (for I refer to him) held his own
on the right of the company, and was one
of the first to gain the heights of San Juan
50 CANNON ANIJ CAMERA.
and enter the blockhouse. Later on he suc-
cumbed to the germs of disease induced from
sleejjing on the wet ground at Camp Black,
fostered on the way to Cuba, made more
deadly l)y the commissariat incapacity at San
juan. and rendered fatal on the trans])ort
which conveyed him home. l^ve dollars
spent on ■"medical comforts" aboard ship
would ha\e saved this valuable life.
The general routine at Camj) Black was
severe and monotonous. The volunteer was
called soon after i\\t; in the morning, when
hot coffee was ser\ed. Ceneral assemblv
was sounded and roll call was had. after which
])olicing and general cleaning up of the
cam]) followed. Breakfast succeeded at eight
o'clock. At Cam]) Pjlack this meal was lux-
urious when contrasted witli what the boys
had to tackle a few weeks later. Then came
guard mount. Battalion drill followed com-
])any drill. In the afternoon the manual of
^niall arms and firing was carried on. Kx-
l)ert marksmen, who had (jualified at the
ranges in the armories and Creedmoor. were
detailecl to instruct the raw recruits, .\fter
hard work all da\'. it was cruel to make these
Bob VVrenn, tennis champion, one of the Rough Riders.
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
51
men sleep on the wet ground, without even
a layer of straw between them and Mother
Earth. Malaria and rheumatism were the
inevitable consequences of this gross mis-
management.
From my own experience at Camp Black,
I am able to say conscientiously that the
discipline was not only stern but severe.
I have been informed that Spanish officers
were within our lines at Mobile. Key West,
and other camps. Had they been sub-
jected to the same stringent rules that I was,
they would have learned nothing. No mat-
ter where I went with my camera, I was
stopped and hauled up when it really seemed
as though there was no occasion. The cor-
poral of the guard was often hailed when it
was found I had not the necessary permit to
pass me within and without the picket lines,
and I was unceremoniously hauled up to
headquarters. It is only just to say that I
was always let go after explaining my er-
rand.
Scientific sanitarians in general have a
lot to learn, especially with regard to the
necessarv sinks and other refuse receptacles,
-2 CANNON AND CAMERA.
in respect to tlieir position and proximity to
the commissary (lei)artment. Trenches are
duij^ in the ground, three or four feet deep,
not more than one hundred yards from the
termination of the company street, where the
cooking for the men is done. If the wind
blows from the right direction, the odour
is ahnost unl)earable. In actual warfare in
a hostile country these trenches and their
consequent nuisances are unavoidable. Init in
permanent camps in our own country a new
system of sanitation is necessary. The sys-
tem adopted at the State camp at Peekskill.
N. Y., might be followed. There the refuse
of the camp is deposited in iron receptacles,
and, after proper disinfection, is removed to
distant points. The men in Camp Black
were drilled in and round these sinks, inhal-
ing at all times this foul air. while the water
they drank and which was used by the
cooks was in close proximity to the afore-
said trenches and sinks.
Through it all these men steadily stuck
to their guns, and, when ordered to move
to a more southern point, they responded
with that life and dash st) characteristic of
u
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
53
our volunteer regiments. They were or-
dered south to Chickamauga, Key West,
and Tampa, to l)e at hand and in readiness
when the time came to invade Cuba. The
concentration of our forces at Chickamau-
ga was thought to be a grand conception.
Here, it was argued, our men would be-
come accustomed to the heat which they
would later encounter in tropical Cuba.
Theoretically, it was correct. Practically, it
failed.
The departure of the regiments from the
city of New York was made pathetic by the
wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts of
the men. The scenes at the railroad station
at Long Island City were distressing. Here
is where departmental inefificiency in the
matter of transportation was first made mani-
fest. The men then got a first taste of the
sufferings they had to endure later on.
When trains bearing troops arrived at the
Long Island City station, there were no
boats w^aiting to transport the soldiers to
Jersey City. The transportation arrange-
ments were rotten. I can not find words suf-
ficiently strong to express my contempt for
54
CANNON AND CAMERA.
tlie (|uarteniiasler aiul the commissary de-
])artmcnts of these reg'iments.
riic trooi)s would arri\e from Camp iUack
at Long Island City late in the afternoon,
after trax'elling over the dirtiest, slowest, and
most inconvenient of all railroads in the coim-
try. The crudest road through the jungles of
India is superior. After s])endiug all day on
this road, without conveniences of any kind,
the men reached the Long Island Citv sta-
tion in an exhausted condition. As there
were no hoats proxided Un continuing the
journey, the men were hustled into the rail-
road yard, wagons, cattle cars, and trucks.
there to await the maturing of the so-called
plan of some blundering and incompetent
oHlcial. It was impossible for a la\nian to
trace to its source this criminal carelessness.
The men were kept in this railroad vard.
with nothing to eat except that which was
brought to them by ])ersonal friends and
members of their families, or what their con-
dition elicited from sympathizing and char-
itable strangers. Sin-ely our (iovermnent.
with its \-ast resources, might ha\e pro\ided
for these men. and not ha\e left them to the
/
/*i
i-ia -';i
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
55
charity of the passerby. It is said that re-
pu1)lics are ungrateful; is it not rather the
smah official in the employ of the govern-
ment of a republic who brings this discredit
upon the country?
Hour after hour these men had to huddle
in this railroad yard, in the broiling sun, the
choking atmosphere laden with smoke and
cinders from the locomotives, and with no
shelter whatever. Some regiments had to
wait here ten or twelve hours l^efore trans-
portation could be had to Jersey City, a dis-
tance which an able-bodied tramp could have
covered in two hours. However, this proved
to be but the beginning of that official in-
competence which killed more of our men
than Mauser bullets in the hands of the
enemy.
This delay was cHscouraging in the ex-
treme. As a matter of fact, it demoralized
our men. There was no possible excuse for
such official blundering. There was no rush;
war had not been declared; it mattered little
whether a day or two passed before these
troops reached the South.
The arrival of the New York volunteers
56 CANNON AND CAMERA.
at the Sotithern camps, where the regulars
and \okinteers were interming-led, was the
cause of a good and liealthy feeling, for were
they not brothers in arms, to go side bv side
and shoulder to shoulder to battle? The
contrast that struck mc \ery forciblx' was
the difference between the ofTficers of the
regular army and those of our volunteer
regiments. Xow, do not misunderstand me;
I have thorough knowledge of these xohm-
teer officers of whom I s])eak. 1 scr\ed ten
years in the Xational (luard of the State of
New \'ork in one of its crack regiments. I
know that these officers do not ha\e the time
or opportunit}- to thoroughly master the
ways and means of conducting e\'en mimic
warfare. The West Toinl cadets have ample
time to study and thoroughly master all the
details of military life. The\- make of it a
profession. They are ])aid to be shot. ( )ur
officers in tlie Xational ( iuard ha\e nothing
l)tit ])atriolism as an emolument. Thc\- ai'c
first and last business men. Mad lhc\ the
military training of West Point, and the later
study and practice of the regular arm\- of-
ficers, they would perhaps make good sol-
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
57
diers. My modest recommendation is, that
our volunteer regiments should be officered
by the overplus from West Point for whom
Uncle Sam now finds no occupation. This
would be a benefit to the nation at large, and
would prevent the waste of intellectual and
plnsical manhood that goes through the in-
evitable sewer pipe of West Point.
In going through the camp at Chicka-
mauga. the life of the soldier struck me as
a happy one. All were comrades. They
messed together in a jovial manner. The
coloured soldier, always funny, seemed more
particularly so amid these surroundings. He
was simply aching to get at the dons. He
did not forget that the Spaniards first intro-
duced slavery on this continent.
At nio-httime our coloured brethren were
o
to be found congregated in bunches in a
quiet little tent or in some unseen or un-
looked-for nook making up different songs
and verses wdiich were not at all compli-
mentary. The regimental bard was present!
In all the regiments were many more or less
musically inclined. Their instruments were
the banjo, guitar, penny whistle, and mando-
58 CANNON" AND CAMERA.
liii. and ihc}' made tlie niLjiits ])lcasant in
more ways than one l)y singini;' onr familiar
son^s. riie nne ])()ssil)ly incist sun^' was that
melo(hons (htly. "'renting- 'ri)-ni<;ht on the
Old Camp ( iround.""
This sonj;", started hy the melody of the
negro singers, was taken n]) on all sides, until
the glorious strain was sniii;" from the east-
ern part of the cam]) tn the western end.
h^.ach extremit\- took np the refrain, and as
the tenor ])art of the " Tenting to-night "
died awaw and the bass came in with its mag-
nificent and melodious recall, it seemed as
though it were one great angelic chorus mak-
ing music in the twilight. The tiood of song
affected me as 1 never had been aft'ected
before.
The negro soldier appealed to me in many
ways. Chief of all is that happy streak in
his disposition which is contagions. This
he \ents in large measure by singing airs,
which gi\e him scope for improvising topical
songs. One of these, sung to the tune
of T^own in l)ixie. was a fa\'oni'ite here
with them, .and they took adxantage of the
blank lines which the\- had to till out to
"^
X?!P^ '
#=^. ■
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
59
disclose their sentiments toward the Span-
iards.
In the general course of events matters
came to a crisis. Camps were struck. Every-
thing was taken along that was necessary,
and the troops were transported to Key
West, where steamships were w'aiting for
them to embark.
Here is where General ^Mismanagement
asfain showed his hand. While the head of-
ficials of the army were taking jaunting trips
between Washington and Key West in pal-
ace cars and other up-to-date railway con-
veniences, and the board of strategy pulled
an expression of owl-like wisdom over its of-
ficial face, and the men were being packed
into these transports as hurriedly as though a
p-reat battle were imminent within the next
twenty-four hours, it had not been decided
where these troops were to be sent. The
troops were huddled on these iron steam-
ships, with a tropical sun adding to their dis-
comfort. Such suffering as this our men had
not been used to. They were penned up on
steamships like hogs in a cattle car, drink-
ing warm water, eating hard-tack and greasy
6o CANNON AND CAMERA.
pork while in plain siij;ht of shore and with-
in easy access of fresh provisions. They
knew not whither they were to be sent. At
one time a re])ort wonld be in circnlation
tliat they were to be shipped to Porto Rico,
only to be replaced b}- another in an hour
to the effect that they were to be sent to
lla\-aiia, when a wild rumour would come
along that they were bound for Santiago.
At last, after live days of this penning up,
they started, convoyed by several war ships
of the navy, their destination being Santi-
ago, glad to go anywhere ratlier than endure
continued uncertainty and heartless deten-
tion. Despite all this ill treatment at the
hands of red-tape officialdom, when the news
finally came that they were to go to San-
tiago their spirits were not dam])cned nor
their ardour less high, and 1 can truthfully
say that the best and boldest men that ever
took shij) for an enem\'s country were leav-
ing the United States on these transports.
CHAPTER III.
OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR.
My work in packing my photographic and other supplies —
Lessons learned in Cuba stand me in good stead — Medi-
cal stores and comforts — My shipmates and my vessel
— Our stay at Jamaica, where we buy polo ponies, and
take in necessary stores.
My next journey was a flying trip East,
where I immediately started in to prepare
myself for a hard campaign. Photographic
supplies of different kinds had to be obtained
in large quantities, for I was determined to
make the effort of my life in this expedition.
I wanted to achieve something which had
never been done before.
When I arrived in New York city, I con-
sulted with the well-known war correspond-
ent James Creelman, who had distinguished
himself in the war between China and Japan.
He told me that my path would be a mighty
thorny one; that while he had made a great
effort in that war to obtain good photo-
6i
62 CANNON AND CAMERA.
_qra])hic malcrial. had ciii])li)yc(l the best of
men. and L;i\en tliem e\ery facihtw they had
al)S()lutely failed from one cause or another
to gi\e him practical results.
Mr. W. \\. Hearst. ]:)roprietor of the Xew
York journal, had en^ai^ed me for this work,
and he was determined to spare nothiuii^ to
ol)tain good i)hotog"raphs, so I determined
to take along three different sizes of cameras.
First chosen was m\- good and trusty in-
strument, my six by ten. This I imagined
would be the best all-round camera to use
in tield operations. I'eing a convenient size
for general work. 1 su])plied myself witli a
large cpiaiuity of ])lates for use ^vith it. I
did not know how long the war would last,
but. so as to be prej^ared for any emergency,
I ec|uipi)ed myself with four gross of six-bv-
ten ])lates. T knew that a great deal of work
would be done with our blockading scpiadron,
while my ])art of it would be acconi]tlishe(l
from a boat; therefore my eleven-by-fourteen
camera seemed to me a good size to take
along for this work, the six b\- ten being in-
tended for land operations onlw In close
work, such as bombardments aloni:- the
OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR. 63
shore, engagements could be photographed at
short range with the eleven-by-fourteen in-
strument, and it would also include three or
four vessels in a picture at a distance of from
five hundred to one thousand yards. Shut-
ters of a very rapid-acting type were, of
course, necessary: therefore I took along
the quickest shutters I had for each camera
in duplicate. I determined also to take along
my largest camera, which was a twelve by
twenty. This instrument, with a long-focus
lens, would give me a fair picture at twice the
distance capable of being taken with my
eleven by fourteen. This camera did splen-
did work for me during the destruction of
Cervera's fleet.
Having provided myself with these dif-
ferent sizes of cameras and a variety of lenses
of different focal lengths, it now remained to
select plates with which to make the nega-
tives and paper on which to print them, to-
gether with the necessary chemicals for de-
veloping.
]\Iy experience in Havana had taught
me the necessity of a goodly supply of medi-
cal stores. Foremost among these were aro-
64 CANNON AND CAMERA.
niatic spirits of ammonia and (juinine. I
tliought of the old adage that an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure, there-
fore I pro\idcd myself with the following arti-
cles: Acetate of lead, which in solution is
good for the bites of mosquitoes and other
insects; extract of witch hazel and vaseline,
for use for sunburn; Sun cholera drops, for
diarrhfca; and rhubarb ])ills. for a mild at-
tack of bowel com])laint. were among my
supi^lies. A goodly store of talcum jDOwder,
in case of chahng in the saddle; court plas-
ter, with a small case of surgical instruments,
bottles of nux \-omica and belladonna, for use
in cases of extreme fevers, completed my
medical stores. T also provided myself with
several woollen bandages for the stomach,
and. thanks to these, not a day of stomach
trouble did I ex])erience other than those
incidental to the tribute I always ])av to Xep-
lune. I also provided myself with \cry light
woollen undci-clolhing, and good hea\\-. stout
solid shoes and leggings, to prevent the sharp
cacti and thorns from piercing mv legs. A
good wide-brinnned hat and light woollen
shirts (sufticienl for lrec|ucnt changes) car-
OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR. 65
ried me through. I also had several rubber
blankets, which I used to cover my cameras
and plate cases during sudden thunder-
storms. These I also used as a medium be-
tween myself and the ground at night for
a bed. while a plate case answered as a
pillow.
Mr. Hearst had chartered the steamer
Svlvia for this trip, upon which I had fitted
a dark room for developing, which, though
not elaborate, was convenient. The Sylvia
carried a large supply of ice. As I had been
down in this tropical climate of Cuba off and
on for a period of three months, I knew the
absolute necessity of a large quantity of this
commodity for photographic purposes. I
determined to be equipped for all emergen-
cies, the thick of battle on land and among
the flying shells on the water. Thus I pre-
pared myself in every way with duplicates
of almost everything for practical use. The
getting together of all these necessary chem-
icals and photographic materials was no easy
job.
On board the Sylvia I had sufficient pho-
tographic material to start an ordinary
66 CANNON AND CAMERA.
photograph supply shop. We left New York
for the seat of war. excellently equipped to
reiK)rt all ua\al and niilitar\- hapi)enings.
Mr. Mearst's intention was to (le])ict and de-
scribe to his fellow-citizens the events at the
seat of war with all the vividness and ac-
curacy possible to camera and pen.
Our ])arty consisted of Mr. W. R. Hearst,
Messrs. J. Follansbee, James Creelman, and
G. Pancoast, myself, and my assistants.
iVmong the other supplies on the Sylvia was a
l)rintino- machine and the material necessary
to print the tirst ])a])er in Cuba after it came
into the possession of the I'nited States.
We did not go direct to Santiago, but headed
for and reached Kingston, Jamaica. Here
we replenished our stores and provisions, and
purchased se\-eral polo ponies.
Saturda}' afternoon in Jamaica is always
a ])ictures(pie scene. It is a half holiday, the
morning being devoted to marketing. The
natix'cs for miles around journex- on foot to
Kingston with fruits and Ncgetables, carried
on their heads and on their donkex's. to ex-
change with the storekeepers for groceries.
The main road leading into Jvingston from
OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR. ^y
the Crystal Spring Hotel is generally blocked
for miles on Saturday afternoons. The crowd
consists for the most part of native women.
With their gaily coloured bandanas and
their clothes of yellow and red, swinging
along at an easy and graceful gait, they make
a spectacle pleasing and picturesque. Xow
and then one saw a market woman struggling
with that ingrained obstinacy ever present
in the descendants of Balaam's beast of bur-
den. A little farther on one was confronted
with a brace of asses, upon which were lashed
packs with a woman on top. Some of these
women travel from ten to fifteen miles to
King-ston with fruit, their entire stock not
being worth more than six or eight English
shillings (from a dollar and a half to two
dollars).
The road is wide and dusty, and among
the people you meet are the native soldiers,
swaggering along in pairs in the middle of
the road, attired in Zouave uniform, with
turbans cocked jauntily on their heads in
the same way they wore them through the
Soudan.
I noted an incident which struck me as
68 CANNON AND CAMERA.
cliaractcristic. While \vc were .^'oing along
this road, about two or three miles from
Kingston, two planters on horseback came
riding furiously and recklessly by. They
were yelling and shouting for every one to
clear the way. A woman and her daughter
were much in doubt which way to turn to
avoid them. They were run down and very
severely hurt by one of the riders. Imme-
diately loud cries came from their trav-
elling companions, and a great conmiotion
ensued, which resulted in the advance guard
of this strange procession forming in the
road so as to bar the progress of the horse-
men, and a native with great dignitv and
ceremony arrested and marched the offender
to the Kingston jail. The woman and her
daughter were jMcked up; both were bleed-
ing profusely.
The women in ijiis returning ])rocession
marched along, singing and joking, haj)pv
and smoking, as though life was but a huge
joke. Four or five miles outside of Kings-
ton on this road we reached the racecourse.
Here we bought some polo ponies for use
during our Cuban campaign. The C'rvstal
OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR.
69
Springs Hotel was our next objective point,
which we found a very pleasant place to
dine. After dinner we returned on board
the Sylvia, where we found our live stock
already delivered. Captain Clark was thus
ready to heave up anchor and proceed to San-
tiago de Cuba on June i8th.
CHAPTER IV.
LANDING IN THE ENEMy's COUNTRY.
Our first encounter with the American navy — Welcomed by
Admiral Sampson and received by General Shafter — Inter-
view with General Garcia, of the Cuban army — Insurgents
made glad by presents of rations — Delight of our troops
at landing— The Red Cross Society begins its work of
mercy.
Leaving Kingston on a beautiful Sun-
day mornino^, we passed picturescjue and
placid Port Royal and steamed out ui)on the
bosom of the Caribbean Sea toward Santi-
a,<;o. The bosom of the Caribbean Sea at
times may be a fit place to pillow a babe,
but on this occasion it was no cradle. After
tumbling- around for ten hours, the good
ship Syhia arrived ofT the tuouth of Santiago
harbour, just outside the blockatling scjuad-
ron. when we were suddenly hailed and
brought to by the Xew Orleans, from whose
mast fluttered the signal, " Where are you
bound for? " and before we could answer
70
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 71
they hoisted another signal to the breeze,
" We want to board you, sir."
As we wished to make ourselves known,
we had no serious objection to meeting one
of the squadron guarding the once elusive
but now bottled Cervera. An officer from
the Xew Orleans put off in a wdialeboat,
which came alongside our vessel. The of-
ficer mounted to the deck, inquired our mis-
sion, and asked our intentions. We told
him we were there to picture to the life the
doings of the American fleet. This officer
looked hotter than he really was, for. in the
first place, he was red-headed, and great
beads of perspiration were rolling down his
cheeks. He was one of those typical naval
men with whom one comes in contact very
often at Hampton Roads. While he ap-
peared to be a veritable devil, he was really
a most genial, gentlemanly, and good-
hearted fellow. He told us all that had oc-
curred during the preceding week, and gave
us a great deal of information. He added
that he was glad to see us, and that no doubt
we would be welcomed by the rest of the
scjuadron. We told him that we wanted to
72 CANNON AND CAMERA.
rei)()rt to Admiral Sampson, in order that
we might have our papers coimtersigned.
He then signalled to the Xew Orleans, wis-
wagging with his cap for the jnn-pose. and
told them the result of his hoarding trip.
An answer to i)roceed was received. Bid-
ding us good luck, the officer got into his
own hoat, and. after making a good pic-
ture of the Xew Orleans, we proceeded to
Admiral Sampson's flagshij), the Xew York.
half a mile distant.
When within hailing distance of the flag-
ship, we told them we would like to hoard
her. Receiving permission. Mr. Hearst. Mr.
Creelman. and myself put off in the Sylvia's
steam launch. Xow. this steam launch was
a thing of heauty. hut not a joy forever while
in use, for upon starting for the Xew York
she became obstreperous, and would not re-
spond to the coaxings of the engineer and
coxswain. By and by we reached the side
of the Xew York. and. as she was stripped
for fighting, there was no elaborate "-an"--
way ladder down the side by which to reach
her deck, so we had to scramble up the sea
ladder.
Admiral Sampson.
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY.
73
Upon reaching the quarter-deck of the
New York, we were met by the officer of the
deck, who incjiiired our mission. I told him
I wished to see the admiral. When my name
was announced to the admiral, he came for-
ward and bade me welcome. I had met him
at Havana, where he was serving as tiie
president of the naval court of inquiry touch-
ing the disaster to the Maine, and there he
had extended to me every courtesy and facil-
ity possible, and he was glad, he said, to see
me picture-taking at Santiago. After wel-
coming Mr. Hearst and Mr. Creelman, and
having a pleasant chat, he told me he should
be pleased to extend any courtesies in his
power. We then returned to our ship, and,
as we were now recognised by the admiral
as friends, to say the least, we were given
the freedom of the fleet.
We next proceeded to Siboney, where
the headquarters of the New York Journal
had been established, and where we stood
ofif and on during the night. Here we spoke
the Simpson, that gallantly commanded tug,
from which we obtained the information that
General Shafter was on board the Seguranca.
74 CANNON AND CAMERA.
The Seg-uranca was Xo. 29 of the transport
fleet, and it was difficult to find her, as the
order in tlie 1)locka(hn_<4- fleet was to display
no lights at night. We wanted to find (Gen-
eral Shafter so that we might get our papers
countersigned giving us the right of uninter-
rupted entry and exit within the picket lines
of tlie land forces. We had a long search
for him. and were often held uj) by a glaring
searchlight on board one of the little con-
verted gunboats or a saucy little torpedo
boat, accompanied by the hail, " Who are
you.-' " to which we gave the response,
" Steamship Sylvia, of the Xew York Jour-
nal." This went on for several hours, until
at last we found the Seguranca in Guanta-
namo Bay.
On this boat General Shafter had his
headquarters before he established them on
shore. Nearby there hovered several of the
vessels of Admiral Sampson's fleet. On the
Seguranca we found General Shafter in a
mood not truthfully to be described as pleas-
ant. We learned that this frame of mind was
induced by news of reverses to some of our
forces under his connnaiid. Ii occuncd to
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 7-
me that, as our forces were on shore, this
ship was not the proper place for the gen-
eral commanding the Fifth Army Corps. In
my opinion, as I saw the general, stripped to
his trousers and a light blue shirt, he seemed
physically unfit for an arduous campaign. I
knew that the tremendous heat and the fa-
tigue he would have to endure would be
very hard for a man built on the lines of
General Shafter. I found him in the social
hall as one would find a passenger on any
steamboat. He might have been on shore to
examine the coast for a short time, but he
could not have done anything further, as he
had not been there long enough. At any
rate, the engagement had taken place, and,
so far as I could learn, it reflected no credit
on the general in command.
The conclusion I came to at the time of
our first meeting — and which, on reflection,
I have no reason to change — was that the im-
portant command of our invading army in
a tropical country, every inch of which might
be contested by active commanders accus-
tomed to the country and immune from fever,
should have been intrusted to a more phys-
'j6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
ically acli\c and energetic man. General
Shafter was reticent witli resj)ect to his
plans. lie received iis courteously, acknowl-
edi^ed our credentials, and gave us permission
to enter the lines at any point we saw fit.
We remained on board the Seguranca for a
short time, and had a little informal talk
with him relative to the health and spirits
of his army. He expressed himself as sat-
isfied with the men under his command, and
added tliat lie would make a very short cam-
paign of it.
We then returned to our ship and retired
for the night. Xe.xt morning we were awak-
ened early, and we got all things in readi-
ness and went ashore.
The village of Siboney was made the
landing place of our troops from the trans-
ports and the base of supplies of the Fifth
Army Corps. The beach at Siboney is rather
a tricky one. so that in landing the troops
those who handled the surf boats had to be
very careful, because of the strong undertow.
A day or two previous to our landing here
one or two of the American gunboats had
shelled this place and scattered the Spanish
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 77
forces then in possession. As the retreat of
the Spaniards was hasty, as well as without
a vestige of their " manana diplomacy," they
left for the rude hands and capacious stom-
achs of the invaders a quantity of rum and
wines, cigars and edibles. The blockhouse
just in front of this beach was the first block-
house over which Old Glory was hoisted. At
this place the Engineer Corps did great and
useful work in erecting a pier in short order.
The troops were brought in on the trans-
ports very close to the shore, and then the
men embarked in small boats and landed in
the surf. It was a splendid and picturesque
sight to see the many different regiments
being thus landed. Among those that came
ashore on this day were the Seventy-first
New York, the Thirty-second and Thirty-
third Michigan, volunteers from Massachu-
setts and Illinois, together with a large com-
plement of regulars.
These men found this a haven of rest after
the terrible experiences they had endured
on the dirty transports. No sooner had they
reached the beach than they doffed their uni-
forms and plunged into the sea. How glori-
10
78
CANNON AND CAMERA.
ous this seemed to the boys! Those Cubans
who had been left with our troops by Gen-
eral (Garcia to act as guides and scouts stood
along the beach and watched with amaze-
ment their comrades in arms disport them-
selves in the surf. It was quite a picturesque
scene at which I pointed the eye of my cam-
era. Those of our troops which monopo-
lized the attention of the Cubans were the
coloured regulars, and we have nothing of
which we can rightfully be prouder than the
men of the Tenth and Eleventh Cavalry, who
soon afterward made themselves famous and
gloriously gained the heights of El Caney.
In the surf these men ])layed all kinds of
])ranks and tricks. They were in the hu-
mour for doing anything from taking a hop.
skip, and a jump to hauling on the painters
of the surf boats as they sought a place of
landing for the soldiers contained in them.
They were always ready and wilHng to do
whate\'er lay in their power. I made a great
many ])icturcs of the transports landing" at
this ])ase of supplies for the Eifth Army
Corps.
Lea\ing the beach and ascending a rather
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY.
79
steep incline, we came to the railroad track
which skirts this little village. Here hos-
pital headquarters had been established for
the typhoid and malarial patients, a class
which day by day grew in numbers. Trav-
elling along a short distance to the west-
ward, we came upon several white tents
which had been erected as headquarters of
the different and numerous newspapers which
were represented at the seat of war. The
New York Journal had established its quar-
ters at a cosy little Cul)an dwelHng.
Near by and to the right stood the house
of the Red Cross Society, under the man-
agement and direction of Miss Clara Barton
and Dr. Lesser. Supplies were brought to
this house from the steamship State of Texas,
the Red Cross Society's boat, which was then
lying in the harbour of Siboney. Each day
the nurses from the Red Cross steamer were
landed, and they administered to the welfare
of the men in this hospital at that time. Pa-
tients in a more serious condition w^ere taken
on board the Government hospital ship Oli-
vette. The insurgent troops were coming
into Sibonev in large numbers, and poor,
So CANNON AND CAMERA.
wretched, emaciated creatures these Cuban
sohhers were. In some instances the_\- had
scarcely anytliin^: in the way of attire to
screen their nu<hty. 'i'heir outfits in most
cases consisted of a few cooking utensils, a
ril1e, machete, and an empty stomach. It
was a sight I shall never forget seeing these
poor fellows Hocking into Sibonev. They
were positively without homes, and did not
know what would occur at the next mo-
ment. Their object in coming to Siboney
was to see General Garcia and his staff, who
arrived the following da_\-, and took up their
cjuarters in an odd little Cuban shantv
painted blue and white, with red tiles on the
roof and tropical plants growing on all sides.
This house was situated but a short distance
from the railroad which runs from Baiquiri
to Santiago. In front of General Garcia's
head(|uarters a part of our infantry which
had just landed was ([uartered and encamped
for the night.
( )in- first \isit was to General Garcia's
head(|uarters, where we went to inter\iew the
genera] on his long service for Cuba, and to
learn, if possible, his plans for future opera-
i
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 8i
tions. We found a very pleasant old gentle-
man, with a frank, open countenance, dis-
playing the scars he had received in the many
battles he had waged against his country's
enemies. When he stood up on his veranda
and bade us welcome, we saw a man between
sixty and seventy years of age, with a phys-
ique and frame which had doubtless once
been ideal in its massiveness and strength.
He was clad in a pair of light brown leather
boots, the inevitable blue-striped trousers, a
white duck coat, and a large wide-brimmed
panama hat to complete the outfit.
General Garcia greeted us in our own
language, and introduced his son — a noble,
frank-looking fellow — and the other mem-
bers of his staff. He asked us to be seated,
and talked to us of the many hardships and
trials he had passed through in battling for
Cuba's freedom, and informed us that he
came to Siboney, at the request of General
Shafter, in order to have his troops act in
concert with the American forces, and to as-
sist, wherever he could, by moving his men in
harmony with our own. When he uncovered
his head and wiped the beads of perspiration
82 CANNON AND CAMERA.
frdiii his brow, a large scar was to be seen
in the centre of his forehead This testi-
fied to the fact that he had s])ilt his blood
in the cause of riglit and hunianit\- and the
liberty of his country and its people.
After talking for some time, the general
instructed one of his orderlies to have cof-
fee served, of which we all partook. Then
his son brought forward a Cuban flag which
had been borne through many a hard bat-
tle, and which had been punctured in many
places by Spanish bullets. This the general
presented to Mr. Hearst as a token of hon-
our, esteem, and gratitude for the generous
aid which Air. Hearst had ever given to the
cause of Cuba Libre. While the ceremony
of presentation was informal, there yet
seemed beneath it all a feeling of intense
sincerity.
In handing over the flag, the old general
said to Air. Hearst: " Whether this war con-
tinues for three years, three months, or three
days longer, 1 am willing to tight until mv
end shall come. Uefore that time does
come, 1 trust that the hopes 1 ha\e given
to my people may be fultilkHl." Then, as
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 83
he looked beyond the veranda toward our
forces, he added: "With those men I can
go through anything and everything. Vic-
tory must come. We are in the right, and it
must be so."
The old man then waxed warm, his eyes
filled with tears, and he uttered the battle
cry of his forces, " Viva Cuba Libre! " This
sentiment was echoed by all within hearing
distance. I asked the old general if he would
object to my taking a picture of him at this
time, and he very pleasantly acquiesced.
The picture shows him with Mr. Creelman
standing by his side, his son reading a de-
spatch which had been handed in from Gen-
eral Shafter with instructions to take his
forces to the left wing and protect that end
of the line to the best of his ability.
The Cuban soldiers were surrounding this
place in large numbers. They were footsore,
weary, and hungry, for they had just come
in from the mountains, where they had been
fio-hting off and on for three years, through
all kinds of w^eather and vicissitudes of for-
tune. Here some of the officers and men met
their wives for the first time since the begin-
84 CANNON AND CAMERA.
niiiy; of tlic Inn^- war. One could see in the
faces of these Cuban soldiers a gleam of
light, a look of satisfaction, a ray of hope,
and a resignation to do and die as they found
themselves side by side and elbow to elbow
witli the men of Uncle Sam's army. Some
of these Cubans who could si)eak a few words
of luiglish told me they never felt so confi-
dent of success before in their lives. It was,
in fact, as though new life had entered into
them. A great change had come upon them.
They found themselves buoyed up by the
sight of our war ships afloat and our army
on shore, with })lenty of provisions to sus-
tain the inner man in a manner more sub-
stantial than had previously been their lot
at the hands of their patriotic but weak
countrymen.
It was anuising to see these soldiers re-
port to the ([uartcrmaster and connnissarv
de])artments of the American armv for their
rations. ^'ou could see one soldier here
gliding along with a rapid shuffle, a side of
bacon on his head, followed bv others with
cases and boxes of biscuits. Canned meats
and edibles of all descriptions were given to
Copyri({hl, 1N'.I^, by W. K ller.rsl.
Cuban scouts fj^oiiit; on outpost duty.
LANDING IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY.
85
these half-starved soldiers. It caused a dif-
ferent feeling in the stomachs as well as the
hearts of these men to have a good meal,
and also prospects of many others to follow.
Thus their welcome to the Americans was
sincere and cordial, their greetings most po-
Hte.
After the Cuban forces had rested here
at Siboney for a short while, they started on
their march to the westward, toward Santi-
ago. The day that General Garcia departed,
while we knew his age to be nearing the three
score and ten allotted to man, he strode
forth with all the alertness and sprightliness
with which he commenced his first fight for
libertv. In passing along the many trails
which led to the American outposts, it was
not an infrequent happening to meet the
Cuban soldiery moving along in groups of
half a dozen or more, some loaded with food
for their own maintenance, the others with
cases of American cartridges for food for
Spaniards. Their greeting of an American
was always so cordial as to make him feel
entirely at home with them.
It often occurred to me that I might easi-
85 CANNOX AND CAMERA.
ly be hckl up and coiiiniitled to — the Lord
knows where, through my ignorance of the
distinguishing marks betw^een the Spanish
and Cuban forces. One day 1 started out for
the outposts of the Cuban alHes, whither I
was l)eing escorted by two Cuban soldiers
who were not out of their teens, but who had
been through the whole war. I found in the
course of our conversation that, while they
hoped and truly l)elieved that our forces
would be ultimately victorious, they could
scarcely credit the assertion I made to them
that in as many weeks as they had spent
years in this war we would be occupying San-
tiago.
I
■"( \
CHAPTER V.
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF.
I follow the general on a reconnoitering expedition in the
direction of Santiago, and photograph the graves of the
Rough Riders — From the summit of a lofty tree I get
my first view of Santiago — A tropical storm and difficult
roads make travelling arduous — Where the Rough Riders
were killed.
The morning after my arrival at Siboney
I left the steamship Sylvia bright and early
and landed with my cameras and plates and
with my trusty man made for the interior.
We tramped along through the thickets and
over that never-to-be-forgotten hill which
runs up so abruptly at the back of Siboney.
This mountain, I should imagine, is about a
mile distant from the coast, and it is very pre-
cipitous. We passed two blockhouses on the
way up. Near the first was the spot where
brave Captain Capron was laid to rest. This
is the route the famous Rough Riders took
the day they encountered the Spaniards at
87
88 CANNON AND CAMERA.
Las Guasimas. We went alonp^ this trail inr
several miles l)efore we came to the cami)S
of the different regiments now moving on
Santiago. This trail is used most by pedes-
trians. We understood that the lower trail
dowyi through the valley was in very bad
condition, having been much cut up by the
wagons and mule trains used in getting sup-
plies of all kinds to the front.
When we reached Las Guasimas. we
were shown the graves of those Rough
Riders who had been killed on that mem-
orable (lav. and whose bodies were there laid
at rest. 1 made photographs of these graves,
also of those of the men of the Tenth and
Eleventh cavalry regiments who had been
buried near by. In a lovely s])ot just be-
yond this, on a field where the Rough Riders
had been fighting a day or two previous,
were encam]:)e(l the Ninth and Twenty-fourth
Regiments of the regular United States in-
fantry. It was here that the boys of our
regular arnn- showed theniseUcs to be true
soldiers. To get a good \iew of this camp,
it was necessarv for nic to get some sort of
elevation. 1 mentioned the fact to some of
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF. gg
the boys who were standing around, and
without a moment's delay a large limb was
broken off from a tree near 1jy and placed
on the shoulders of some of the men, and
they placed me on the top of it. This re-
minded me of the pyramid building for which
the British army is justly renowned. Upon
this living pedestal I made the photographs
of the camp. I passed along through other
camps, when I encountered the military road
along which all our mule and supply trains
were bound to go. The roads were in a ter-
rible condition. The mud reached to my
knees as I laboured along the narrow trails,
in which there was a strong nauseating odour
exhaled by the broken-down cacti and other
pungent-smelling tropical plants. Occasion-
ally we came to a small stream, which always
proved a welcome sight, as it afforded an op-
portunity to get a much needed drink.
Just before reaching Playa, where later
on General Shafter established his headquar-
ters, we came to a point which gave us a
very good view of the city of Santiago.
While we were pausing here for a short while,
who should we see coming in the distance
QQ CANNON ANI-) CAMERA.
but General Shafter and his staff. Evidently
thev were on a reconnoitering expedition.
Lieutenant Miley was riding in front with
General Shafter. l"he general was mounted
on his black steed, and looked very fatigued.
His tunic was unbuttoned, and he was trav-
elling at a not very fast gait. Here is where
operations commenced for me. but. confound
it all! the locality was not suitable for good
photographic illustration — at one moment
surrounded by high trees and dense tropical
growth, which threw everything m shadow;
at another winding through a narrow road,
which did not permit me to get the proper
light. This continued oft' and on for several
miles. The sun was pouring down with all
the intensity usual in tropical climes.
The general was evidently bent upon
going out as far as his forces had advanced
in the direction of Santiago. I followed him
for several miles, once in a while getting a
" shot " at him, vet 1 had not obtained the
picture of him and his staft' which 1 so much
wanted. 1 was practically wasting plates,
but, fearing 1 wcnild not get better chances,
took what 1 could. Soon I saw a stream
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF.
91
a short distance in front of us and in the Hne
of progress. I made a wild rush to gain this
stream before the general and his staff got
there. I knew the horses would want to wet
their whistles, if the general and his staff
did not. I gained this position before the
general did, and when he arrived there, true
to my intuition, there was a halt for a drink.
The general allowed his horse to obtain a
liberal supply, and took one himself from a
friendly canteen handed to him by one of his
staff. I followed him some distance farther,
until he turned in to what later on became
his headquarters at Playa.
It was here that I felt the effects of the
heat and exertion I had just undergone. My
men caught up shortly afterward, and we
looked a sorry lot — wet, muddy, and bedrag-
gled. We halted here for about an hour, as
the midday sun does not give a good light
by which to take photographs. We seized
the opportunity to partake of a little lunch
we had brought along, which consisted of
sandwiches and a half dozen bottles of gin-
ger ale. The beverage was at about boiling
point when we opened it, and we were glad
g2 CANNON AND CAMERA.
to get rid of the weight of the glass, which
we had Ijccn l)ur(lciied witli while travelling
over five or six miles of this almost impassa-
ble country.
-Vfter our little lunch, we proceeded on
toward El Pozo. We were making rapid
progress when the indications of a thunder-
storm appeared. Great rumblings of thunder
and vivid Hashes and streaks of lightning
soon followed. Just before we arrived at
the river in front of the old sugar house at
El Pozo the storm burst in all its rage and
furv. We halted under a large tree, covered
our cameras and plates with a rubber blanket,
and allowed our clothing, as we could not do
otherwise, to get drenched through. The
storm did not last very long, and we soon
proceeded to our objective point. By this
time the condition of the roads was terrible.
We tramped along, however, as best we
could, determined to reach the spot where
we had been told we could get a fme \iew
of Santiago. We came to a river already
much swollen, and its stream rushing down
in torrents from the hillto]). Through this
we were obliged to wade up to our armpits,
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF.
93
holding our cameras and plates above our
heads. When we reached the old dilapidated
fort, we fell in with the outpost of the Cubans
in front of San Juan. Among these we found
a bright and intelligent young fellow who
spoke EngHsh fluently. He told us that the
Spaniards, two or three days previous to my
arrival, had evacuated this fort very uncere-
moniously. This was the day after the bat-
tle with the Rough Riders, in which, being
routed, they fell back on their main forces,
about two miles in the rear.
In this old fort was a bell tower, contain-
ing a finely carved bell. Something prompt-
ed me to go up this tower and examine the
bell. Once there, an impulse seized me to
ring this bell, which I did. with an alarming
effect, for out of hiding came every Cuban
soldier for miles and miles, all wildly gesticu-
lating. I reahzed almost immediately that
the ringing of this bell was a preconcerted
signal for assembling in mass should the ene-
my be seen to advance. I shall never forget
the sight as long as I live. Of course, I was
admonished for what I had done, but I as-
sured them of my innocence of any evil in-
94
CANNON AND CAMERA.
tent. No doii])t the Spanish pickets within
tlieir lines heard the ringing, and wondered
what was the cause. The inscription on the
hell led nie to helieve that it was presented
by some society in Barcelona, and here it
was strung up in this old shanty by a rude
piece of chain! I made my wants known to
several Cubans who understood English, and
told them 1 sought a place of vantage from
which I could see the fortifications and as
much more of Santiago as was possible.
They told me that by going a quarter of a
mile to the north, up a high mountain, I could
see the city ])lainly, but that the attempt was
dangerous, as it was bexond the i)icket line
of the Cubans, and I would be exposed to
the fire of the S])anish pickets. I told them
1 did not care nuich about that, and that if
they were willing to show me the way 1 was
quite willing to go. Several of the men from
the Sixteenth United States Infantry had ac-
coni])ani(.'d me to this old fort, and they cor-
dially volunteered to help me to carry my
cameras and i:)latcs up this high mountain.
Having reached its to]), 1 was rejiaid by get-
ting a glorious but indistinct \iew of Santi-
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF.
95
aofo, for after the heavv shower throuoh
which we had just passed the ground around
was soaked with water, which the strong
rays of the sun evaporated in the form of
heavy mists, and prevented a good outline.
At the top of this hill was a large tree, which I
ascended, and, placing myself in one of its
forked branches in order to get higher than
the many royal palms wdiich otherwise would
obstruct the view% I took several pictures.
It was a strange coincidence that on the ist
of July, when our batteries took their posi-
tions to shell the fortifications at Santiago,
this place was where Grimes's battery sta-
tioned their guns and shelled the Spanish po-
sition — right under this tree where I had
planted my camera and made photographs
of Santiago three days previous. Whether
the Spanish forces saw^ us or not I am un-
able to tell, but. if so, they reserved their
ammunition for better game, and we returned
to the old fort and started on our way back
to Siboney.
This journey from El Pozo to Siboney,
be it understood, is between nine and ten
miles, and here we were starting on it at four
96 CANNON AND CAMERA.
o'clock in the aflernoon. As ])re\i()iisly re-
lated, the roads were in a sufticicnll}- bad
condition when we started, hut what could
we reasonably expect in returning after that
thunderstorm ? It was simply stagnant
swamp, mud. fetid odours, miasmatic mists,
and biting insects. Our clothes were wet
through and we began to get chilled, and,
having no change of clothing, we had to
keep on the move. This is where we found
the camera and plates rather inconvenient
burdens; but there was no such thing as a
baggage-checking room near 1)}-. and we had
to swear and lug them along. The camera
never before appeared to me to have such
weight; it seemed to ha\'e changed to lead.
We tried the Cul)an fashion of bearing bur-
dens upon our heads. I perched the camera
on my head and went along with a mind as
light as the occasion would allow, and the
occasion wnuld not ])crmit nuich ]e\itv in
this respect. ^^ly faithful warriors trailed
behind, bearing the ])late cases, and we fol-
lowed this so-called military road for these
nine or ten dreary miles before we reached
our destination at Sibonev. At times the
WITH SHAFTER AND HIS STAFF. 97
streams we crossed would reach our shoul-
ders; at other times our trousers showed the
tide-water mark of the mud, which was
worse than that yellow-dog variety which
New Jerseyites know so well.
CHAPTER VI.
ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
In the dark room on the Sylvia — Quick work in printing —
Back to .Santiago again — A despatch boat's devices.
After our arrival at Siboney from El
Pozo, we signalled to the Sylvia for a boat
to take us aboard. While waiting on the hot
sand for the boat to reach the shore, and
being more or less worried with insects and
land crabs, we decided to utilize our time be-
fore the boat reached the wharf in taking a
sea bath. While we had been in the water
all day more or less, yet this had the novelty
of being unmixed with mud, and. as a con-
sequence, we enjoyed it. After we had been
in the water about twenty minutes, we saw
our boat nearing the landing place, so we
got out and dressed as hurriedly as circum-
stances would permit and put off to the Syl-
via. We were helped on deck in a condition
more or less careworn and dejected. The
98
ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES. qq
steward saw our condition, and gave us such
cheer as lay in the power of his stores (fluid
and soHd), for it was not long before we were
all seated at the cabin table enjoynig and
doing full justice to a hearty meal.
It was decided that we should put off for
Port Antonio that night, so as to mail our
photographs next day. This meant that we
had to develop the plates that night. As I
had exposed about three dozen six-by-ten
plates, this was by no means a small matter,
but, after we had taken care of the inner
man, we proceeded to the dark room.
Now my dark room was a rather impro-
vised affair, but at the same time it was quite
convenient. W'e had taken the spacious
second-cabin dining room of the Sylvia and
fixed it up to answer the purpose of a dark
room. W^e had darkened all the windows
with red muslin, put up an electric fan, and
fitted up tables and baths and made other
arrangements for developing, until we had a
place which would do credit to many studios
in New York; but, as we had not given
thought to the changed conditions brought
about bv the fickleness of the surface of the
lOO CANNON AND CAMERA.
Caribbean Sea. we found the work no easy
matter, for no sooner had we cleared the lee
afforded 1)y the land of the island of Cuba
than we encountered a nast}' choppy sea.
While the Sylvia was a good steady, stanch,
reliable kind of an old boat, this was an oc-
casion when we most needed a steady plat-
form to work on. but the steamer rolled and
plunged and tossed in a manner most exas-
perating.
I was shut u]3 in this dark room, and the
plates were rolling around in my developing
tra_\' until reall}' I could not tell whether I
had a single one or a double one. but 1 man-
aged with the means at hand and the help
of my able assistants to keep these plates
from sliding over one another and destroy-
ing the films. But. as we had a large num-
ber to develop, it took a considerable time.
However, the time was well occupied during
the three hours in which I was bus}' in the
dark room. I really think the novelt}- of this
exercise buoyed me up more than anything
else would have done, as I was thinking all
the time of the difference there was between
devel()i)ing ])latcs here and in my dark room
ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES. jqI
in New York city. However, just as soon
as the work of development was completed,
I made my way out as quickly as possible,
but during my stay in there it was one of the
most trying- times I had experienced that
far. I was glad enough to get through with
the developing and out on deck, where I
could throw myself on my back in a con-
venient hammock. This condition of mine
was not reflected in my hale and hearty as-
sistant, who had a short clay pipe stuck in his
mouth, smoking with a coolness that was pro-
voking. Seasickness has been one of my
greatest tribulations in the performance of
marine work, and I have anything but a pleas-
ant time during the hours spent afloat during
the yacht races, or when photographing the
fleet evolutions of the White Squadron. On
several such occasions I have found myself
out on a small tug outside Sandy Hook, the
boat wallowing and pitching, dipping her
rails under water at each roll, while I have
been chnging to some rope or stanchion.
But the moment the cry was raised that the
yacht which I was out there to photograph
was in a splendid position and ready to turn
102 CANNON AND CAMERA.
the Stake, I felt like a man once more, and,
camera in hand, waited for the chance of
taking her when she looked prettiest.
" Sna})! " went the shutter, ni}' work was ac-
complished, and somebody else might attend
to the slide, for I had done my bit. I ha\e
gone through this operation more than fifty
times on a tug in one day during the races
between the \'alkyrie and the IJcfender. so
therefore it was nothing new to me on this
occasion to be in the same condition.
As soon as the photographic wt)rk had
been accomplished. I betook m^'sclf to a con-
venient jilace on deck for rest and awaited
until we could get ashore; then, when I had
planted ni)- feet on terra finna. e\'ery ill feel-
ing left me, and I was as bright as when I
step])e(l on board. 1 think to my seasickness
is to be credited m)- freedom from illness
of any kind in Cuba and since my return.
While in Cuba and with the forces for four
or five weeks, 1 did not experience one dav
of fex'cr nor was I otherwise affected except
with slight (liarrhiea. As I ha\e previously
stated. 1 had a goodly supi)ly of (|uinine and
protected myself with a stomach band, and
ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 103
whenever I could I changed my under-
clothing. While the rest of our party were
afflicted, in some cases very severely with
malarial fever and other ills, I escaped all
such.
We arrived at Port Antonio early next
morning, when my negatives were all dried
and ready for printing. Printing in this cli-
mate and on a boat is delightful work. One
does not have to choose the glaring sun of
the tropics to print by, as one can take the
shady side of the deck and print in beauti-
fully diffused light. This enabled us to get
off fine, clear prints. The paper and the
plates which I took along acted very nicely
with careful manipulation, and I can say that
I did not have one case of " frilling " either
with plates or paper in the whole expedition.
This is remarkable. As we had a large sup-
ply of ice and other facilities on board, it
was possible for us to do a large amount of
work in a small space of time. That day we
sent by the Boston Fruit Company's steamer
the first set of prints made on this expedi-
tion.
After our stay in Port Antonio, in order
13
I04
CANNON AND CAMERA.
to get off the photographs and telegraphic
reports, as well as to replenish our store of
ice, fruit, and fresh meats, we put back again
to Cuba. On the return trip the Caribbean
Sea was in a more gentle mood, and permit-
ted mc to enjoy a mild degree of liberty. On
this expedition we had made the ship's crew
more or less a part of our j^arty, for we were
all working together for one end, and that
was to do the work we had in hand in the
shortest possible time and in the most tlKjr-
ough manner possible under the circum-
stances. From cabin l)(j\' to captain all were
working with a will to get the most out of
the ship when it was needed, and the most
out of our opportunities of pleasure that
could be had. Be it remembered that the
work of a (les])atch boat is not easy in time
of war, for c\ery minute she is under way
she is running at her best, so that the de-
spatches which arc sent home may not be
behind an\- others in a])pcaring in ])rint in
the I'nited States. Indeed, Mr. Hearst's
aim was to lead the other newspapers in this
respect of furnishing the news, so wIkmi w'e
received despatches from our correspondents
ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
105
at the front they had to be taken to the near-
est point at which we could get the use of a
cable to the States. To that end we all
worked, and worked with a will.
The night passed without any occurrence
worthy of remark, and the following morning
we came up with the blockading squadron
oft }vIorro Castle at Santiago.
ClIArTER \IL
BOMBARDMENT OF MORRO CASTLE.
The Sylvia in the thick of the fight — A visit to a wounded
war correspondent on the Olivette.
\\'hen we arrived near the blockading
scjnadron, a ha])py thought struck one of the
newspaper men on board who wanted to get
near to the Texas. A few days previous a
rival newspaper despatch boat, which had
been the recipient of certain courtesies with
which we had not been favoured, had l)cen
carrving minor telegrams from one point or
another to the flagship, and she was in the
habit of sailing in among the fleet with an
air of importance, and displaying the signal,
" We have des])atches for the admiral."
This, of course, prevented the vessels of the
fleet from m.aking her come to outside, and
enalilcd her to get in close proximity to the
tlagshi]) to delixer or make known tlie com-
numications contained in the despatches.
1 06
BOMBARDMENT OF MORRO CASTLE.
107
Before leaving Port Antonio we had
taken in a large supply of fresh fruit, includ-
ing a large quantity of bananas, so it oc-
curred to one of our very alert and original
newspaper men that we should hoist the sig-
nal, " We have bananas for the Texas on
board." This suggestion we acted upon, and
our vessel was permitted to glide in w'ithout
interference among the vessels of the squad-
ron until we reached the Texas, which was in
an excellent position. Once alongside the
good ship Texas, Captain Philip hailed us
with delight, accepted our little gift with
many thanks, and told us that a bombard-
ment was to take place very shortly. We
thought ourselves in great luck at receiv-
ing this news, and we made outside the lines,
keeping as near to the squadron as we were
permitted.
The bombardment commenced about
eight o'clock in the morning. The shii)s
assumed a crescent-shaped formation, and
moved toward the shore at a good rate of
speed. There was the New York, the Indi-
ana, the Texas, the Brooklyn, the New Or-
leans, the Massachusetts, the Iowa, the Ore-
I08 CANNON AND CAMERA.
gon. and several of the auxiliary cruisers
which were close in shore. Sit^nals were set
on the flagship New York as to the course
to steer and the work to be done. It was
learned that on the preceding night the Ye-
suvius had shelled Morro Castle with two or
three of her dynamite ])rojectiles and. as we
understood, had created great havoc, and it
was determined to give the Morro a few
more American projectiles. When within a
range of about two thousand yards, the
Iowa opened tire, keeping up a good speed,
followed l)y the other ships in good order.
The fire was returned from the batteries on
both sides of the Morro. until everything was
smc^thered from \icw in an atmosphere of
sulphur-laden smoke. Shells were flying
thick and fast, and how in the world those
gunners could see the marks at which they
were aiming is positively unknown to me.
As soon as the firing began, it was taken
up with great rapidity by the Morro and
other batteries on both sides of the bay. I
shall never forget my first impression of one
of these floating monsters of destruction in
action. Circling with a speed which was re-
BOMBARDMENT OF MORRO CASTLE, iqq
markable considering the choppy sea, their
firing was wonderful There was a constant
cloud of earth and stone work flying into the
air from the fortifications on shore. The fir-
ing continued until at last the flag of Spain —
that yellow and red emblem of gore and gold
— was knocked to smithereens from the ram-
parts of Morro. A day or so previous to this
bombardment Admiral Sampson had sent in,
under the protection of a flag of truce, one
of the officers from the flagship to ascertain
the whereabouts of Lieutenant Hobson and
his brave men, who on June 3d sank the
Merrimac. Admiral Cervera sent word back
that they had ])een placed in the interior of
the town in a hospital which was protected
from the shells that might be fired at Alorro.
After having learned this. Admiral Sampson
decided upon doing a little destructive work
upon Morro, and he then made his plans of
attack. At every shot almost some object
woifld fly into the air, which we through our
glasses concluded to be either men or guns
hurled from their positions.
During the bombardment the Sylvia had
run along with the American fleet and kept
no CANNON AND CAMERA.
edgins;- in a little closer, so that 1 might get
some good ])icturcs of this bombardment,
until we were in the line of lire from the guns
of the lleet. Shells came whistling over us
in considerable numbers. We were deter-
mined to get something great on this oppor-
tune occasion. I was seated in the bow of
the Sylvia with my eleven-by-fourteen camera
ready to make any photographs that might
be desired in case any of our vessels should
get seriously injuretl. for it was absolutelv
impossible to get pictures of any consequence
at this time, for we were not only blocked
out by the large volumes of smoke issuing
from the guns of the American ships. Init it
was impossible to get an image of anv size
of this bombardment at such long range.
We were cautioned once or twice to keep
out of the line of tire. but. as we were deter-
mined to stay as long as we could, we let
this advice go by unheeded until ordered
peremptorily by one of the American cap-
tains to get out of the wav.
At one time we were in danger of being
hit ourselves, for sexeral large shells landed
quite close to our boat. One shell in particu-
BOMBARDMENT OF MORRO CASTLE, m
lar, which seemed to be an eleven-inch shell,
struck the water not more than one hundred
yards from our starboard quarter, ricochet-
ted, and. passing over our ship, landed
two hundred feet beyond us. It was then
that we received the peremptory order to
move away and get out of range at once.
Mr. Hearst reluctantly ordered the captain
of the Sylvia to pull out. After this we lay
around for some time and watched this mag-
nificent sight, but with no results in the way
of pictorial illustration of the happenings.
Had I been on one of the small converted
gunboats, the Vixen or the Suwanee, which
were close in shore, I no doubt would have
obtained some very interesting photographs
of what happened to the fortifications when
the Yankee shells landed.
After this bombardment we returned to
Siboney. where, after developing the plates
taken, I took our launch and went to visit
Mr. Edward Marshall, who had been taken
on board the Olivette the previous day. Mr.
Marshall is the brave correspondent of the
New York Journal who was severely shot in
the battle which brought fame to the Rough
112 CANNON AND CAMERA.
Riders at Las Giiasinias. As he was a j^er-
soiial fi"icii<l of mine, and as 1 had narrowiv
missed heini;" his eonii)aniun cjn that oceasion
when he reeei\ed his wound, i fek a great in-
terest in his welfare, and went with some fruit
and iced delicacies, together with a note from
Mr. Creelman.
When I reached the side of the Olivette,
I was invited on board and conducted to the
cot occupied l)y Mr. Marshall. 1 approached
with a feeling of tenderness and sympathy, as
I knew the terrible ordeal through which he
had passed. As soon as he saw me his face
lit up with joy, and he bade me welcome. I
told him 1 had a few small things for him.
together with the nc:)te. I Ic tliankcd me. and
begged me to read the note to him, as it
would distress him too much to move. I
read the note of ^Ir. Creelman, and its con-
tents in the light of later hap]»cnings seem
])rophclic. .\s near as 1 remember the
words, Mr. Creelman's note coiuainetl the
follow ing:
"Ah' I)i:ai^ Marsh Ai.i.: Cheer up, (~>ld
man! 1 hear you ha\e been trying to stop
BOMBARDMENT OF MORRO CASTLE. 113
Spanish bullets, and were successful. I trust
you have passed the worst, and that you may
never again experience what you did in the
battle with the Rough Riders at Las Gua-
simas. I trust you may have a speedy re-
covery. Keep up a good heart, and reserve
the cot next to yours for me, as I may be
with you l)efore long. I am, etc."
This remark proved to be prophetic, for
in the first day of the next battle Mr. Creel-
man was wounded very severely while enter-
ing the l3lockhouse at El Caney and hauling
down the Spanish flag. He was carried to
the Olivette and placed on the cot next Mr.
Marshall's. Chums in time of peace, they
occupied adjoining cots in a time of mutual
distress.
CHAPTER \ni.
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS.
Warfare of Cubans and Spaniards — Our men surprised while
bathing — A battle in undress — We repulse the attack —
I )isguises and ambushes.
After shellini^- the shore batteries and
the blockliouses at Guantanamo, the navy
sent a landing party ashore from the ships.
These men were landed in cjuite an unknown
region. Just l)chind the lii^ii ridi;"e of moun-
tains which skirted the shore portions of the
Spanish forces were encountered. During
the shelling of (luantanamo the Spaniards fell
back and concentrated llicir forces at a ])oint
not far removed from the landing i:»lace.
The method of warfare with which our
soldiers were here opposed was ([uitc novel
and verv destructive. The Sjxanish soldiers
—and the C'ul)ans. too — practise the same
means of deceptii^n. They cover themselves
with large palm leaves or other dense foliage,
114
Copynght, 1898, by W. R. Hearst.
A scout hiding under palm leaves.
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS.
115
and in many instances they tie large portions
of the high grass around tlieir Ijodies so as
to prevent detection. By this means they
effectually disguise themselves, and by
stealthy crouching come into close quarters
with the enemy before detection. While the
l^alm trees offer no protection, they take all
they can from other trees, such as the niango
and others of a low bushy habit. They hide
themselves in the branches and obtain an
elevated view, from which it is easy for them
to get a range of a mile or a mile and a half.
It must l)e understood — and it is a fact
not appreciated by most Americans — that
the trials of our forces in this campaign were
not few. It was not like the war of 1861,
where open fields and large plains of prac-
tically flat country were the battle grounds
of the contending armies. In Cuba, warfare
was on different lines, for there the fighting
was conducted in a rolling country, at times
swampy, and covered with tropical jungles.
At one time the men would be fighting on
the side of a mountain, and the following day
they would be contending in the valley below,
so that it can Ije seen that the advantao-e of
Il6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
open fi.G^htins;' was not lia<l 1)\- our men in this
Cnban cani]xaiL;n.
Man\- of om" soldiers were killed for want
of knowledg'e of the ordinary jungle tactics
of the Spaniards. As soon as our troops
had established themselves and become ac-
(|uainted with the Cul)an forces, tliey were
informed as to the mode of warfare to be ex-
I)ected when they reached the Spaniards.
One might be taking a comfortable stroll,
and thinking of anything but the nearness
of the enemy, when suddenly there would be
a crack of a ritle, and a " ping " in the air
made one aware that somebody was trying
to touch him. This often occurred, and in
some instances he would hnd himself con-
fronted by a l(Mig range of skirmishers. The
advantage the enemy had with their smoke-
less powder and their training in this guerilla-
like warfare placed odds on their side. One
coidd not possibly get the vaunted soldiery
of S])ain to come out into the o])en. They
concealed them.selves behind large rocks and
the roots of trees, and in other ways sought to
hide, until it was almost impossil)le to de-
tect them until one was upon them.
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS.
117
It was at Guantanamo, on a Ijeautiful
afternoon after our men had l^een suddenly
surprised while taking a pleasant bath in the
sea, that they were called upon to defend
their lives against an attacking force of Span-
iards. They fought without uniforms or any-
thing to protect them from the rays of the
sun, simply coming out of the water, grab-
bing their rities and cartridge belts, and
going into the fray in undress uniform such
as had never been worn by civilized troops
in any other engagement. They repulsed
the enemy, with heavy loss on both sides.
After this skirmish was over our men
were sent out the following day to find and
bring to camp the bodies of any of our sol-
diers that were killed, in order that they
might have the benefit of burial. After con-
siderable search, they found the bodies of
the marines who were killed in this action,
and. despite all reports to the contrary from
of^cials of the army and navy. I have reason
to believe that these bodies had been muti-
lated.
When the dead had been gathered in and
prepared for interment, Chaplain Jones was
Il8 CANNON AND CAMERA.
called upon to officiate. W'hen the service
was almost completed, the burial party were
suddenly fired u])on by the Sjianish pickets.
The bullets were whistling- loud and tlyiiii;
thick, and the s(|uad of men detailed to pay
the last honours to the remains of these he-
roes were com])elled to turn from this office
of love to defend themselves from the ene-
my's attack. ( )ur men at first had to retreat
toward the shore, in order to gain a pro-
tected ])Osition. Firing followed from one
or two of our boats in Guantanamo Bay,
which shelled the Spaniards out from their
places of hiding.
In marching from Guantanamo to Sibo-
ney. our troops became thoroughly acquaint-
ed with the character of the country in which
they had to do their fighting. The Cuban
pickets and scouts who accompanied our
forces gave our men much \aluable informa-
tion. They ex])laine(l to them the unwritten
tactics of guerilla warfare as carried on by
the S])aniar(ls and Cubans. It is hard to say
which is the more exi)ert at this type of fight-
ing. In travelling through this wild country
one came upon a thicket or a clumi) of trees,
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS. i ig
and saw secreted therein, so as to be scarcely
discernible, two posts driven into the ground
and covered over by a piece of canvas, or in
some instances roofed over by branches and
covered with palm leaves. These served as
tents, and had the advantage when a move-
ment to advance or retreat was to be made
of not being burdensome to transport, as they
were not removed, being easily obtainable
at any stage of the journey.
In some instances one suddenly came to
a stream of water running through some val-
ley between high mountains, and in the banks
on each side of the stream one saw large
holes or caves which had been dug there.
These proved to be very cool, and hence de-
sirable retreats and hiding places for the
Spanish soldiery. For miles one travelled
without the sign of a bird, without sight of
any living creature except the detestable
land crabs. The soil is very sandy and easy
to dig, and holes are numerous along the
roads. In travelling in the dark one often
stumbled, and startled thereby a number of
land crabs, which at once ran off through
the brush, making the same kind of noise as
I20 CANNON AND CAMERA.
a guerilla t'i<;iucr would. \uu felt at lirst as
tli()UL;li one of these was about to confrcjnt
yoii with a drawn machete or point a rifle at
you, and were agreeably surprised to find
that it was only one of those noisome crabs.
There is a certain t\ pe of bird to be found
in the coimtry here which makes a cooing
noise not unlike that of a turtle dove. The
S])aniards have become so adept in imitating
the call of these birds that it is impossible
to note the difference. The blockhouses
established all through this mountainous
country are all in sight of each other for miles
around, and these men have established a
code of signals based upon the calls of the
birds to which 1 ha\e referred, and by means
of these signals they can communicate with-
out exposure of their persons or detection.
This method of communication was used by
the Spanish |)icke1s when the Rough Riders
were making their approach toward T.as
Guasimas on Jtme 24th. They had also been
cpiite busily engaged all oxer that part of
the coimtrx' from Sibonev to Santiago in
establishing strong and heaxy barb-wire
fences. These fences were a i-reat aid to
Copyright, lti9S, by W. R. Hearst.
First blockhouse at Siboney. where the American flag
was hoisted.
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS. 121
them and an impediment to our troops in
many instances.
In travelling along a road or a trail, as
we might call it, possibly fifteen feet wide,
the banks of the road would rise some three
or four feet, when they would be topped off
with this barb-wire fencing. It practically
ran all over, in and around this country.
The blockhouses of which I have spoken
are great institutions of their kind. I first
became acquainted with these in my trip
through the province of Matanzas. They are
erected in square form of railroad ties or tim-
bers, leaving a space between the timbers
for pointing rifles, the space being filled in
with rocks and other waste material, which
makes them practically bullet proof. In front
and around these blockhouses several lines
of intrenchments and barb-wire fences are
erected, w^hich make it very hard for troops
to take them by charge or assault, and the
only manner by which they can be quickly
demolished is by heavy field artillery.
This is the branch of the service which
played an important part during the cam-
paign. Wherever a house or other shelter is
122 CANNON AND CAMERA.
found sufficient to conceal fifty or one hun-
dred men. they make it tlicir hcad(|uarters.
and llic\- ha\e a ])ecnliar way of slinf^ini;" ham-
mocks which would ha\-e been a salvation for
some of our troops if they had done likewise.
The men go on picket duty twice daily.
There is no ceremony worth considering, and
it seemed to me it was a matter of choice
among them as to who should go and who
should not. Fathers and sons 1 found to-
gether in the Cuban army. The sons in some
instances had but reached the mitldle of their
teens, but they were equally exj^ert in the
use of the machete and ritle as their male
parent.
These peoj^le have become cpiite expert
in disguising themselves. Take, for instance,
this case: A couple of men will be out on
picket duty, and you will come alcMig and
see in the distance the dusky stump of an
old rotten tree which has succumbed to the
storms and winds of this land of hurricanes.
WluMi \-ou a])])roach close and examine the
place, it will be found to contain two or three
of these ])ickets. What little clothing they
have on is of a tlirt\- slate colour, and it is
AMONG THE CUBAN PICKETS. 123
hard to find a Cuban \vho will admit that he
has ever washed himself. They travel with-
out shoes of any kind, and they so closely re-
semble the bark of a royal palm or the stump
of an old dead tree in colour that it is im-
possible to recognise a native unless you are
verv close to him.
CHAPTER IX.
THE MULE IX THE CAMPAIGN.
Pack trains and their drivers — Transporting stores and ammu-
nition — The mule confirms his reputation for wisdom.
Among the most interesting^" and pic-
turesque scenes that met my eyes were the
mule pack trains oroanized to carry muni-
tions and ]^rovisions for the Fifth Army
Corps. 1 scarcely think the mule has heen
recognised and gi\'cn due credit for the ex-
cellent service it has rendered in this class
of work. The mule is a \ery intelligent ani-
mal when properly handled. Regular nude
])ackers were engaged to take charge of
them, and they were sent to Santiago for
this ])ur])()se. They came from the wild rmd
woolly West, and were whole-souled, jolly,
gnd also adept swearers. The feature which
these men most glory in is their capacity
for cursing, and it seems as tlu^ugh the mules
understand c\"ery blessed word they sav.
124
THE MULE IN THE CAMPAIGN. 125
Their sonorous " Whoopla! " and shrill whis-
tle bring the mule to time in every instance.
These men are mounted on strong broncho
ponies, with ropes dangling around them in
the fashion most affected by the cowboy. A
large black snake whip, .which they use with
great dexterity, completes their outfit. They
go along, w^iooping and yelling, in a man-
ner that is at once pleasing and picturesque.
With a train composed of fifty mules
there will be perhaps six or eight of these
cowboys as packers. The front or leading
mule is provided with a bell similar in ap-
pearance and volume of tone to that hung
round the neck of the old cow in the meadow.
The other mules follow in single file behind
this leader, and you can not break them up.
It is amusing in travelling with one of these
nuile trains to watch the course the mules
pursue. While one mule will elect to travel
the soft, mushy, watery part of the road, the
one following will turn directly out of this
path and look for a dry foothold. It is
seldom that these mules stumble or fall,
even though their load of ammunition is
weighty. They go along at a good pace,
126 CANNON AND CA.MLRA.
tra\ellin^- at the rate of five to eight miles
an hour.
It is amusing to see them when they
come to a stream of water. They all make
a break and get tangled up, and yet as soon
as the packer gives .his war whoop oft' goes
the niuk' with the hell, and the others follow
in Indian iile and soldierly precision. Once
in a while some foxy old mule sees a bit of
particularly green and tempting grass just
out of the patii, and starts out to get a good
bunch of it. when along comes Bill with his
snake whij) and a yell of " \Miat you doin'
thar, mule? '" and oft' goes the mule, for he
knows that to linger is to tem])t a touching
up from the ti]) of IJill's snake whi]).
The weather at the time these mule trains
were carr\ing anmuuiition to the front was
\er\' hot. ( )n one occasion a mide train was
travelling between Siboney and lMa_\a. When
a mile or two out from Siboney they came
to a deep gulch, with a very bad break in the
road. Tliis was the second tri]) of this par-
ticular nuile train that daw and while cross-
ing this muddy stream one of the nndes
slip])ed and couii)letel}' collapsetl under his
THE MULE IN THE CAMPAIGN. to-
load. He fell, and refused to budge. Imme-
diately the packers jumped off their ponies
and had hold of him by the headline and
halter tied around his neck, and in less time
than it takes to talk about it they had the
pack off the mule and the beast on his feet
again and repacked. The mule shook him-
self, and no doubt comforted himself with
the reflection that he had had a bath at any
rate, and he wagged his ear knowingly as
he resumed his march.
Bill Hill, a renowned packer, who had
been in the business while the colonel of his
regiment was in swaddling clothes, is a typ-
ical old mule packer. He it was who showed
me the intricacies and the details to be gone
through in making a perfect pack. It mat-
ters not whether it is a case of hard-tack,
half a dozen sides of bacon, several cases of
ammunition, or a big coil of telegraph wire,
with a few bags of oats thrown in. when Bill
gets through with it you will see as neat a
pack as could be made in a dry-goods store in
the great city of New York.
During the first night of the first day's
battle at San {uan rumour had it that our
128 CANNON AM) ( AMKRA.
men were i^cttini;' short of aniimmition. I
had Icfl San |nan behind nic alxmt t\\(» miles,
an<l wlien 1 eame to the San jnan Ixiver. near
the old sni^ar house. 1 heard lond whoopinj^
and yellin<;- and tlie cracking- of whips and
the sound of a bell, and 1 knew it meant a
mule i)ack train. Little did 1 expect to see
the sight which 1 saw a little farther on
when I arrived at this river. Two or three
packers were riding' aU)nt;" the road in front
of the train at full L;"allop. warning- everybody
in sight to clear the road. Pretty soon
through this stream, which was now coming
down in a rushing torrent, the nuiles dashed
without a halt or stop. It seemed that they
knew that their errand was important. There
were about one hundred mules in this train,
all frothing and foaming fn^m the extra ex-
ertion demanded of them, and they were
making their way to the front with all pos-
sible speed, bearing a load of leaden i:»ills to
1)e administered to the bilious dons in (|uan-
titv sufticient to check their resistance. They
went along this rough and difticult road,
which had become almost impassable from
the cuts and ruts made bv the artillerv and
THE MULE IX THE CAMrAIGX.
129
commissary wagons and the hospital ambu-
lances whicli had traversed it so frequently
during this first day's fighting.
A short distance along this river there
were several ambulances coming in with the
wounded from the front. As the road was
narrow, and there was scarcely room for one
wagon to go along, it seemed that when the
mule train reached them there must certain-
ly be a catastrophe. But with the sense of
human beings the mules mounted the steep
sides of the road and one after another
passed the ambulances without so much as
touching them. These animals seemed pos-
sessed of marvellous judgment and intelli-
erence.
16
CHAPTER X.
IN CAMP WITH THE SOLDIERS.
Incidents during the advance on Santiago — I lard-tack sand-
wiches and cartridge pudding — Foraging for cocoanuts
and mangoes — Evening amusements — 'I"he difificulties of
letter writing.
After the landing of the troops at sever-
al ]:)oiiits from Santiago to Guantanamo they
were hurriedly massed in the interior on their
way to Santiago. The camps of the different
regiments were established on good high
ground \\herc\cr it could be found. It was
also arranged that these camps should be in
close ])r().\imit_\' to a ri\er or stream which
would pro\'ide good drinking water. The
grotmd on which our men camped had been
lately occu])icd by tlic S])anish forces, so they
were rallicr particular. The water was first
tested and found to be free from any harmful
ingredients introduced by the hands of the
enemy. Some of the regiments which were
the first to land had been instructed by the
130
IN CAMP WITH THE SOLDIERS.
131
Cubans in their method of tenting, and nearly
all preferred the Cuban plan to the army reg-
ulation tents. The soldiers found that by
placing fresh leaves on their tents each night
they could keep much cooler.
It was amusing to see the men cooking
their own pork and soaking their hard-tack
in coffee. Each mess would have a man to
do the dift'erent parts of the cooking. While
one would be preparing a hard-tack sand-
wich, another would be fetching water, while
a third would be grinding his coft'ee beans
between two stones, and so it went on. They
were just as happy as though they were eat-
ing in some tine restaurant in Xew York.
You would hnd the men jollying one another
along in many ways. One man would ask
another if he would have a hard-tack sand-
wich, and the other would answer: " Why,
certainly. Bill: 1 will let you ha\e some
cartridge pudding in return." " Chang "
jiie was quite a joke among the boys. When
asked for its receipt you were told that it was
made of cocoa-nut shells stuffed with sol-
diers' l)uttons.
Ouite a favourite dish, and one which of
,32 CANNON AND CAMERA.
necessilv was eaten at almost every meal, was
made 1)_\- frying;- bacon in a pan. and then dip-
ping the hard-tack in the i;ravy. Canned
meats were to be had very seldom, as tlie
commissary department had been culpably
inefficient in forwardini^- the provisions to the
trooi)s at the front. W'henexer a wai^on of
pro\isions ajipeared aloni;" the road or in the
camp each company made for it and claimed
it as theirs. onl\- to fmd themseUes put off
until proper recpiisitions had been made out
for its distribution. The delay in many such
instances was \ery annoying".
At nighttime the men in camp would
while awav the hours in telling stories, sing-
ing songs, brightening u]) accoutrements,
and preparing for the unexpected. One
would stroll from a camp possibly a mile or
two. and would alwa)'s encounter a part}' re-
turning with green cocoanuts or a big banda-
na filled with mangoes. Idie men were forbid-
den to eat these mangoes, as it was feared they
might operate harmfully on them, and yet no
opportunity for getting them was allowed to
pass bv. The young limes found on fre(|uent
trees were a ereat solace to the thirstv soldier.
IN CAMP WITH THE SOLDIERS. 133
The captains of the different companies
while in camp took advantage of the leisnre
time in instructing the men as to what was
expected of them. They advised them on
many sul)jects, and the men hstened with
the eagerness of children; and when all the
talk was over, the cjuestion would be, " Sav,
cap, how soon can we expect it? " The cap-
tain would answer, " Maybe l)y to-morrow."
The boys were all anxious for the morrow
to come, as they were eager to meet the
Spanish whom they had travelled many miles
to face. The general feeling among the men
in these several camps was one of anxious
expectation. You would find them, singly
and in groups, writing letters which would
be considered curios in a dime museum from
the ingenuity displayed in hitting upon some
material on which to write their thoughts
and consign the same to the tender mercies
of the post-office department for transmis-
sion to their friends at home. In some cases
where a mother had given her son a box of
quinine pills to stave off the fever the box
was emptied and on the surface was scribbled
a few words of encourag-ement to mother, or
134
CANNON AND CAMERA.
wife, or sister, or Ijrother. or other relative.
or possil)ly plain old Jack, or Bill, or Tom.
the clumi left behind. Others pressed into
service brown paper wliich had been used
as wrapping for a parcel of hard-tack, and as
envelopes were not to be had, the sheets of
paper were sewn together with a i)iece of
thread or fastened together with a safety pin.
A post office had been established at Guan-
tanamo. and the many newsi)aper corre-
spondents travelling to and fro between the
front and this ])lace were kind enough to take
these quaint missives along and mail them.
A newspajier or any news from home was
as eagerly sought for as intelligence from the
front was craved for in the States. In many
instances letters sent from the States were
held many days before delixery to the men at
the front. ]\Jany letters were not delivered
until after the conlhct was o\er which should
have been received by the soldiers before they
reached the line of battle. Other letters re-
ceived yet await delivery, those to whom they
were addressed having passed to the great
bevond at El Canev.
CHAPTER XI.
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
Advance to the front under difficulties — Graves of the Rough
Riders — Observations by balloon — Grimes's battery opens
fire— Response by shrapnel — In the thick of the fight —
Bravery of the Seventy-first.
Thursday, June 30th, was a very impor-
tant, interesting, and busy clay with me. I
had visited General Shafter's headquarters,
and permission had been given me to as-
cend in the balloon the following day, when
operations were expected to commence, in
order to take photographic views of the
trenches, the position of batteries, and the
various branches of the Spanish army. When
this news was conveyed to me I was in very
high spirits. I at once made preparations
for this work, and proceeded to Siboney to
get my cameras and plates. I had been out
in the held all day, and the tramp back to
Siboney was not very pleasant. I reached
135
136 CANNON AND CAMERA.
the Sylvia rather late at night, and. after
carini];- for the inner man. I made known to
our party what was to take place the follow-
int;- (law and the whole corps of men were in
high glee to learn that operations in real
warfare were to heg'm early the following
morning.
My good and faithful assistant Jim and
the rest of the hoys helped to get camera
and plates in shape, while I examined every
shutter and lens, trying every plateholder. and
seeing that everything was in perfect work-
ing order. The plateholders were filled,
cases were strapped up. and everything was
made ready for an early dei^'irture. after
packing" up a few necessary articles, includ-
ing an extra suit of underclothing and a hot-
tie of hue old hrandy, this being taken along
as medicine. At a critical time it was so
agreeable and necessary that none but those
who ])artook of it can fully tell how it was
api)reciated. Thus e(|ui])i)ed, we left the Sal-
via in the wee small hours of the morning of
fulv 1st. .\rri\ed on shore, we made for the
Journal head(|uarters. llere we found things
rather still. The house had been temporarily
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
137
turned into a hospital, and. as a conse-
quence, a great many of the sick soldiers
were occupying places in and round the
house and veranda for the night.
WHien we reached this little house, we
first made inquiries and personal investiga-
tions as to our horses. We found they had
been fed thoroughly, and only awaited our
arrival to start on our trip to Playa. We
thought it advisable to take a couple of
iiours' rest before starting on our journey,
which was over a tract of about seven miles.
We found a vacant spot among the many
lying on the veranda, and we downed our
blankets on the boards, placed plate cases
or cameras under our heads, and dozed off.
After a tiresome day's work, one might
think, perhaps, that we readily succumbed
to sleep; but such a supposition omits con-
sideration of mosquitoes, ill visions, and land
crabs. I saw and imagined all kinds of
things, and, although I might have been
asleep, I knew everything that was going on
around me for the two hours during which
we remained on the hard floor of the veranda
of this little shanty.
17
138 CANNON AND CAMERA.
Outside and hilclicd near by were two
or three army mules, who voiced a loud,
rasping protest at intervals against some
treatment wliich they were receiving and
which they did not fancy. Xow, these mules
are all right when they are hungry and have
something to eat in front of them, hut when
thev have nothing to engage their attention
in that way they engage the attention of all
in the neighbourhood by means known to
manv, but possessed in that remarkable
manner only by the nuile himself. The
bray of an army nuile is penetrating and in-
sinuating. It tears its way through atmos-
phere, wooden ])lank, brick, rock, or any-
thing that may be placed to check its move-
ment. In addition to the regulation bray,
the mule has a mournful whine. This melan-
cholv sound is what these nudes treated us
to during the two hours we sought sleej).
After ])icluring to myself the scenes
which 1 expected to ])h()tograpli I dozed
into a brief respite from mortal cares. 1 his
was of but brief duration, for we were soon
awakened in a rude manner b\- Mr. Follans-
bee, who came along and told us that day-
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO. 130
light was appearing- off the eastern moun-
tains just beyond Siboney. Our party were
all attention in less time than it takes to tell
about it. for we were all anxious to get un-
der way and to the front.
After saddling our horses and making
our packs on an army mule that was branded
as the property of U. S. — but do not in-
quire too closely as to where we got him.
The mule had strayed and was lost — possi-
bly stolen — who can tell? Things of this
kind are not classed as stolen property in
time of war, or at least they were not looked
upon as such in Cuba, all taking the cheer-
ful view that it was borrowed for the time
Ijeing. Anyhow, after making ready, which
took but a short time, we started on the val-
ley road, which is the road between the
mountains which Cjeneral Young traversed
with his army on the day that the Rough
Riders fought their battle. A\'hen we started
it was still dark, and as we went along this
nniddy and slimy road it was not a pleasant
trip. \\> had not gone far before we came
to the place where the refugees from El
Caney. Santiago, and other places in the
I^O CANNON AND CAMERA.
ncii;iil)()uiiu)()(l had found sliclUT under the
ini])r()viscd tents and larL;e ti-ee> wliicli f^Tow
in this low \-alley.
1-lverv one that passed alcjns;- this trail
was greeted with more or less couunouplace
recot^nition l)\' Citltans — men. women, and
children. As 1 passed by some of them and
saw strt)nj4-. aj^parently aijle-hodied men, I
thotiL^ht how strano-c it seemed that these
hii;-. lustv fellows should he lyin^- around in
the shade in a manner apparently listless
;md unconcerned as to what was about to
occtn-. while our men had travelled from Iwo
to four thousand miles in some instances to
flight for the freedom of the country to which
these loungers belonged. It appeared to me
that if these people were so anxious to have
freedom from the thralldom of the Spanish
yoke, and an o])portunity to repay the Span-
iards in the same coin they had received from
them in the way of cruel and unjust treat-
ment, that here was a s])lendid op])ortunity
which thev were neL^lectim;-. Instead of tak-
iui;- u]) arms and li^htin^- the enemies of
their countrv. they were ])ermittim;- disinter-
ested friends of humanit\' to take all the suf-
THE SIEGE OF SANTlACiO.
141
fering necessary to free them. And yet
might not this very torpor of better feelings
and conscience indicate the degraded state
of ignorance they had been brought down
to by tlie imposition of state and Church,
and lience entitle them all the more to our
sympathy? Perhaps they thought they had
done their share for their country's freedom,
and now that they were within hailing dis-
tance of provisions to be had for the asking
they imagined it useless to continue the
struggle any longer.
We continued our journey beyond and
travelled some miles before we reached the
junction in the road where the Rough Riders
met with such dire misfortune. This place
is called Las Guasimas. There are no dwell-
ings or houses inhabited by any one around.
The distillery where the S])aniards made
their last rally can be seen in the distance
over a small ridge of mountains. Here we
passed the graves of the gallant troopers
who died in this grand charge, beyond which
we came to a trail leading toward Playa.
The regiments which had been encamped on
this or-round a dav or two before had taken
142
CANNON AND CAMERA.
Up their tents and exacitated. It seenied
rather lonesome as the sun slow!)' made its
wav above the horizon, as though something
big had happened, and given to this place a
desolate and empt\' air. 'I'here was some-
thing wanting.
On the left and right of us the place had
been occu])ied b\' the Xinth. I'wenty-fourth,
Sixteenth, and Se\ent_\-lirst Regiments, and
some troops of cavalry. Xow all were gone.
Gone where? (jone closer to their enemies;
working up to a ])osition which brcnight
them face to face with those men Spain had
sent there to teach the "' \'ankce pigs '" h<»\v
not to meddle with lighting men, and wIkj
had boasted so loudK' of their undx'ing bra\'-
ery and efticienc)-. If. as historians ha\e re-
])orte(l, this race of people has done so much
in the way of reUing upon their honour and
bra\er\- and the justice of tlu'ir cause, why
did the\- allow oiu" little l)od_\- of men to en-
croach u])on the ground which tlic\- could
not hold long enough to intrench tlK'm>cl\cs
upon, because the acti\ity of the American
forces made them retreat hurriedb' tt) theii"
town and its fortitications? Sureh' thev
i
J'
u
u
C
l;
»
C
\
^
tr.
#
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO. 143
might have made a bolder stand and not
have allowed ns to approach so near to the
key of the situation- — Santiago.
From Siboney to Santiago the distance
is abont twelve miles. Our troops were now
eight or nine miles from Siboney, which
l)rought them within three miles of Santi-
ago. The first, second, and third brigade
of this army corps were now being formed
into a crescent, which crescent was stead-
ily advancing toward the intrenched posi-
tion of the l)ravest troops of Spain. We
had now gone about five or six miles; we
were between Las Guasimas and Playa. On
the right of us was a cavalry troop now
breaking camp. I heard the bugle calling
the men to "Attention!" The last note of
the bugle was scarcely sounded before everv
man was beside his trusted steed, carbine
slung on the side, a revolver in his belt, all
ready to mount. Once more the bugle
sounded, and all threw themselves sprightly
and alertly into the saddle. The command
was given, "Forward!" and by fours they
came down in front of us, blocking our way
for a time. We halted to see these a'allant
144
CANNON AND CAMERA.
fellows pass us and take position (^n the road.
We followed alons^ in the rear of this troop
until we reached (Jeneral Shafter's head(|uar-
ters. Arrived tliere. we unloaded wliat stuff
we had. includin<,^ the tent and eatables, and
left our mule tied to a tree where we ex-
])ccted to pitch our camp that nis^ht. 1 then
made for headquarters, with Mr. Hearst and
Mr. Follansbee, to find out where and when
the balloon was likely to go up. We were
just as eager to find out as yokels at a coun-
tr\' fair, where balloon ascensions are adver-
tised as the main attraction. 1 was told that
the balloon in charge of the general's start'
was already a mile or two in advance. Hear-
ing this, we proceeded toward El Pozo as
fast as we could, and we had not gone \erv
far before we saw the balloon in the air in
front of us.
Confound it! I thought, here is the
chance of my life which I lia\c missed, a
chance where possiI)]\- 1 migin have been of
\alual)le as.sistance to our army; but I was
doomed to disappointment. As we followed
along in the wake of the men who were
handliuL:' this balloon, I found it was not
f^opyrigit, 189S, by W. R. Hearst.
Part of the Seventy-first Regiment, near El Pozo,
orders to the front.
awaiting
i
i
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
145
likely I should have a chance to ascend in it.
It was now at a considerable height, and the
men were making- their ol)servations in a
businesslike manner, dlie balloon was han-
dled by a detachment of eight or ten men,
who held on to a light ])ole or spar about
twenty feet long, to which were attached
the guide ropes of the balloon. Thus the
men carried it along from one point to an-
other. Before long the balloon descended
in order that the men might receive further
instructions, about which I know nothing.
1 made all possible haste to ascertain its cor-
rect location, but failed to do so. Shortly
after the reascension the Spaniards thought
our people had been ballooning quite long
enough, and that it was time to choke ofif
the play, so their infantry and artillery con-
centrated their fire on it, and, after the bal-
loon had been punctured quite frequently,
it was drawn down and seen no more dur-
ing the attack on Santiago.
As we passed along the narrow trail
which was the main road to the sugar house
on the way to San Juan, it was filled with
infantry and artillery troops. The men
18
14^
CANNON AND CAMERA.
seemed an.\i()U> aii<l ea^er for tlie fray. They
were all e.xpectancy. all uii their inellle —
mettle that the men possihl)' never had
shown iK'fore. I had seen troops many times
in mimic warfare, but never had I seen them
so near an actual engagement. As we jiassed
alon^-, 1 thdui^ht that there were among
them man\- whose last hour was near; but
little did the\- heed it. for there is one con-
dition existing among all men just before
going into battle. 1 fancy, for I have con-
versed with them and asked them this very
(|uestion. and all seemed united oti one
thing- — that is. that they never think of
being \ictims themseK'es. biu always that it
is " the other fellow " that is destined to
wounds and death. 1 know that is how it was
with me, for when Mr. Hearst, Mr. Follans-
bee, and the rest of our party crossed the
ri\er near the sugar house and made for the
old fort at l'".l To/.o. none of us thought of
the danger which was to show itself in a \er\
few mintUes.
It was now aboiU eight o"cli)ck in the
morning, and a batter)- was stationed on the
hill directh to oiu" rii-ht. vmder the \er\- tree
m
u'ht. l^'^^, bv W. K. Hearst
In front of El I'u/u.
Grimes's battery in the distance under the tree.
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
H7
from which I had made photographs of San-
tiago a few days before. It was here that I
knew we would be able to get a good view
of the movements of the troops which were
expected to go into battle on our right. The
Rough Riders were immediately in and
around this fort at El Pozo. As we passed
by them we recognised many a well-known
face. Several of them saluted us as we went
along toward this battery on the hill. We
had not proceeded far in this thicket and
dense woody undergrowth, before our path-
way and progress were filled with what we
termed Spanish swords — a species of cactus
with a long leaf, which grows like the blade of
a sword. We were approaching the hill very
closely when, to our surprise, we heard the
orders coming from the of^cer in charge of
the battery. They came loud, clear, and dis-
tinct. The first conimand rang out like a
clarion: " No. i, load! ])rime! fire!" and the
first shot of the bombardment of Santiago
was unloosed from the muzzle of the rifle
and was speeding on its rotary errand toward
the mark.
Following this came the orders for No.
I4S CANNON AND CAM?:RA.
2 aiul Xd. 3 muns. and soon Cirimes's l)attcry
was in fnll action, (inn followed gun in its
contril)Uti(»n to tlic roai". when snddcnly
there was a l)ooni in the distance; it sound-
ed as though it were l)nt an echo of the guns
from Grimes's battery, so faint was the sound,
but we soon discovered that we were right
in the place where the Spanish shells and
shrapnel were landing. In and around this
thicket and the fort at Kl i'ozo were a great
many Cubans.
A \ell. " Here she comes! "" and there was
such a screech through the air as 1 had never
heard before. Tt was new to me, and yet. oh.
how magnificent I I can not c;dl it terrible
or dreadful, for it did not so impress me. It
was the sound of a \ery large and elegant
skvrocket, which I had so often as a bo\" ad-
mired and raced to fmd the stick: but oh.
how terrible to tind the stick which came
from one of these ])roiectiles! how dreadful
it soon appeared to me when I saw the havoc
wrought by the shells!
.\nothcr boom in the distance, and
screeching through the air came .anotlier
shell, fn (|uick succession these shells were
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
149
now pouring in our line, wlien suddenly we
were hailed by an officer in charge of the
skirmish line of the Rough Riders, who said:
" What in h — 1 are you fellows doing? Don't
you see you are drawing the tire from those
batteries? For God's sake, men, get ofT your
horses! "
For the first time things began to appear
interesting. Mr. Hearst turned his horse to
me, and we came face to face with each
other, and, with a smile, he said, " Well, I
guess possibly we are drawing the fire, but
we are not the only ones around here."
With that we dismounted, still forcing our
way toward Grimes's battery, which was
pouring shells into Santiago. Wdien within
hailing distance of the battery, a shell sud-
denly came from the enemy's artillery and
burst directly in front of one of these guns.
Another followed, and before it could burst
in the air as the previous one had done it
embedded itself in the earth not fifty feet
beyond where the commanding officer stood.
Did they run? Did they stop? No, it was
too late to stop. Onward was the word.
No. I was reloading. No. 2 was fired, and
J 50 CANNON AND CAMERA.
No. 3 was (loin-- the cxeciuion expected of
it, but which in full we could not see. Here
we thouo-ht we could -ain the mountain,
when suddenly we were hailed and given
these words of admonition: "' Have you fel-
lows no sense? If you have, for God's sake
make yourselves scarce!"
This seemed to us the proper time to
make ourselves scarce: but let me tell you
something: In our party of four cr hve. who
was to be the first (mic to say, " Let us go
back"? That was the (luestion. That man
was wanting : that one man could not be
found, fnr it is true as Cospel that after a
man had gone through what he had he
would never allow himself then to retreat or
in anv wav lead any one to believe that he
was a coward. The time for any one to set
the signal of a yellow streak had long passed.
I am not speaking now <lirectly of our i^arty.
but 1 am speaking for the soldier and for
the trooi)er. and for the gunner in general; I
am speaking for the rank and file, as well as
the ofticers of 'our army. 1 have heard it
said that a man will show whether he is a
man as soon as he gets under tire. This may
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
151
be correct in many instances, but when you
take into consideration what our men went
through long- before they came to the firing
Hne, if the white feather w^as to be shown, it
would have been hoisted before.
It took a brave man to go through the
inauguration these men went through when
they were initiated into camp life, and it re-
quired even more fortitude to withstand the
hardships encountered on the transports.
When once upon the field they had passed
through experiences which were not likelv
to be outdone by anything there to occur;
they had experienced about the worst that
they could have had to endure. It took a
man of strong nerve, strong constitution,
and strong fealty to country to uncomplain-
ingly accept the food and treatment which
these men had to undergo in order that they
might place at the altar of Liberty all they
possessed.
It was a paradise for these men to be
permitted to come out from the stench of a
transport's hold and land in Cuba; to ex-
change the dampness and filth of unventilated
cattle boats for the sunshine, however hot
1-2 CANNON AND CAMERA.
the rays. Some of thcni ha<l l)ccn in l)attle
before, as, for instance, the Rough Riders,
who had gone tln-ough the most desperate
conthct of this war. When these men saw
tliis artihery othcer cheering his men on,
when they saw on the right and left their
guidons, and in the centre Old (dory grace-
fully unfolding and waving its stripes in the
breeze, as though to (lis])lay its insouciance
and confidence of the (|uality of those bearing
it as their standard, who could stop them."
Could they ste]) backward? Xo! Nothing
but the thought of occui)ying the place now
held bv the enemy wotdd give them satisfac-
ion.
It is not the men actually engaged on the
fighting line who are most tried and who feel
the contiict most, for while they are in battle
they have something to keep the mind from
self. It is those men who form the second
line, who bring u]) the rear, who are held
in reserve, who stand ready to jump in and
take the jdacc of the bra\e man who has
died right in front of liim. whose eyes are
peering through bushes, while he sees tlie
men droi)])ing in front of him. lie stands
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
153
there waiting for the order " Forward! " and
when the l^ngle sounds he jumps forward.
What are these men doing all the time they
are standing there waiting for this word?
Let me tell you what they are doing, what
I heard with my ears and saw with mv eyes.
Let me tell you what some of these men did
and how they did it.
After crossing the river by the old sugar
house just in front of El Pozo. there is where
the men were rendezvoused as reserves. In
coming down from El Pozo to get out of the
line of fire as best we could we made our
way toward San Juan. Shrapnel shells were
bursting over us in large numbers: men were
being struck down beside our very selves.
They were falling like logs. There was none
of the stage dropping, by first jumping five or
ten feet into the air — no Rialto business. A
man was hit. and he simply sagged down in
a heap, sinking into the low bushes without
a murmur, without a word. Had you been
at the side of sonie of the falling men, as I
was, you would have heard nothing from
them but, "I have got it!" or, ''It has
touched me! "
154
CANNON AND CAMERA.
These were the men actually in the skir-
mish line, but as we went fartlier on, and these
men went l)eyon(l us on their way to the
enemy's trenches, and the others were stand-
ing- in single tile as a support to the main
bodv, the shrai)nel were coming very close,
for these places had been occupied l)y the
Spaniards, and they knew the distances and
could adjust their ranges to perfection. They
knew the trails which our troops would have
to use in advancing so as to reach and en-
gage the Spanish. They shortened their
rang^es, and man\- a man was killed or wound-
ed. Man\- is the man who was maimed for
life while standing waiting to go on the
fighting line and battle for his country.
Many is the man that was carried off before
he liad a chance to tire a shot.
As 1 came along the line, anxious in-
quiries were made of me. " liello. mate, what
are tlicN' doing in front?"" 1 would answer:
" The\' are holding their own. bo\s; gaining
steadilv. Xot a foot ha\e they lost since
they started."
A feeling of pleasure would thrill the line
from riii-ht to left when thev heard this
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
155
news. As I told them of the brave fight their
comrades were making at the front men
grasped with firmer hand their rifles, some
opened the chaml^er and examined the
mechanism and shells inside, in order to as-
sure themselves that there should be no miss
when the time for action came; some would
draw the cartridge and place the end in their
mouth to wet it, and, with a tighter grasp
on his belt as he took in another notch, he
would say to his partner: " Bill, this is the
time; the time has come, and won't we show
them what stuft' we are made of! We will
show them how to shoot! That clean score
I made on the range before I left will stand
us in good stead now, old man." His partner
would give a knowing wink and shake of the
head.
Anxiously did these men stand there all
along, peacefully biding their time. \Mien
an advance would be sounded you would
hear the notes of the bugle ring out distinct-
ly and the order, " Forward ! prepare for
action! " The officers along the line would
give the command to " Unsling rolls and pre-
pare for action! "
19
156
CANNON AND CAMERA.
A man from each company was detailed
to look after the rolls and haversacks and
the e(|ui])ments which were not necessary at
ihe time. As the men were called into line
of battle and deploxetl as skirmishers it was
a s\y;\n to see them. With grim determina-
tion on their faces, they looked first to the
ri,L;ht and then to the left; every man seemed
to be a trained soldier, every man seemed to
know that the time had come for him to do
his dntv. be it bnt to die. liefore being- de-
])loved to the regular distance son wonld
see them standing in pairs, and at such a
time 1 heard their conversation. It made me
feel as though I wanted to do something
mvself. and yet I could not. For instance:
A big, strong sergeant was on the right,
and as he passed along and ordered his men
to deplov, the Xo. i man of the first four on
the right of the com])any said: "Sergeant.
I nia\' not ha\e a chance to speak with you
again, but should 1 be wounded and not
killed, see that my body is not taken by those
Spaniards. If it is the last shot xon have,
sergeant, and 1 am wounded and ali\'e, do
not lea\e me mitil \c)u are sure I am dead.
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
157
Then if they get my l^ody. they can not hurt
me with me knowing- it."
This was the pre\aihng feehng among
the rank and file. They were determined to
go in and do their best; yet they feared that
they might l)e taken prisoners by these cruel
yellow enemies and treated as prisoners al-
ways have been treated by the Spanish sol-
diers. Soon after this the engagement was
opened on both sides; it was a terrible con-
flict, made more hellish by the roaring of the
artillery, the popping of the rifles on our
skirmish lines, and the volleys from the ene-
my — all of which lent themseh'es to the ter-
rible discord.
One could readily distinguish between
the firing of the two sides. Our men were
ordered to deploy as skirmishers, and. as the
officers could not reach the men. the men
received orders to fire at will. The Span-
iards in their trenches were firing volleys
thick and fast. The sounds were many. The
Alauser bullets whirled along the surface of
the grass and nipped ofT grass blades and
cactus stalks. The sound in these cases w'as
similar to that produced by one holding a
J -3 CANNON AND CAMERA.
newspaper and hitlin^L;- the corner of it a sharp
tap. Then there was the whi/./-inj;- above you
all the lime, 'inhere was also above you the
screech of shrapnel from the Spanish artillery.
This sound is readily comparable to putting
the power on an electric trolley car. The
trolley in startini;- has but a small (juantity
of the power i)Ut on by the motorman, and
it increases from a low hum to a hissing
screech.
The shrieking- of shells and shrapnel over
my head had a fascination for me akin to the
eye of the hypnotist on his subject, for I
could not ])rcvent my head turning upward
when tlu'\ hissed by. and I could not restrain
the idea from arising in me that 1 ought to
l)hotogra])h them as they tlew. As the morn-
ing wore on and the battle grew fiercer, the
wounded and the dead were now increasing
in nunil'cr momentarily. This did not con-
tribute to the cheerfulness of our men. As
the\- saw conn-ades being heli)ed to the rear,
where they were taken care of b\ the Red
Cross hel])ers, the men would say to them-
selves: ■■ Well, he has got it. .Ma>be we will
«'et it ne.xt. but 1 bet >omeb«-)dy gets it ivom
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
159
me first! " Nothing daunted these men, for
they jumped right into the place left vacant
by a dead or wounded comrade.
In travelling down the narrow trail on
the right of the Seventy-first Regiment I
came across two wounded men who were
lying apparently lifeless. I had some of the
bandages which are supplied among the arti-
cles of use in first aid to the wounded, which
I applied as best I could. After doing this,
and stopping the rush of 1)lood, one of the
men asked me to sit him up against an old
tree stump. He said, " I know you can not
take care of me, but put me against that
tree in a position where I can see around me,
and give me my gun and I will take my
chances."
I did as best I could for this poor fellow,
the bullets meanwhile whistling around in
close proximity. I did not know whence
these bullets came, but I thought from their
direction that they must have come from
our troops, although the line of battle was
fully a quarter of a mile in advance. I
turned to leave this man, thinking that the
Red Cross aids would soon come along, as
l6o CANNON AND CAMERA.
they were doin^' q-ond work among" the
wounded, when 1 lieard a cry of as^ony.
and I turned and saw tliis man fall face down
to the earth, lie had been >hot, as 1 foimd
later on. clean throui;"h the temple.
These promiscuous shots, we found later.
came from the sharpshooters, wlio were thick-
ly planted in the trees all around the field
of action. Se\errd instances ha\e been re-
corded which did not come tmder ni}- per-
sonal notice, but which 1 know to be facts,
of many of the doctors and ived Cross nurses
and aids who were attending to the wounded
on the battlefield ha\-ing' been shot bv these
treacheroits and cruel Spanish sharpshooters
in the trees. Idie Rt^d Cross on a luan's arm
ga\'e no inununit_\- against bullets when the
wearer was an American, but rather seemed
to invite these creatures to show their l)ru-
talitw h'ollowing .along in the rear of the
Third r.rigade. 1 made u]) m\- mind that I
wanted some pictures, and 1 wanted them
badly; btit no one can conceixe the dilTicul-
ties of m.aking pictures of men in action, ])ar-
ticularly where they are continually covered
with dense clouds of sulphurous smoke. On
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO. i6i
several occasions I had very advantageous
positions for securing good photos.
In crossing the river early in the morn-
ing- I had marched along with the Seventv-
first Regiment of New York for quite a dis-
tance; when we branched off for El Pozo I
left them. Later in the morning, as I have
said before, I followed in the rear of the Third
Brigade, and came close up to where the
Seventy-first New York Volunteers were now
engaged in deadly combat. The fire w^as
galling. It was simply awful, but I made my-
self feel as much at home as I possibly could.
I was directly on the right wing of this regi-
ment, and saw them at close range during
part of the time they were in action.
A short time before noon I was peering
through my glasses when I saw one or two
companies in advance of the remainder of
the regiment. I could not quite understand
how this was, when suddenly I saw a halt in
the advance of these men. They were de-
ployed as skirmishers, and were sending in
a galling fire upon the enemy which was very
effective.
These two companies had the old type
l62 CANNON AND CAMERA.
of powder, and every time they fired a shot
it made a target at which the enemy aimed.
I could see the officers every now and then
runnini;' up and down the Hue of lire, urging
the men o!i, when suddenly everything
seemed to 1)ecome (|uiet. Presumably the
officers had been killed or wounded, for I
could no longer see any officer in charge
of these two companies, now numbering be-
tween one hundred and one hundred and fifty
men, when suddenly 1 saw this group of
men rise as if out of the earth and retreat to
the rear in order to connect themselves with
the main body of the regiment. As soon
as these men raised themselves so that thev
showed slightly above the high grass, the
enemy's sharpshooters concentrated their
lire upon them. Finding themselves in an
ex]:)osed ])osition, they made as hasty and
orderly a retreat as was i)ossible. Reaching
the main Ixxly of their regiment, they im-
mediately rallied and came uj) with their com-
rades, fighting as they had done before.
I have an impression from what I saw
here — my opinion being formed from mv ex-
perience as a national guardsman — that
THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO.
163
these men, finding themselves in an exposed
position and without officers or support, de-
cided that it was better to fall back where
they could get officers to take command, and
thereby obtain the assistance which was ab-
solutely necessary in this instance. I feel
positively assured that as these men came
back they got, in a great measure, mixed
up with the Sixteenth and other regiments,
whose officers took charge of them, and went
back to the firing line with them. Anything
such as these men l)ecoming stampeded and
showing the white feather is absolute folly.
It was simply a case of no leader, and that
there was no leader on hand was no fault
of theirs. The men of the Seventy-first for
their gallantry during the day's fight received
high praise from the regular officers. That
those brave fellows should have been accused
of cowardice by irresponsil)le idlers was a
cruel calumny, to be refuted when the truth
became known.
CHAiTEK Xii.
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY.
Heroism of our colored troops — Bold dash for the fort — A
correspondent's wound — A non-combatant's prisoners —
Victory at last — Some unexpected horrors.
Leaving the First Mivision of the Fifth
Army Cor])s, we nia<lc our way over to l*",!
Canev, sounds of a lica\y en^a^'emeiit with
artillery reaching- onr ears as we ])rogressed
to the eastward. After an lu)in-"s ritliui;-, we
came to the main road leadini;- to VA Caney,
and. as a result of the hea\y hrint;' which
had been .u'oinj^- on for some time, many were
killed and woimded, and they were now heinj;-
hrout^ht to the rear for transfer to the h'irst
J)i\ision llosi)ital. < )n our route we passed
a coloured trooper who was heing- assisted
to the hospital. \\ hen 1 met him I said, " I
see thev have touched you. old sport."
" W'hv. vas. sir; yas. sir, they touched me.
It's a darned shame to think they sin.2:led me
164
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY.
165
out, for before I had a chance to raise my
rifle they touched me up for fair. I wouldn't
care so much if they'd given me a chance to
touch some one first. I was just standin'
thar waitin', when something came along
and said ' Choo,' and they just ' chooed ' me;
but I guess this won't last long, and I will
soon be back among them."
Such was the feeling of these brave col-
oured fellows.
The Tenth and Eleventh United States
Cavalry consisted of these coloured troops,
and they were a goodly sight to behold.
When they came to barb-wire fences, or any
obstruction of that kind which impeded
progress, they used to sneak up to them,
skulking and creeping from corner to corner,
when suddenly with a wild dash they made
a gain of twenty or thirty yards, and, while
it was necessary in some cases for the troops
to keep silent, it was impossible for these
men to restrain their animation. With a bold
rush, swoop, and yell, they leaped into the
very jaws of death. A coloured corporal told
me that night— he was in charge of a squad
of men sent out in a skirmishing party — that
l66 CANNON AND CAMERA.
he had just located the cause of the havoc
wrought among our troops, lie said that he
had heen Iviiig in a comfortaljle positicju with
his men and doing as much damage to the
enemy as possible. These men were to the
left of the fort and blockhouse, and almost
directly south of the town. As his squad
were lying there, sending in their little pills,
he suddenly found himself and his men the
centre of fire from a northerly direction. He
could not imagine where this came from,
when, upon changing his position behind a
large boulder and i)lacing his piece on the
stone, he looked around for a while, and
thought the firing proceeded from a large
steeple. He then directed the fire of his
S(|uad on this church steeple, and with good
effect, for when this church was afterward
turned into a Red Cross hospital and head-
(|uarters for the distribution of food 1 saw
that some great execution had been done by
somcbod}'.
I met this trooper at the same church
afterward, and as he saw me he looked up at
the steeple with pride, and said. *' Massa, you
want to take a picture of that, and 1 hope
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY.
167
you will tell nie where I can get one, for that
is where I did the dons."
And there is no doubt he did, for the
bodies of several Spaniards were taken from
the steeple that night.
When our troops had come within hail-
ing distance of this fort at El Caney, and it
was decided that it was time to charge the
trenches and the hill, Lawton's battery had
now formed in position to the eastward and
was shelling the central point, from which
the Spaniards were doing such deadly work.
There is no doubt but that history will
record this as a great battle, but the historian
must not forget to give the Spaniards due
credit for their work at this place. Never
did men fight so fiercely; never did an of-
ficer urge his men on so eagerly as the of^cer
in charge of the troops in the first intrench-
ments at the foot of the hill roimd the block-
house at El Caney. He was seen to march
up and down the trenches as erect and dig-
nified as though he were on dress parade.
If Spain had any honour and bravery, a large
amount was concentrated in this single ofificer.
His conduct was magnificent. He simply
l68 CANNON AND CAMERA.
banged away and urged his men on to the last
des])erate extremity. They knew that their
end was near; they knew that they could not
possibly win with such men against them;
they saw our troops coming nearer and nearer,
until they were within a very short distance,
and, as one of the officers captured at this
fort told me the next day. had our men held
ofif a little longer, they would certainly have
surrendered, as their ammunition was becom-
ing very short. But it seemed as though our
troops were desperate; they had but one end
in \iew, and that was to make as cjuick busi-
ness of this assault as possible. I told him
that in America the one great principle in the
composition of the thorough American was
to get up and hustle, and that is what our
men were doing here. " Ves, but it was walk-
ing into the \cr\- jaws of death." he said;
" for while our men were recei\ing terrible
wounds, we had other men ready to take their
l)laces, and we were in a far better position
in defending than the .\mcricans in attack-
ing, for the Americans had to expose them-
selves in a great man}- ways."
When our men reached the brow of the
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEV.
169
hill over which they had to descend into the
valley they encountered several barb-wire
fences, and while they were forcing them-
selves through these obstructions they were
exposed to the fire of the Spaniards. But
nothing daunted when our men saw these
blue-and-white strij^ed terrors, with their
large hats in the trenches, they were like
hungry lions at the sight of prey. Nothing
short of victory absolute and complete would
satisfy them. I shall never forget the col-
oured boys when they made the grand charge
over the l)arb-wire fences and into the
trenches filled with Spaniards. They had
been waiting and watching for a chance, and,
as though every man had been ordered to do
this thing at this time, they did it. Lawton's
battery had just found the range of this fort,
and was playing havoc with it. Two shots
had already taken effect when a third came
and completely demolished one corner, send-
ing up brickwork and earth high into the air,
when with a sudden yell these two regiments
of coloured troops made their bold dash for
the Spanish trenches, and liefore any one
knew what had happened they were running
I70 CANNON AND CAMERA,
and junipini;- into the very nuizzles of
the rilles of the enemy. Xo (|uarter was
shown until the hnL;ie sounded " Cease
firing! "
It had to ])e sounded twice, for these men
were now let loose and des])erate in their
deadlv work. They were like lri>hmen at
a cotuitv fair, who, armed with shillalahs,
crack every head ahove the horizon. But
these men. on the whole, certainly were mer-
ciful. As soon as the order was sounded
ever\- man was ujion his mettle and the
wounded were cared for and the others dis-
armed at the earliest possible moment.
( )n the right, and where the charge was
made by the Seventh or Seventeenth (I can
not say positively which; 1 think both), on
the blockhouse on the heights of the hill was
a fort, and James Creelman was the first to
gain this fort. He rushed in, backed up l)y
several of our troopers, and. grasping the
halvards of the torn and tattered Spanish
Hag, he ])nlled it down and told the luen
in the iovi that if the)- did not stirrender they
would be shot down. As he was about to
leave the fort ami call io the troops to come
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY.
171
forward, a Mauser bullet from some unknown
source struck this brave newspaper corre-
spondent in the left arm. The ball shattered
his shoulder blade and came out of his back
just under the shoulder. A corporal from
the Seventh Regiment caught him as he was
about to fall and carefully laid him down,
when his friends arrived and carried him to
a place of safety. All was now excitement in
and around this fort. Shots quite numerous
were being fired from the town, until a com-
pany had to be sent there to capture or kill
whoever refused to surrender to the Ameri-
can forces.
It was now becoming quite late, and
cloudy in the extreme. In fact, for the past
two hours the weather had not been good for
making photographs. But what a dehght-
ful scene this would have been! Here the
pen had the advantage of the camera's eye.
What an inspiring picture to have impressed
upon a negative — the soldiers making this
noble charge! Fate, however, was against
me.
After getting the details of the battle and
the story from Mr. Creelman as he lay
172
CANNON AND CA.MKKA.
wounded on a litter. Mr. Hearst inmiediatcly
made for Siboney with his report, so as to
get it off to his paj^er at the earUest possible
moment. I\Ir. Follansbce was anxious to do
something-, although a non-combatant and
one who had gone out merely for adventure.
He eagerly volunteered to go with twenty-
five men and search the \'illage and take all
the Spaniards found who had been combat-
ants. Speaking the Spanish language quite
lluently. and having boys behind him made
of the right stuff', they were just adapted for
this work. They went from house to house,
taking prisoners here and there. At one
dwelling they found standing outside the
door five or six ?\lauser ritles — a sign that
their owners had surrendered. The ca\alry-
men who accompanied Mr. Follansbee, with
their revolvers drawn, were quite energetic
in searching e\'cry little nook and corner
where it w;is ])()ssil)le for men to be hidden.
Several of the men who had been defending
the trenches and l"'l C'aney against our forces
that da\- had hurriedly retreated to the
houses where their families were and changed
their clothing, so that they looked spick.
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY. 173
span, and innocent when found, but they
were known by the Cubans to have been
engaged on the other side a short time be-
fore. For this reason they became our pris-
oners.
In entering one house, which was a httle
dry-goods store, the woman in charge was so
frightened in anticipation of some harm com-
ing to her that she brought out several bot-
tles of wine to give to our troopers. They
politely excused themselves and went for-
ward on their errand. Finding a door that
was barred and locked very securely, they
asked the woman for the key. She told them
she had no key; they told her that unless the
door was unlocked they would batter it down.
She then said there was no one there. Mr.
Follansbee ordered the troopers to batter
down the door, and, with a cocked revolver
and a lighted candle in hand, he peered into
the darkness of the cupboard and discovered
five Spanish gentlemen, all, of course, full to
the brim with bravery and honour, hiding
from the inevitable. They were pulled out
unceremoniously and placed with the rest of
the prisoners.
IJ4 CANNON AND CAMERA.
The prisoners were being marched down
a back hme when they were accosted by a
coloured Cuban, who went in among them
and grasped their hands quite warmly. Mr.
Follansbee, thinking this man might be one
of their number, took him prisoner also,
for be it known that a great many Cubans
as well as Spaniards were fighting against our
forces. Every man or boy that was able to
carry a machete or handle a rifle was forced
to declare for one side or the other. Thus we
were not fighting the Spaniards alone, Ijut
Cubans wIk^ were Spanish sympathizers.
When this Cul)an black was taken as a pris-
oner he resented it very strongly, and, with
uplifted head and eyes rolled up toward the
sky, he uttered the most frightful yell I ever
heard. He called to his God for protection,
and uttered the most imearthly cries it was
]:>ossible to imagine. \\ hen ordered to desist
from this air-tearing iiractice. he declared he
was a Cuban officer. When asked to show his
conunission, he plunged his hand down into
his pocket and dre\v forth a dirty parchment,
and ])ro\ed that he was an ofiicer belonging
to the Cuban arm\".
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY.
175
This was a strange case, to say the least,
but it was explained afterward that previous
to our invasion the Spanish and Cuban of-
ficers had been known to be on quite friendly
terms, and it was not an infrequent occur-
rence for these officers to spend the days and
evenings in social games of one kind or an-
other.
The capture of El Caney revealed many
horrors. It was not only the refugees who
suffered. My heart bled for our own brave
men. Clad in uniforms utterly unsuitable
for tropical climates, the heat of the sun com-
pelled them to throw aside their kits and
blankets when the order to engage was
given. When the cold night dew fell on
them they had nothing to protect them.
Chills and fever resulted. The hospital serv-
ice was pitiably inadequate. The IMauser
bullet was in a great measure responsible
for this. Under the old system of fighting
there were four wounded to one killed.
Under the sway of the ]\Iauser there were
nineteen wounded to one dead. The
wounded require care; the vultures look after
the killed. This unexpected number of
176
CANNON AND CAMERA.
wounded heavily taxed our hospital re-
sources.
It is a ])ainful subject to dwell on. That
our sick and wounded slept in swamps with-
out shelter is too true. That our camps were
unsanitary, that disinfectants were sorely
lacking, is also beyond dispute. The theo-
retical camps on pai)er. where all precautions
were to be taken for preserving the health of
our troops, proved to be myths. The regu-
lations concerning the boiling of water be-
fore drinking, the disinfection of the trenches,
the prevention of men from sleeping on the
bare ground, were all disregarded, the result
being the popular indignation now raging as
I write. If these battle-field and camp hor-
rors of llie American Army are the outcome
of the regime of politics, then let politics
have a needed and thorough shaking u]).
Let the field artillery commence a bombanl-
ment of the rascals and blow them out of
existence, as they deserve.
The sight of the refugees at El Caney
was most harrowing. Wounded and starv-
ing men dragging themselves twelve miles
from the front to the hospital at Siboney,
Copyright, 1898, by \\ . R. Hearst.
Seeking refuge before the bombardment.
ii
THE CHARGE AT EL CANEY. 177
dying l^y the wayside, and becoming- prey
for the vultures and buzzards, was bad
enough. But when it is borne in mind that
women, old and young, wath children, from
babes in arms to their teens, formed part
of the same mournful procession, the hor-
rors accumulate. They had fled from Santi-
ago in dread of bombardment. The vultures
had a grim and terrible banquet.
CITArTr'.U XTIT.
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
Colonel Roosevelt as a fighter— He inspires his brave men-
Heroes in the field — Sad scenes in the hospitals — Crimi-
nal incompetence or what ? — Burial of a soldier without
benefit of clergy.
Tx the progress of the battles on July ist
and _h1 a great many deeds of heroism came
to mv notice. The men were told l)efore
going into battle that their one mission and
aim was to kill, to defeat the enemy, no mat-
ter wdiat the consequences, as long as it was
done in an honourable way. This admoni-
tion was in every sense of the word strictly
and religiously adhered to by our troops so
far as I know; but. oh, how freciuently the
rules and customs of civilized nations for reg-
ulating warfare were violated by the dons!
Soon after the engagement of Jtdy ist. and
e\en before the men were actually called to
the line of battle, the shrapnel was doing its
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS. lyg
deadly work in our lines. Men waiting their
turn to be ordered to the fighting hne to do
execution on the enemy were smote down by
the shrapnel and stray bullets, whose fire
they could not return.
It was interesting and sad to see the men
brought in to the field hospital in the rear
of the line. The first wounded man who came
under my notice was a Rough Rider, who
had been on the second skirmish line, but
not on the fighting line that day, being held
in reserve. While acting as supports to the
left of the First Brigade shrapnel were drop-
ping around in large numbers from the ene-
my's artillery, fragments of which when they
burst maimed and wounded quite a few of the
Rough Riders. During this period of wait-
ing Colonel Roosevelt was going up and
down the line of his regiment, seeing that his
men were ready and thoroughly equipped for
immediate action should they be called into
play. This man is a wonder in many ways.
He seemed to be absolutely ignorant of the
nature of fear, and regarded the entire situa-
tion as but belonging to the conmionplace as
he went swinging up and down the line, stop-
l8o CANNON AND CAMERA.
\nni^ here and tlierc t(i make a remark to one
of his officers. W lu'U he observed a face
turned to liim with an in(|tiirinL;- look, he
would g"i\e a nod ot recognition.
He said to his men: "' PjOvs. this is the
dav we repeat what we lia\e done Ijefore.
^'()U know we are surrounded 1)\' the regu-
lars. They are round us thick and heavy.
Don't forget where you heloUL;'. Don't for-
get what you are fighting for. 1 )on't forget.
bovs, that \()ur reward is not in the inune-
diate pre.sent, but think of what will come in
the future."
To me Colonel l\oose\elt a])|)eared to be
in thorotigh tcnich with e\ery man in his com-
mand, and really he seemed to ha\e a personal
ac([iiaintance with e\ery man from major to
cofTee grinder. He had gained the esteem
and confidence of e\ery man in his regiment.
He had made himself "" one of the bo\'s." and
the}' knew it. and 1 was certain that, no mat-
ter where this man would lead them, they
would follow, regardless of what the results
might be. 1 le ini]>arted to his men tiiat won-
derful determination and courage which he
himself ])ossesses, and which is contagions
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
I8l
under the inspiration of a born leader. The
possession of this attribute assures victory.
It is beyond description. Only those who
saw and felt it could understand his influ-
ence. It did not need a command through a
megaphone and a shout and flash of the sword
to get the men to move, but the simple wave
of his hand was sufficient for e^•ery man who
could see him to know that he 'was going
ahead and that he wanted them to follow, it
mattered not where.
As I observed Colonel Roosevelt thus
going among his men. inspiring them with
the same burning enthusiasm with which his
whole being was aglow. I was reminded of a
memorable event some months before in
which he was the central figure. The scene
was Fort Hamilton, New York harbour, and
the occasion was the calling out of the New
York naval militia for its annual parade and
inspection. Colonel Roosevelt was at that
time Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and
was making things " hustle " with his usual
dash.
The men were formed in hollow square,
and the colonel delivered one of his charac-
l82 CANNON AND CAMERA.
teristic speeches, full of patriotic fire. He
reminded the younj;- men whom he addressed
that there was a good deal of dilYercncc be-
tween '■ funning " and fighting ; that, while
the Government was pleased to afTord a little
aquatic amusement and diversion to the mili-
tia in time of peace, it would demand in re-
turn nuich self-sacritice. devotion, and endur-
ance when the dogs of war were let loose.
All this he jerked out in short ejaculatory
sentences, emphatic and epigrammatic. He
impressed me as being dead in earnest. From
that hour 1 respected Colonel Roosevelt.
It had been said before the first battle
in which these Rough Riders took part that
the men were doubtless si)]endi(l fighters, but
fighters who were ])roficient chielly in their
individual capacity. It was predicted that
collectivelv they would n(U do braver or more
ef^cient dut\- than other men. for the reason
that they were not cai)able of org;uii/.ation
and effective united action — in a word, that
each man would tight for himself. 'Idiis did
not pro\ e to be correct, for e\er\- man stood
])racticall\- shoulder to shoulder with his com-
rade, and when an order came to adxance or
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
183
charge or fire it was done as by one man, and
nothing could have been more precise and
miHtarv than all the movements of the Roueh
Riders in every instance.
Along the road leading to San Juan early
in the morning it was my chance to meet one
of the Rough Riders, who was being helped
along by two men. As he approached me I
levelled the camera at him, and made my first
shot at a wounded American.
\Mien he came by me he said: " I think
I am a poor subject. I am certainly an un-
lucky one."
I said, " How is that, messmate? "
" Why," he replied, " I haven't had a
chance to fire a shot. I was simply lying
there when I got touched."
" Are you hurt very much? "
" Oh, no; this arm, however, refuses to do
duty, and I must now report to the man of
pills and lotions and let him find out what is
the matter."
A little farther on I met several Cubans
who had improvised a stretcher made from a
piece of canvas stretched over the limb of a
tree. In this arrangement they were carrying
1 84
CANNON AND CAMERA.
a wounded officer, and tlicy had already car-
ried him ])ossihly a mile. After making- a
])iclnre of this curious incident, as the of^cer
was in terril)le agony. 1 volunteered my
service to help them along a little. I took
hold of one end of the litter while the two
Cubans took the other, and we hastily car-
ried the officer toward the hosi)ital.
Suddenly he opened his eyes and saw me,
and said : " My friend, I am afraid I shall
never reach the hospital. Won't you please
let me rest here? " I asked him where he had
been shot, and he answered. " In the side."
I asked him if he had been bandaged, and he
said: " Xo; but I have my hand on the place,
and 1 dare not let it go, for 1 fear I should
bleed to death."
This of^ccr to my knowledge held his
hand upon this wound, niade by a Mauser
bullet, while he was being carried a distance
of two miles. Such cases. howe\er, were not
frequent, for generally whenever a man got
woimded some of the Red Cross aids were
soon close bv in attendance. They 1)andaged
the men in the best way they could uiuil the
field ambulances came aU)ng and took them
u
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS. igc
to the hospital. At the hospital on the first
day when the wounded arrived the scene was
one of total confusion. Thev were scarcely
ready at that time for the work of healing
and attending the w^ounded. Operating sur-
geons were very scarce, and, while Major
Wood was turning everything almost upside
down in order to make the men comfortable,
it was absolutely beyond his power to do
them all service. In some instances anaes-
thetics were administered by persons ignorant
of their use. Our losses were very heavy, for
the stream of wounded men being brought in
was almost continuous.
There were several operating tents, each
with two or three operating tables in
them, and these tables were all occupied
until long into the night. Amputations
and minor surgical operations were numer-
ous. The heat of the day was awful. A
driver of a provision wagon who had brought
in a load of wounded men from the front,
and had left them before one of the operat-
ing tents at the First Division Hospital,
before taking his seat on the wagon to go
out for another load went to his fore horse
22
1 86 CANNON AND CAMERA.
to adjust some little (lisarrangement of the
harness, when I saw him suddenly wa\er and
fall almost at my feet. This man had been
doing heroic duty in helping the wounded
to the place where they would receive atten-
tion and be cared for when he was suddenly
overcome by sunstroke. This seemed a pity,
but it was the fortune of war. In a moment
another man was at the ambulance, up on the
seat, and off with the wagon as though noth-
ing had hap])ened. Helping hands raised the
poor stricken dri\-er, took him to a shady
nook, and there accorded him attention.
While taking a picture at one of the op-
erating tents of a man's leg being amputated,
I had made two j)lates when suddenly I heard
loud sobs. 1 turned to ask my assistant, Jim,
for another holder, when I noticed tears
streaming down his cheeks, his whole l)ody
shaking and trembling. Seeing that he was
about to fall, I gi'asped him and asked him
the cause of his trouble.
" Jack," he said, " I can stand to see these
men shot. I saw them fall in battle; but this
is something beyond my endurance."
With that he colla]:)sed into my arms. It
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
187
was not the sight of a single amputation
which taxed his powers, but the other scenes
of the poor, helpless wretches sitting around
and biding their time for an opportunity to
come under the edge of the knife or the grind-
ing teeth of the surgical saw with an expect-
ancy and desire as strong apparently as that
of the gallery gods at the side ^loor of a popu-
lar playhouse waiting the hour \\ ,- they can
be admitted to purchase their tickets and see
the performance. They were all anxious to
have it over, and in some cases they displayed
eagerness to undergo an operation which
meant either Hfe after suffering or death while
suffering great pain.
After a man left the hands of the surgeon
he was taken out from the operating tent
an'' ^jlaced in ' jceiving tent, where he was
supposed to get the necessary care and nour-
ishment which his case required. As I went
among these brave heroes, I was asked time
and time again for a " drinl- something that
would buoy them up, something that would
give them a little iife. This v sadly want-
ing in this ^■'-st Division Hospital. A man
after un<l i a se ere surgical opera-
1 88 CANNON AND CAMERA.
tion wants some stimulant — somethin.jr to
strcnglhcn his heart. sometliinL;- to act upon
his nerves more beneficially than watching
other men similarly afflicted undergoing as
great or greater torture than that which he
has just felt. But nothing in the way of
brandv. whisky, or strychnine (which, I be-
lieve, is used in many case to strengthen the
heart) was given. Not being a medical man,
I may be wrong about strychnine, but I am
positive from my own observations that many
of the wounded sufifered severely for want of
a stimulant. 1 know that many a poor fellow
lav there all that night through the drench-
ing rain, and the following day also, with
nothing but a cracker and a drink of water,
when he should have had all the nourishment
his case retiuired. This was another case
where General Mismanagement and General
Neglect were in connnruid.
It was hard to see these poor men suffer-
ing at this time, but one could not help them,
as there was nothing to hel]) them with. Xo
one was to blame for this treatment but the
officials in the service of I'ncle Sam who were
in charge of the various departments and who
I
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
189
permitted such lax work. It may answer
some objectors when the statement is made
that one man can not see that everything is
done, but in my opinion this excuse does not
fit the case. Has not the Government given
these officials all the aid they want or could
possibly use in the proper performance of the
work in their departments, and are they not
responsible just in the same manner as an
employer in civil life holds responsible his
superintendent and general manager? This
shifting and dodging are characteristic of
moss-covered officialdom and the doctrine of
how not to do it. Surely the nation is en-
titled to at least a portion of the energy not
spent in self-admiration and to a few mo-
ments of the time for which it pays more than
ample remuneration.
As I went back toward the fighting line
the roads were crowded with the wounded
who were being brought in. At the cross
roads near the San Juan River a scene met
my eyes which I shall never forget — a scene
that looked like cold-blooded and wanton
cruelty. To this place the men were con-
ducted from points of danger, in order that
190
CANNON AND CAMERA.
they might be comparatively safe, and there
they waited for the ambulances to come along
and l)ear them to the rear. For hours and
hours they were kept at this ])onit, and all
the encouragement the wounded soldiers re-
ceived were words of cheer from the wounded
comrade on his right or left. luich one
seemed to think the case of the man next to
him was more deserving of sympathy than
his own.
1 remember talking to one i)oor fellow
wh(j was shot in the back of the neck. I
asked him how he came by a shot there. He
said: " Well. 1 will tell you. It was my own
company mate that did it. I was lying down
in the grass, rather low, refilling my rifie. and
I rose on m\' knee to fire, when suddenly
m\' mate's gun was discharged and touched
me."
In making further in(iuiries, I found that
main laid the blame of their wounds on
men in their own companies. It was im-
possible to see a man more than ten or
fifteen feet beyond \ ou in such high grass
and shrubbery as the army encountered
on its wa\' to San juan. Hence it was
...r, ;;;.;, IVI-. I.y \V. R IKarst.
Cubans, near San Juan, carryinj^ a wounded soldier to the rear.
CopyriKhl, H'J^, I.y W. K. llwirsi.
A \V()unde<l l\oiji;h Rider beiii.i; lielped to hospital by Cubans.
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS.
191
that men were shot by their own com-
rades.
The men who were kihed were being"
buried as decently as circumstances would
allow. One instance which I recall was that
of four Cubans carrying one of our soldiers to
the rear. They had borne him from the fir-
ing line to a point where he was free from im-
mediate danger. He was very badly shot.
This is one thing I can not understand: sev-
eral men will be in a skirmish line together;
a whole volley is fired from the Spanish
trenches, and a man who is scarcely ten feet
from another w'ill escape every bullet, while
the other man, his comrade on the right or
left, will be pierced from head to foot. The
man to whom I refer must have had six or
seven bullet wounds in his body. The Cubans
asked me if I had any water. I told them I
had some in my canteen, and that I would
give this poor fellow a drink. They stopped,
and as they placed the litter down on the road
I put the mouth of the canteen to the soldier's
lips. But he was beyond the help of mortal.
He had already breathed his last. His heart
had ceased its beating and throbbing.
IQ2 CANNON AND CAMERA.
We took him aside, hastily (Iul;- a ,L;rave,
and as we were about to cover him up with
the earth, and there was no cha])]ain or theo-
loi^ian to a(hninister tlie last rites to this i)Oor
dead man. 1 took it ujjon mN'self to say de-
voutlv, '■ hearth to earth, and ashes to ashes."
coupled with an earnest inward hoi)e that he
had gone to meet his (iod as a brave man
should.
The Cubans were (|uite imi)ressed with
this simple ceremony, and at its conclusion,
without waiting for anything, they started
back to the line to aid others. I found that
during the first and second days" lighting
the Cubans had done good service in this
manner.
The manv recjuests T met at the hands of
the wounded were varied and peculiar. Most
of them bore their ])ain with great fortitude
all through : cries and moans were seldom
heard, and onl\- in cases of extreme agony
would a sound be uttered. As they had
shown bra\er\- on the fighting line, so was
their conduct under the lance, knife, saw. and
needle of the surgeons. I saw several opera-
tions where the subjects entering emerged
OUR BOLD ROUGH RIDERS. 1Q3
victims, and as they were laid out for burial
and Old Glory waved its folds above them I
thought : Such is the hero's reward from
his country; what his Maker gives we know
not.
CHArTER XTV.
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION'.
Persecution by Spanish marlvsmen — Narrow escapes from
death — The captuie of the bloclchouse — Life in the
trenches — The roll call.
I OMITTED to say that the second day's
battle opened very early in the morning- with
volley tiring- from the Spanish trenches before
Santiago, and was at once answered by the
repeating fire of the American forces. I was
that night cam])e(l at General Shafter's head-
quarters, and early in the morning, almost be-
fore daybreak, we were suddenly aroused by
the noise. I (|uickly scrambled to my feet and
in(|nired the cause from some of the troopers
of the I'ifth Artillery. [ was told we were
being iired upon b}- shari)shooters.
What caused the enemy's sharpshooters
to make ;in attack upon General Shafter's
head(|uarters was, 1 imagine, because they
knew he was not in the tield. but was off here
194
23
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION.
195
in liis headquarters, five or six miles from the
firing line. General Shafter was much indis-
posed during the first and second days' bat-
tle, and was continually confined to his cot.
Most of the time an attendant was rubbing
his head, for what purpose I can not imagine,
but the general must have derived much com-
fort from it, for the man was engaged in a
" continuous performance." I was rather sur-
prised to know that a general in charge of
such a force of men at such an important time
would permit himself to be so far in the rear
of his forces, but such was the information
I personally acquired at this period.
The Fifth Artillery went in search of these
sharpshooters, and they did not travel far
before they located them in several large
mango trees. These boys were angry at being
interrupted during roll call and having to
postpone their breakfast, and they made
short shrift of these " dagoes " who dared per-
petrate such a trick on the general's head-
quarters. These sharpshooters. I understand
from relial)le information, were men who had
received sentences of life imprisonment for
various crimes, and thev were armed and sent
1C)6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
on this duty with the understancHng- that if
they earned their freedom they might have it.
They were told the\- were to be free men at
the end of tlie war. hut this was the perilous
price which they had to pay. The stake was
sufficient inducement to make them risk their
lives, and man\' were prevented from finish-
ing their term of service either in prison or
in the ranks by our bullets.
Some troo])ers after breakfast v»ere sent
along to Kl Caney with hospital wagons to
bring in the wounded to the general hospital.
As r wanted to see Kl Caney again and get
some good photographs of the town and the
fort, it having been too late on the previous
evening to make good pictures. 1 followed
along with this detachment of troo])s. We
had been warned that sharj^shooters were all
along the trail from general ]iead(|uarters to
El Caney. This was a march of four or five
miles, and we were continually expecting
some excitement. Nothing of importance,
however, occurred e.\ce]it the false alarm
given at intervals by those plagued land crabs.
We soon arrived at the main road leading to
El Canev. On reaching- the orates and the
Copyright, ls9s, by \V I: I
On the hum l(ir Sjianish sharpshooters near San Juan.
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION. jq;
barricades with which this road had been forti-
fied, we were suddenly fired upon from a
blockhouse on a mountain just beyond this
little town. At first I thought it was some of
our own troops who were firing, through ig-
norance of who we were, but as I saw our
men in the fort to our right waving and beck-
oning to us to lie low, I knew something else
was up. We could not understand being
fired upon, and thought it might possibly
come from Cubans; but we were told by sev-
eral Cubans who were with us that the block-
house just beyond this town was still occu-
pied by Spaniards. This did not affect us
very materially, for I went to work and made
several pictures of the town, its surroundings,
and the blockhouse beyond.
The scene in and about this little town
was awful. Dead bodies were lying around
in profusion, dead horses were numerous, and
the vultures were having quite a feast. The
people of El Caney had not yet returned to
the town, and, as a consequence, their dead
had not been removed from the roadways and
paths in which they were shot down. In
crossing from one house on the outskirts of
198
CANNON AND CAMERA.
this town and in goint;- over the fences toward
the churcli I came across a very jjiiiable sight
in one of the back yards of one of the Httle
shanties. .\ httle hoy had been going from
one vard In another through a hole in the
fence se])arating them, and had got about
halfwav through when he must have come in
the line of a bullet or piece of shell tired from
our artillerv. for one side of his head was en-
tirely blcnvn away and the child lay tlat on
his face.
I returned to the lower road and made
toward the main fort at El Caney. when tir-
ing was resumed more \igorotisl}". and it be-
came api)arent that we were the targets of
some Spaniards half or three ijuarters of a
mile awaw ( )in- boys who were in the fort
veiled and waxed to us to get out of the line
of their vision; l)ut we wei"e after pictures,
and had to ]ia\e theiu, so we stood the tiring
as long as was necessary.
When we reached an old tttmble-down
ho\el which lay directly in front of the fort
I halted my horse, and. as I wanted to have
a somewhat ekwated ])osition for taking a
photo, 1 stood up in the stirru])S and held
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION. igg
my camera as high as I possibly could in order
to make a picture of the surrounding coun-
try and the field of battle over which our boys
had so gallantly charged on the preceding
day. Aly man Jim was holding the horse's
head, so as to keep him as still as possible,
when suddenly a Mauser bullet caught Jim
on the side of the cheek and just furrowed
out the flesh. We decided then that we
would no longer be targets for men securely
sheltered at long range, where we could do
them no harm even if we so desired.
We returned to the main road, intending
to make our way to San Juan. After we had
proceeded about half a mile I discovered that
I had lost the releasing bulb from my camera.
This was unpleasant information, as it was
impossible for me to make any more pictures
without this bulb, so we had to go back over
the ground again to search for this requisite
adjunct to my camera. We found it finally
ten feet from where we started. Returning,
we had to cross the line of fire of the Span-
iards in the blockhouse who had tried to pink
us before, and they did not refrain from fir-
ing at us on our way back. This time, how-
200 CANNON AND CAMERA.
ever, we were fortunate in seeing some of our
cavalry troops apjiroaching. and when we met
tlicin \vc told thcni wliat liad hai)])cncd.
They said they had heard of it, and were going
to stop it. They advanced to the block-
house, and after a short engagement the
S])aniards within ignominiously surrendered,
hut there were only four miserable survivors
in the party. They were brought in and
placed with the other prisoners who were
being sent to General Shafter's headquarters
at Playa.
These men afterward quite frankly ad-
mitted to a sergeant that we were the only
game they saw that morning, and they wanted
to bag us if they could; that we came and
made excellent targets for them, but they
could not manage to hit us. This was pleas-
ant news, and I congratulated m\self upon
their lack of skill in marksmanship: and 1
told them that had the conditions been re-
versed, and the gim been in my hand, the re-
sult nn'ght ha\-e been dilYerent. 1 then lev-
elled my camera at them, and they thought it
a diminutive magazine, for they shrank from
it with fear and wontlerment.
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION. 20I
In l)ringing these prisoners captured at
El Caney to the headquarters of General
Shafter. they showed their dissatisfaction at
having- to walk the five or six miles interven-
ing. They said: " Why do you take us so
far to kill us? If you are going to kill us, why
not do it here? " This was characteristic.
When they were told that they were to
be taken to camp and fed on decent rations,
they would scarcely believe it. looking upon
our story as a fairy tale. It seemed to them
incredible that after what they had done we
should be so lenient to them as to spare their
lives and, more than all, feed them as we fed
our own soldiers. They knew right well that
thev would not treat American prisoners in
the same way. but. far from seeing the supe-
riority of our merciful code of ethics, they
looked upon us with something akin to con-
tempt. They probably recalled the treatment
they had given the poor Cubans they cap-
tured, and they expected the same fate at our
hands. They were, however, most agreeably
disappointed.
\\n-ien they arrived at Shafter's headquar-
ters they were transferred to a camp, where
202 CANNON AND CAMERA.
ihcy were made comfortable, to await further
disposition at General Shafter's convenience.
'J'wo lienten.ants who were ca])lured among
the other jjrisoners at 1^1 C'anev were hrought
to General Shafter. I inter\iewed and photo-
graphed them, after which ordeal thev were
ushered into the presence of Cieneral Shafter
for cross-examination as to their ])osition and
for other information that they might be
willing to gi\e in regard to the Spanish forces.
It was quite a contrast to see this soldierly
Spanish lieutenant in the presence of Cieneral
Shafter; for. while this officer stood erect
witli his hat in his hand and his blanket under
his arm. General Shafter was reposing leisure-
ly, without his uniform on. upon a couch,
with an inter])reter at one end of the couch
and the Spanish lieutenant whom Genera!
Shafter was examining standing at the other.
I was at hand here to make a ])icture, as
I thought it (|uite a good subject, when 1 was
peremj)torily ordei'ed a\\a\- b\- oue of ( ieneral
Shafter's aids. This S])aiiish lieutenant was
kept in the detention cam]) for two or three
<lays. after which he was e\entuall\' exchanged
for 1 .ieulenant 1 lobson.
Copvil-llt. |S!IS, l,y \V. R. ll,;iist.
Spanish lieutenants on the way to General Shafter's headquarters.
One was exchanged for Lieutenant Hobson.
I
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION.
203
I next proceeded to the front to find out
how our boys were progressing. They had
been at it hot and heavy all day, and as the
afternoon came on large clouds, very ominous
looking, were coming up in the southwest.
The lightning became very vivid and loud
peals of thunder were heard, and soon a se-
vere thunderstorm burst over the entire field
of action. The rain came down in torrents,
and it was a cold, midwinter rain. It was so
cold that some of the drops turned into hail.
I made for a sheltering tree, and covered my
camera and plates with a rubber blanket,
while we got soaked to the skin ourselves.
This storm lasted for an hour or so, when
suddenly the sun broke forth from behind
clouds and sent its rays in all their tropical
intensity down upon the scene, which was
soon a reeking and stewing mass. The firing
did not cease during this little wetting. It
continued until nightfall.
Life with the troops in the trenches at
night is not very enjoyable, yet it is well
worth the experience for the novelty of the
thing. At night, when hostilities have ap-
parently ceased, the soldiers intrench them-
24
204
CANNON AND CAMERA.
selves and throw up breastworks, and by
other means seek to fortify themselves against
the attacks of the enemy on the coming day:
While in this i)osition it is desirable and
necessary that one should conceal one's self,
and no fire can be lit for the purpose of cook-
ing a pot of coffee or frying a little l)acon.
so one has to subsist upon hard-tack and
water. This diet makes life in the trenches
almost unbearable.
As soon as one has l)ccome comfortably
ensconced and darkness has set in. s(iuads of
men arc sent out to InuU for a good sujiply
of water. A man starts o(i with a dozen can-
teens strung from his shoulder, always on the
alert for what may happen. Pickets are sta-
tioned and outposts are cautioned to be on
the alert, for a sudden night attack is always
to be guarded against. Those with tobacco
had a luxury, and those haxing matches were
e(|uall\' fortunate, for a match that is able
to do dutv after nmcli ser\-ice in the jiocket
of a private drenched with rain and sweat was
a je\\el of the hrst water, indeed, and one not
fre(|uentl\ found. Tobacoo is all right if you
have it; therefore matches were at a high
Copyright, 1S98, by W. R. Hearst.
United States trooper and Cuban scouts trailing Spanish sharpshooters.
SHARPSHOOTERS IN ACTION.
205
premium. The men were all eager at this
time to learn who had been taken off bv the
day's engagement, and who had been left
with them. The officers were very busy find-
ing out how man}- men they had lost, for
while in battle it was the duty of every man
to go forward, even if his brother should drop
by his side, so long as he was able to hold a
gun and fire a bullet. It was the duty of
those who followed to take care of the wound-
ed, and how well they did it is fully exempli-
fied by the small list of missing on the rolls
of our army at the present time.
CHAPTER XV.
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
How Cervera's squadron put out of Santiago and was de-
stroyed — Photographing the stranded ships — A capture of
Spanish prisoners.
Sunday, July 3. 1898. will long be remem-
bered in tlie navy of Uncle Sam. The long-
looked-for Heet of Admiral Cervera was at
hand, and there was to l)e an engagement.
The Maine was to be remembered, fhe fleet
which Spain had sent to Cuba, and wliich had
been i)laying at hide-and-seek until bottled up
in Santiago, w^as now- to make that memorable
dash out of the harbour — in truth an effort for
liberty, glory, or death. The sinking of the
Merrimac had not stopped the fleet of Cer-
vera from making its exit from the harbour.
The brave Lieutenant Ilobson and the heroes
who accompanied him. who at the risk of
their li\cs went in there and sank the Merri-
mac in order that Cer\era might not be able
206
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE. 207
to get his fleet out of the long neck of this
harbour, which was Hkened to a bottle, did
not have the pleasure of seeing this fleet de-
stroyed, for it was not until three days after
the destruction of this fleet that these brave
men were released by exchange from the
hands of the enemy.
On this beautiful Sunday morning, as the
men were just finishing cjuarters, a lookout
on one of the ships of the blockading squad-
ron suddenly saw in the distance a column
of smoke rising over the land close by the
harbour entrance, which appeared to be the
smoke issuing from the funnel of a steamer
which was making headway toward the
mouth of the harbour of Santiago. This was
reported to the signal quartermaster, who
sent the news to the officer of the deck on
his ship. The news was flashed around the
fleet with surprising quickness, and every one
was at once on deck scanning the entrance
of Santiago harbour with glasses. It did
not take long to determine that something
unusual was on foot, and before long the fore-
most of the vessels in this line composing Ad-
miral Cervera's fleet, the Maria Teresa, which
2o8 CANNON AND CAMERA.
was Admiral C"er\era's flat^shij). made its ap-
pearance round the headland and a dash for
the o])en sea. The ships of the American
fleet were not expecting this movement, and
they were not at all prepared for it as they
would have been had they been forewarned.
I')Ut it does not take long for an American
Jacky to adapt himself to any circumstances.
Signals were soon fl>'ing from the Brook-
lyn, the Hagship of Admiral Schley, for Ad-
miral Sampson was al)sent, having gone to
the eastward as far as Siboney to have a con-
sultation with (ieneral Shaft er; therefore the
duty of destroying the Spanish fleet fell to
Admiral Schley and the captains of the vari-
ous shi])s, and how admiral )l}- thev did it the
world knows.
The last time I saw the Ocpicndo and the
\'iscaya was the evening u])on which I sailed
out of Haxana harbour and so defiantly
wa\ed the Stars and Stripes of America. Xow
they were about to do what brave Ca])tain
Eulatc had said when he \isited Xew York
some time ])rior to the declaration of war —
namelw that if the time e\er came to show
the power of the N'iscaya, the .\merican j^eo-
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE. 209
pie would be surprised at her efficiency; but,
alas! she was doomed to a sad fate, and Eu-
late to a like disappointment. Whatever his
plans or whatever the ideas of victory the
Spaniards nursed within their swarthy breasts
were soon brought to naught.
At the time the fleet emerged from be-
yond the fortress of the ^lorro the ships
seemed to be heading for the gallant cruiser
Brooklyn. It looked as though thev intended
to concentrate their force on this fast cruiser,
crush her by overwhelming odds, and then
speed oft' with what remained of their fleet,
leaving the slow-going battle ships to follow-
after them as they disappeared. But it takes
two to make a plan, and the more is this to
be considered when the two concerned are
not on terms of amity. They had heard of
the Brooklyn's speed; they knew of her ef-
fectiveness; they knew she was their main op-
ponent; and they thought that by disabling
or destroying her they might make their
escape. From us, a long distance away on
the Sylvia, it appeared that they were mak-
ing directly for the Brooklyn, with the inten-
tion of annihilating her before she had a
2IO CANNON AND CAMERA.
chance to recoxcr from the first surprise and
onslaui^ht. Ikit soon this seemingly hazard-
ous position was changed into one of ag-
gressive activity. Captain Cook, of the
Brooklyn, was not to be caught napping, but
by a series of splendid manoeuvres he got
the Brook]}!! into a position where she be-
came a formidable aggressor instead of the
object of attack. Things changed in such
short order that it was absolutely impossible
for one like myself, unaccpiainted with na\"al
tactics and evolutions, to comprehend the ob-
ject and i)urpose of the movements, and yet
how plain the advantage when it was all com-
pleted! At a distance of three or four miles
1 watched the annihilation of this Cape de
Verde fleet.
Coming out of the harbour of Santiago,
the following order was observed: The first
ship flying Spain's flag was the Maria Teresa,
the flagshi]) of Admiral Cervera. She was fol-
lowed l)\- the X'iscaya, the Cristobal Colon,
the Almirante Ocjuendo, and the two torpedo
boats. Furor and IMuton. As soon as they
were outside Morro the\' oi)cncMl tire. 1 he
forts assisted the fleet, and it seemed to
(»:>;
ner
w
■^
'i ?
9
f
*"**■
'i?ia||
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE. 21I
me as though the American squadron was
doomed to serious loss. They exchanged
shots in rapid succession, when all at once
the Spanish fleet altered their course and
made off to the westward in an attempt to
escape. They had not proceeded more than
three or four miles before the ]\Iaria Teresa
was in a helpless condition and made for the
beach. The men under Admiral Cervera on
the ]\Iaria Teresa fought gallantly, as far as
we could see. After she had surrendered and
the Gloucester had run the two torpedo boats
ashore, the Oquendo quickly followed, and,
after an unequal battle. Captain Eulate, of
the \"iscaya, was compelled to do likewise.
This left but the Colon, and the Brooklyn
was in hot pursuit of her, the Oregon and
the Texas also following. This was a most
rapid chase, and a slow boat was nowhere
in it, and could not even keep sight of these
flying ocean batteries. As the Brooklyn
bounded after the Colon, it was a sight to
make glad an American soul. She abso-
lutely leaped through the water at a speed
almost unknown hitherto ; flames poured
forth from her smokestacks, and it was evi-
212 CANNON AND CAMERA.
dent tliat the men in llie lire wnnu were
doino- their (lnt\- like true men on this occa-
sion. It seemed as tlmuuh they were pour-
ing oil on the coals instead of ordinary fuel,
so as to get all possible speed out of the ves-
sel. 1\'ilk about having a hone in her teeth-
she had several. Captain Cook did not in-
tend to lose this pri/.e. therefore all steam and
power were ])ut on. The men at the batteries
were firing as they gradually closed in on her,
when suddenly they came abreast and the
second.arv batteries of the Ih'ooklyn could be
seen pouring a most destructive tu'e into the
Si)aniar(l.
After a chase of about two hours and a
half the Colon was cornered, and at about
half past one she ran her bows on the beach
at Rio Tarcjuino, about tifty miles from San-
tiago. Captain Cook sent a boat to the
Colon to receive the surrender. The captain
of the Colon asked him under what ccMidi-
tions the surrender was retjuired. The reply
called for an unconditional surrender.
The Spaniards then gave three cheers for
the brave .1 inrricdiios. and the crew of the
Brooklvn answered back with three hearty
25
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
213
cheers for the Spaniards. When the men
were taken prisoners and removed to the dif-
ferent boats a great many of the men and
of^cers were taken on board the Resohite,
formerly the Ward Line steamship York-
town, other prisoners being sent to the flag-
ship New York and the Vixen. The New
York, Texas, and Oregon stood by the de-
feated ship for some hours, the Brooklyn
leaving in a hurry, as she had received word
from some source or another that a Spanish
war ship was seen to the southward. Her
men were hastily called to quarters, and they
were prepared for another battle, only to find
after a long run that the boat sighted was
not a Spanish, but an Austrian cruiser. The
Oregon returned then to Santiago. On her
way back I had the pleasure of making one
of the most striking pictures of a battle ship
that it has been my pleasure and good for-
tune to take. The men were all in high glee
and the ship was in fighting trim, and she
looked the very bulldog of the American nav>
that she is.
The sunken ships — but scarcely can we
call them that, for, while they were beached.
214 CANNON AND CAMERA.
they were not much submerged — were sent
on to the beach head foremost, and were lying
in two or three fathoms of water. When
thev were run on shore a great many of the
sailors and minor officers swam ashore and
escaped toward Santiago; tnhcrs who tried
to escape had made for the l)each at Aser-
radero. A ])arty of Cubans who were doing
scout duty in and about this point saw some
Spanish sailors escaping, and as they ap-
proached the shore the Cubans shot them in
the water, and the water was stained with the
blood of tliese fleeing wretches. Many of
their bodies were washed ashore by the surf,
and thev were taken charge of ])y the Cubans
and spread out as a feast for vultures and buz-
zards.
Returning from the Colon late in the
afternoon, she and her consorts presented a
dilapidated and terrible sight. What had
once been the bright and buoyant hope of
the Spanish na\)- were now helpless hulks
strewn along Cuba's southern shore.
The next day was the 4th of jul\-. We
awoke about live o'clock in the morning,
Iving off the \'iscaya. Captain L"lark had
en
be
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
215
run the Sylvia out to the Viscaya, so that
we might be on hand the first thing in the
morning to get some good pictures of this
wrecked vessel. We passed close to her and
took views from all possible positions, after
which we put ofif in a whaleboat and boarded
her. As we came alongside the Viscaya, in
climbing up the sea ladder, we found it al-
most too hot to place our hands upon her.
Our party consisted of Mr. Hearst, Mr. Fol-
lansbee, the ship's mate, and several others,
and we boarded her and saw the terrible havoc
that fire and shell had wrought. The girders
which supported the main deck were twisted
into every conceivable grotesque shape. The
gun deck and the superstructure were totally
demolished ; all the woodwork, which had
been so beautifully cleaned and polished, was
destroyed. Nothing combustible could be
found. The charred remains of many of the
sailors were strewn around, some hanging
from the iron girders and beams in all sorts
of positions. Carcasses of animals were also
to be found. We made a thorough investi-
gation and secured a great many souvenirs,
consisting of Mauser rifles, revolvers, and
2i6 CANNON AND CAMERA.
bunches of keys. From one of tlie fourteen-
centimetre tiuTets I took a roster the glass
of which had heen cracked into smaH bits by
the intense heat of the tire on the X'iscaya.
Below decks holes had been ripped
through her sides, and one or two shells had
pierced her ])rotected belt. In her forecastle
terrible ha\-oc had been wrought by a large
shell. luther a magazine or a torpedo had
been exploded Ijy this shell, and the foremast
had been entirely u])rooted and thrown across
the bridge, totally demolishing it. The u])])er
gun deck and the smokestacks and the places
where the rapid-tire guns had been mounted
were literally blown to pieces.
The forward ten-inch rifle was seemingly
in perfect condition. It was pointed at a
rather high elevation, and possiblv this ac-
counts for the many shots going over the
vessels at which she aimed. .\s we proceeded
along the full length of the \'iscaya we came
to the (|uarter-deck. and there saw most hor-
rible havoc. The deck was as bare as a bil-
liard ball. Everything was consumed; every-
thing had been made aw'ay with that was in-
flannnable. The after ten-inch ritle was in
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
217
the same condition as the gun forward, but
it was loaded. The men had evidently left
it in a hurry. On the starboard side an abra-
sion was plainly visible, and it looked as
though she had been hit here by one of our
shells. I raised myself to the top of the after
turret, and made several views of the interior;
I also made several views looking forward to-
ward the bridge from the quarter-deck. The
mainmast had been smashed, and had fallen
obliquely across this after gun. The beauti-
ful decorative work which made the Viscaya
so conspicuous when she was in New York
and Havana harbours had been torn off her
stern, evidently to disguise her, as her name
was very conspicuous on this decorative work
when I last saw her. Everything of this kind
had been ripped from her, and nothing had
been left but a small wreath, on w'hich was the
word " Viscaya." Several large holes, appar-
ently made by shells from the eight-inch rifles
on our ships, were seen on her starboard
quarter. After this w^e left the Viscaya and
proceeded to the Oquendo.
As we reached the side of the Oquendo
the Suwanee hove in sight, and Lieutenant
2i8 CANNON AND CAMERA.
lUuc and a boat's crew put off for the shore
ill answer to the signal of a while tlai; on the
l)each. As they a|)i)roached the shore, the
breakers and surf were so hea\y tliat Lieuten-
ant r.hie was thrown from tlic boat into the
water. All efforts made to land here were
without a\ail. and after a time they gave up
the idea and returned to their vessel It was
at this point that I found great difficulty in
our launch trying to make pictures of the
( )(|iiendo. The breakers rolled in with tre-
mendous force. I succeeded, howexer, in
making a \iew" from the launch showing the
terrible hammering on the starboard plates
of the ()(|uen(lo. About amidshi])s the
work of our l)ig guns was strikingl\- mani-
fest. Ihe sponsons of the rapid-fire gims
were completely demolished, and the guns
were hanging down o\er the side ready
to drop at an\' moment. .\s we were ho\"-
ering around the ( )(|uendo an explosion
occurred from one of her guns, caused evi-
dently by the intense heat, foi" she was still
on hre and smoking badlw It was im])os-
sibk- to board her at this time; we were, in-
deed, cautioned not to go on board her, as
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE. 2IQ
her magazines were likely to explode at any
moment.
We next proceeded toward the Maria
Teresa, which lay closer to the Morro. Close
by her we saw a large party on shore, which
through our glasses appeared to be a party
of Cubans. They were waving a white flag,
and as we hove in sight they tried their best
to attract our attention, in which effort they
succeeded. We went in as close to the Maria
Teresa as was safe, and made several pictures
from the Sylvia, after which Mr. Hearst, my-
self, and my man put off in the steam launch
and made for the surf to investigate the fel-
lows ashore. As w^e approached the beach
we could plainl}^ see that these men were
more naked than clothed, and we hesitated
for a while before deciding what we should
do. We saw also that a great many of the
men were armed with machetes and Mauser
rifles, and thus it w^as doubtful whether they
were Spaniards or Cubans. At last we made
up our minds to run the chances, and if these
were Spaniards to take them prisoners. After
a lot of tossing and being thrown about by
the heavy breakers, we landed. When we
220 CANNON AND CAMERA.
reached the beach we found these men were
sailors who had escaped from the Spanish
vessels. Nineteen were from the N'iscaya.
three from the Ocjtiendo. seven from the
Maria Teresa, makinj^: a total of twenty-nine.
After makinf^ an impression up(jn these poor
wretches and tlashinj^- our tirearms we ^i;-ave
them to miderstand that they were our pris-
oners. The Cul>ans helped us to get the men
into a boat, and they were soon on board the
Sylvia.
During our stay on the beach waiting the
rctiuMi of our laimch se\'eral bodies from the
Maria Teresa were washed ashore. We took
these bodies into the woods and buried them
as best we could.
The wreckage that was being thrown on
shore was varied in its nature. I foimd a six-
inch shell case, and also a i)air of marine
glasses. These I value as mementos of this
great and glorious naval engagement. After
getting these men to the Sylvia, we pro-
ceeded in our boat and thoroughly over-
hauled the Maria Teresa. When we got on
board the Maria Teresa a sight met our eyes
which was nuich worse than anv we had
26
!i
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
221
experienced while on board the Viscava.
Charred bodies of many of the sailors were
plainly visible on all parts of the gun deck.
Xo matter where yon went, there you would
find them. On the port side of this ship the
guns were all empty and the breech plugs
missing from all the guns, having been
thrown overboard before the surrender. On
the starboard side the guns were in position
and loaded, with the breech blocks in posi-
tion. It was evident that they had no chance
to lire the guns of the starboard battery, for
as she proceeded along the coast from Morro,
going in a westerly direction, nothing but
her port battery was exposed to the Ameri-
can fleet.
We heard from the sailors who had been
taken prisoners that the men had refused to
serve at the guns when they saw it was a
hopeless case, and, instead of the men in the
fire rooms of these vessels remaining at their
posts and pouring in their fuel, as did our
men, they were continually running to the
upper deck, looking for a chance to escape.
They positively refused to serve at either the
guns or the engines. \\'e were told by our
222 CANNON AND CAMERA.
prisoners that the officers had shot with their
revolvers nineteen men who had refused to
comply with the orders which were given by
the achiiiral on his flagship.
The foremast of the Maria Teresa had
been uprooted l)y some cause, possibly by a
large shell, for it fell directly lengthwise of
the boat toward the stern. In the fighting
top of the Alaria Teresa 1 found a magazine
full of cartridges that belonged to a rapid-
fire gun ; also a partly burned pack of Span-
ish cards which had been almost totally de-
stroyed, but just in the middle of the pack
where the fii"e, although it had been smould-
ering' for hours, had not effected its work,
there were five or six cards almost as perfect
as when new. but dirty and begrimed from
constant use. It may have been that during
the idle moments on board the flagship in
the harbour of Santiago the men. ha\ing
nothing else to do, whiled away the hours in
plaving the limit with these Spanish cards.
I took these cards, thinking what a uni([ue
memento they would make.
We now retm-necl to the S\l\ia to find
ottt how our Spani>li prisoners were getting
Il
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
223
along. We found them on the forward deck,
being cared for by our party and the crew.
Their wounds, bruises, and broken bones were
being attended to by our party, who had
turned themselves into a corps of hospital
attendants. It was here that I met a Spanish
sailor whom I knew. He had been Captain
Eulate's orderly while the Viscaya was in
Havana Bay, and during my stay in Havana
at the Pasaje Hotel it was his duty to bring
despatches and orders to the ofificers stay-
ing there. He recognised me as I came on
board the Sylvia, and told me how pleased
he was that it was all over. I asked him
if they expected to escape, and he said
they certainly did not. and their only hope
was that they would go through the fight
with as little loss as possible. They were
glad to be rid of the strain and anxiety they
had undergone for so many weeks, and
they were also glad to be in the hands of
such tender and generous foes as the Ameri-
canos.
Just then the good fighting Texas hove
alongside. W'e had signalled her that we had
some prisoners on board, and she informed
224
CANNON AND CAMERA.
US thai, while she cuuhl not take them, it
would be best for us to transfer them to the
St. Louis, whicli was a1)out t(j sail for Key
West. As the Texas was close to us, 1 told
our Spanish ])risoners that the American boys
would like them to give three cheers for the
(lay. as it was the glorious 4lh of July. In-
dependence Day of the Americans. One of
the Spanish prisoners who understood Eng-
lish, and doubtless belonged to the repub-
licans of his country, said the sailors would
gladly join in cheering the Americans, for
while the day commemorated an anniversary
of Independence Day with the Americans,
that he looked upon it as independence day
for his countrymen. 1 mounted the rail with
the S])anish ])risoners. and waving the same
little flag that I had flaunted in their faces on
leaving Havana when seeing the \'iscava and
Oquendo in a more noble comlition than was
now presented by them, the same flag that
covered the graves of the Maine heroes in
Colon cemetery, the same little flag that was
placed on the grave of that brave Rough
Kider llamilton ImsIi. who died for his coun-
try at Las Guasimas. these Spanish j)risoners
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
225
gave three as lusty cheers as ever came from
men's throats.
The boys on the Texas appreciated it,
and, as the echo of the three cheers for
" George Washington and Old Glory " were
dying out the boys of the Texas took it up
and gave three more, with a " tiger." Mr.
Hearst then ordered that these prisoners
should have plenty to eat and drink, and after
they had their wounds dressed and they were
clothed in the best we could give them, many
of them being naked when we found them,
we steamed alongside the St. Louis and trans-
ferred them. Mr. Hearst getting a receipt for
them.
We now proceeded to Siboney, where we
found that Mr. Creelman had been brought
from the field hospital by Mr. Follansbee, and
they were waiting our arrival. After taking
them on board, we proceeded to Port An-
tonio with the pictures we had made during
the last two days.
I was now busily engaged for some time
in developing my plates, and it was an anx-
ious moment to me as we went bounding
over the choppy waters of the Caribbean Sea.
226 CANNUN AND CAMERA.
Seasickness did not bother me then, as I was
too anxious to see the resiiUs of the nega-
tives made on such an im|)()i"lant occasion.
I found I liad got some great resuhs. and
before \vc had reached Port Antonio tliey
were all ready for jirinting.
The next day, Tuesday, July 5th, 1 made
some i)rints from them, which we sent by
mail, and wc then returned to Siboney. At
daylight on the morning of July 7th we low-
ered a boat, and 1 and my man once more
went on board the ]\Iaria Teresa to get some
interior views. While thus engaged the lit-
tle Gloucester hove in sight, and she put off
a boat, which came alongside the Maria Te-
resa, when to my surprise who should I see
jump out of the boat but Lieutenant 1 lob-
son, who had been exchanged, and was now
accompanied 1)\' the board of inspection who
were to report on the condition of the
wrecked vessels and the advisability of mak-
ing efforts to raise them. 1 could not resist
the strong ini])nlse to gras]) the hero of the
Merrimac b\- the hand when he reached the
deck of the \esscl, or rather not the deck, for
there was no deck to the vessel now, but the
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
227
iron beams which had once supported the
deck. While standing here, Lieutenant Hob-
son gazed around him and said, " Indeed, this
is a terrible wreck." He was bareheaded,
having lost his hat overboard, and the sun
was pouring down its rays very severely. I
offered him my hat, and he said, " Oh, no, the
men will recover my hat as soon as the rest of
the commission are on board."
It was here that I had an opportunity to
get a good chat with Lieutenant Hobson.
I asked how the Spaniards treated him, and
he said that, considering everything, the
treatment was very fair. He said he did not
learn of Cervera leaving Santiago harbour
until several days afterward, when he was ex-
changed, and heard it while passing through
the Spanish lines. He told me his reception
by the troops of the army was something he
was proud of. something he never had an-
ticipated, but which would leave a lasting
and profound impression upon him. He said
it was a triumphal march practically from
Santiago to Siboney, with his hands being
shaken all the way and questions poured on
him from all sides. Reaching Sibonev, he was
228 CANNON AND CAMERA.
taken off in a lanncli to the tla^sliip of Ad-
miral Sampson, and, after spending- the night
there, he started to duty with this com-
mission.
I went with him in and about the Maria
Teresa, and saw a great deal of this vessel.
Lieutenant Hobson told me then that he
thought it possible to save this ship, as she
was not injured below her jirotective deck
to any serious extent, and that the w^ater now
in her came from the tube of the after tor-
l)edo. On Sept. 25th. the Maria Teresa
was floated and towed to Guantanamo Bay.
proving that Lieut. Hobson's judgment was
correct. He said that he regretted not
ha\-ing seen this l)attle, but he was very
pleased ^' ' he had been safe from the bom-
bardmeuc of Santiago, which had occurred
a few davs previous. Tt will be rememberetl
that Admiral Cervera had caused Hobson
and his conu^ades to be remoxed to a post
far distant from our line of tire some days
before the bombardment began, by Admiral
Sampson's demand.
27
CHAPTER XVI.
SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO.
General Miles prevents a retreat — General Toral yields to
moral suasion and gives up the city.
General Miles's arrival at Siboney, and
his appearance at the headquarters of General
Shafter, where they had a long consultation,
put a different face upon affairs for our troops
lying in front of Santiago. General Shafter,
according to the reports in camp, for several
days had been contemplating a retreat. The
rank and file had been made aware of his ob-
ject and were strenuously objecting to it.
As one officer remarked. " Wli^t possible
benefit is to be derived from a retreat at this
time? " There were no fortifications upon
which they could fall back, and the only de-
fences in the rear were the breastworks
thrown up by the men in the trenches.
They had fought their way from Siboney,
229
230 CANNON AND CAMERA.
commencinii;" with the hattle of the Rough
Riders and ending with the taking (^f the
heights of San Jtian. The base of stipphes
was in no peril of captitre; there was no dan-
ger of being cut off by tlie enemy; there was
absohitely nothing to warrant a retreat; and
would it not have l)een a case of " rattles,"
ignorance, and cowardice jumbled together
to ha\-e ordered a retreat? Those officers
who had looked the matter over could see no
ad\'antage to be obtained by falling back,
ddiey had gained a fortihed position, and
there was no ground for fear that they cotild
be dri\en back from this position, for they al-
ready had repulsed a sexere attack. General
Shafter had been told, it is said, that the ene-
m}- was ])resent with a much larger force than
he had at his conunand; he w;is told that they
had supplies and amnumition in abundance.
Hence his desire to fall back. Xow, had this
information been receixcd b\- a soldier of the
ability oi (leneral Miles, a man whose phy-
si(|ue does not burden him in warm weather,
he would doubtless ha\'e recoimoitred for
himself. lie would then ha\o taken the \iew
that as his men had gaineil the position
SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO.
231
as^ainst the most stubborn resistance of the
enemy's forces, they could doubtless with-
stand any attack upon the fortified place they
were then occupying.
General Shafte-r was looking for help from
the fleet under Admiral Sampson, but at this
time the ships were powerless to aid. They
could not assist General Shafter and the land
forces, for had they used their great guns in
shelling the Spanish position they would have
placed in great danger from their fire the
United States Army forces in the trenches
before Santiago. Possibly, if some of the
siege guns and field artillery furnished
to Shafter and transported to Cuba in
the steamers which carried the troops had
been landed at Siboney, instead of being
stupidly carted back to the United States, it
might have put a different aspect on affairs.
Had General Shafter gone among the men
from regiment to regiment, and brigade to
brigade, and ascertained their spirit, he pos-
sibly would not have contemplated falling
back. I say that it was very fortunate that
General Miles arrived when he did. General
Miles, with his experience and skill, saw at a
232
CAXXOX AND CAMERA.
glance the false jiosition in w liicli ( icneral
Shafler wonld place the American armv by
orderint;- a retreat. General Miles made n])
his mind that no retreat should take place, let
the consecpiences l^e what they mio;ht. Un-
der a flag of truce a connnunication was made
with General Toral, asking for an audience.
The granting of the audience was another
point gained ])y General Miles. He decided
to '* work a bluft' " on the Si)aniar(ls. and
therel)}' gain a \-ictory without loss of life.
\\'hen General Miles told (ieneral Toral of
his wishes, the magnitude of the demands
seemed to ])aralyze him. General Miles in-
formed the Spanish general that he was then
landing at our l)ase of supplies a large armv
of re-enforcements, with which he could anni-
hilate any and all forces that could be oi)posed
to them by Spain. The trans]:)orts arrived at
the same time with (ieneral Miles, and they
were now Ixing between Santiago and Sibo-
ney. They were in ])lain sight of the signal
tower on Morro Gastle. This arrival and
show of force had been signalled and made
known from Morro to the arm\- of Sjjain,
and it was known brt)adcast that we were
SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO. 233
making a big demonstration. When General
Toral told General Miles that he was willing to
surrender but had not the power to do so from
Madrid, General Miles told him that there
was no time to waste, and that he had no
intention of waiting for communications from
Madrid; that our forces were then in posi-
tion to demand an unconditional surrender.
General Toral murmured against the terms
and General ^liles said: " Do you realize this
is a war undertaken by my Government in the
interests of humanity suffering at the hands
of Spain? Do you realize the country with
which you are at war — its vastness and re-
sources? Do you realize that for you to con-
tinue this unequal fight would be brutal — you
would be making men face certain defeat and
death? Do you realize that history would
record your refusal to surrender under the
circumstances as a crime against your com-
mand? If you had a chance such as is pre-
sented in an equal combat I would be the last
to urge you to surrender. I would say.
' Fight, and fight to the last.' Surrender
would never come up as a thought in my
mind if the forces were equal. But look at
234
CANNON AND CAMERA.
what we have done. We ha\e landed here
in }uur C(.>untr_\'. and in llic face of yonr op-
positi(jn and the chmatic difficulties we have
routed }ou from }our \ery strongest posi-
tion; and if we could rout you from this
position you can scarcely drive us l)ack. W'e
are now in a position to demand your ab-
solute and unconditional surrender. There-
fore, if you do not surrender we shall force
you to do so. But it is my duty, being in
charge of this in\ading armw to end the
fight as humanely as possible, Init to end
it."
After General Miles had made himself
fullv understood. General Toral considered
the matter and did the best thing possible
under the circumstances. He surrendered
on July 17th. Mark you, J do not say it was
the best thing for General Toral. for when our
troops entered Santiago, when the surrender
was made ])()siti\e. it was seen that the Span-
ish forces were plentifully furnished with am-
munition and supplies, and it is my opinion
that they could have held out nmch longer.
I'.ul it was this man of will, this man of force,
this man who went and saw and coiupiered —
SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO. 235
the man to have in command in time of war.
This man was General Miles, whom the
United States can thank this time and hence-
forth for the short and sweet campaign neces-
sary to take Cuba.
chapti-:r wii.
RETl'RX OF Till': ROUOll KIDKRS.
General Wheeler and Colonel Roosevelt welcomed at Camp
Wikoff — Suffering of troops at Montauk Point — Home
coming of the Seventy-first — Contrast between naval mi-
litia and volunteers.
The selection of Muntaiik Point as a
camp site for the soldiers retnrniiis;- from San-
tia^'o was supposed to be an ideal one. At
first it was thought that the troops who had
gained Santiago would l)e sent into the
mountains of Cuba to recuperate and then
be transported to Porto Pico, btU it was de-
cided at the last moment, through a forceful
letter from Colonel 'idieodore Roosevelt, to
send them north. C"olonel Roosevelt ])osi-
tively stated in his comnumication thai it
the troops were not al once shipped from the
fever-stricken tlistrict of Santiago and the
surrounding country to some heallh\' and
sanilar\- camp I hey wt)uld die olt like
236
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 237
sheep. Although these men were sent away
ahiiost immediately after the statement of
Colonel Roosevelt, yet the events recorded
after their arrival at Alontauk Point — the
deaths from illness and starvation — show
clearly and in as strong a light as possible
that wisdom and practical sense of uncom-
monly high order are attributes which Col-
onel Roosevelt possesses in company with his
other better known qualities. Our men died
like sheep afflicted with a plague. But if this
fate befell them in the comparatively whole-
some surroundings of Camp Wikofif, what
unspeakable horrors might not history have
had to record had the army been suffered to
remain in the pest-laden camps of Santiago
de Cuba!
Here is an instance of the general incom-
petence displayed which came under my no-
tice at Camp Wikofif: A transport engaged
to take troops and stores to Santiago at the
time the army of invasion was lying at Key
West brought back troops to Montauk Point.
The story goes that the captain of the vessel
sent word to the department from which his
order came that he had something- in the
238
CANNON AND CAMERA.
hold of the shij) for dehxcry scjiiiewhere, but
the exact spot he chd not know. On investi-
gation it was found that some held artillery
had been stowed all the time in the hold of
this ship. By rights it should have been
landed at Siboney, but it was carried back
to the United States in this vessel without
being touched. This is but one example of
the slipshod manner in which everybody's
business j)roved to be nobody's business.
After dumping our troops into these
" prison hulks " and pest holes, of which so
much has been written and said that there ex-
ists no need for me to add more, they arri\ed
in course of time and debarked in an ema-
ciated and debilitated condition at Camp
Wikoff. After all the opportunity for gain-
ing experience that the heads of the different
departments at Washington had had, one
would conclude that Camp Wikoff at ]Mon-
tauk Point would ha\e been a splciidiiUy
equipped and organized camp for the return
of our troops from Cuba. The contrary was
the case.
When the sick and wounded reached
Camp Wikoff the hospital tcnls were unlni-
k/
(iLTicral Wlicck-r and Gciicrul Young al Camp Wikoff.
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 239
ished, and even tents of the ordinary type
were not there in snfficient number to give
these men good and necessary sheher from
the weather. Still the boys were glad to be
on Uncle Sam's soil again, and right well did
they enjoy it. Those who were able to make
it known did so, and those too weak to make
any demonstration showed in their pallid and
suffering faces their delight to get back home
once more.
In marked and pleasing contrast to the
enfeebled and emaciated troops landed from
the pestiferous transports at Montauk Point
was the condition presented by the three hun-
dred men of the Naval Militia of New^ York
and Brooklyn as they marched u]) Broadway
on September 3d. These men had been in
service since April 24th, when they embarked
on the Yankee (formerly the Morgan liner El
Norte), participating in the bombardment of
Santiago and the seizure of Guantanamo Bay.
On June 13th the Yankee chased and sunk
the Spanish gunboat Diego Velasco, and
later on did excellent duty, winning honour in
nine separate engagements in Cuban waters.
The Yankee was chosen to take part in Com-
240
CANNON AND CAMERA.
modore Watson's proposed expedition to
Spain, and her brave sailors were much disap-
pointed when the peace negotiations rendered
that demonstration unnecessary. The Yan-
kee returned to New York on August 28th
with a clean bill of health.
The sailors, as they marched through the
city on a broiling afternoon, looked in the
pink of condition, healthy and hard as nails.
Heads erect, eyes bright, faces tanned, ex-
pressions animated, every movement full of
vitality, they did credit to the navy they
served
The poor soldiers presented another and
sadder phase of the campaign, utterly dis-
creditable to the military authorities respon-
sible, of which the Se\enty-first was perhaps
the most pitiable and forcible example.
Probably the return of the Rough Riders
was the event which excited more popular in-
terest than the return of any other single regi-
ment. Part of the First Cavalry which had
been left behind at Tampa had already ar-
rived at Camp Wikoff and had selected a
camp in a l)eautiful location. I say a beauti-
ful location because it was on a high hill sur-
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
241
rounded by a nice little pond where there was
a chance for the men to take a bath and oth-
erwise have access to ocean breezes and
other health-producing conditions. Camp
\\'ikoft' is not an ideal camp, for an ideal camp
would have possessed some large shade trees.
If a man wanted shade at Camp \\'ikoff he
had to remain under the folds of his tent, for
once outside he was in the rays of a sim as
intense as those he met at Santiago.
On the morning of the arrival of the trans-
port Miami at ]\lontauk Point things were
in a state of intense excitement. Colonel
Roosevelt and his men were/ on board, as were
also General Wheeler and part of his stafif, so
that the landing of this boat and its comple-
ment of troops was quite an interesting scene.
The Miami came alongside the dock about
1 1 o'clock. Colonel Edwards had charge of
the dock, and he formed around it and the
shore a heavy guard of the regular coloured
troops. It was impossible to induce these
troops to permit me to gain admittance to a
much coveted position on the dock. A
freight train, however, had backed up into po-
sition near the landing place, so I hastily made
242 CANNON AND CAMERA.
for the lo]) of a freis^iit car and secured a good
position, from which I took pictures of the
troops as they came ashore. A large crowd of
friends of the Rough Riders and soldiers had
gathered at the dock, some coming in by the
morning train, as the reports in the morning
j)apers had made known that they were ex-
l^ected to arrive at this time.
Among the very first to land from the Mi-
ami after she had made fast were General
Wheeler and Colonel Roosevelt. General
Wheeler was greeted with ])rotherlv affection
by General Young, while Colonel Roosevelt
was met by his brother-in-law, and thev
hugged each other like schoolb(\vs. Everv
one pressed forward, and it looked as though
the line of soldiers would l)e Ijroken bv the
surging crowd. Soon Mrs. John A. Logan,
the widow of " Old Black Jack," was seen
making her way through the lines, and with
the permission of the general in charge met
General Wheeler and Colonel Roosevelt, and
congratulations were extended to both by this
venerable lady. As General Wheeler ap-
proached, some one in the crowd yelled,
" Three cheers for General Wheeler and San
I
u
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 243
Juan!" This was taken up and the three
cheers were given lustily. The general
doffed his little white helmet in due apprecia-
tion of the courtesy. The troops as they
marched off the transport seemed very weary
and careworn from the hardships undergone.
The ranks of some of the companies were sor-
rowfully depleted and showed the sad havoc
of the fever, exposure, the Mauser bullets, and
the terrible warfare they had passed through.
Some of the worst ailing, who were not able
to make the landing unaided, were assisted by
their comrades, and many a sorrowful sight
met the eyes of the bystanders, who wanted to
go in and take on their shoulders these help-
less heroes who so well deserved it, but the
guard line was too strong to permit of any
such breach of discipline. Although there
was no fever on l^oard the troops were
marched off to the detention camp for the
time being.
When the men arrived in camp I went in
and around and visited a great many of my
old friends whom I had known for years. I
first came upon " Yale " Greenway, the man
who had been so prominent in Yale athletics
244
CANNON AND CAMERA.
for years, lie had Ijeen the mainstay of the
baseball and football teams — in fact, he had
been a leader in all branches of athletics in
his college. He also distinguished himself
with the Rough Riders in Cuba, and he
looked as healthy as though he had never ex-
})erience(l a hardship. His athletic training
and his physical condition induced by his ath-
letic exercises carried him safely throtigh
this trying ordeal. Lieutenant \\'oodl)ury
Kane was also there, and welcomed me with
a glad smile. While he was writing a tele-
gram to some of his friends to a])prise them
of his safe return I took a shot at him, and I
am now the proud possessor of the nega-
tive.
Among the others I saw and who had re-
turned with honours were Craig Wadsworth,
the Knobloch l)rothcrs. Bull, of Harvard, also
those sterling athletes Larned and W'renn.
It was a treat to see these m^n anxiously grab
the loaves and fishes that were dished out for
their first meal. They were at home again,
and glad of it. They made nuich of this first
afternoon. Camp was l)eing put into condi-
tion, and many hampers and packages of deli-
u
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
245
cacies were received by these the most popu-
lar troops of the army for the invasion of
Cuba.
Many and varied were the wants of these
brave fellows. The most urgent need was to
fill out various aching cavities about the waist
line; next was the anxiety to inform their
friends and relatives of their safe arrival and
the condition of health which the close of the
campaign found them in. The telegraph
companies had instituted no regular service
at this point sufficient to the needs and re-
quirements of tlie place, as they should have
done. The regular telegraph station was
several miles away from the detention camp;
therefore, when I made known my willing-
ness to take any telegrams for delivery that
they desired to send I w'as surrounded by a
lot of anxious soldiers. They came from
every troop. The first I had occasion to be
of service to was Lieutenant Woodbury
Kane. As soon as he had written his tele-
gram, " Yale " Greenway got in his little
work, and so it kept on for an hour or so.
The sentiments expressed were as varied
and characteristic as the troops themselves,
29
246 CANNON AND CAMERA.
aii-1 tliev went in all directions over the
Ignited States — some to the iiiansioiis of the
rich at Xewport, others to the prairie home
of the cowboy. One of the most original of
these telegrams I will quote, omitting, of
course, the sender's name, in order to show
how a gallant Rough Rider telegraphed his
sentiments to his sweetheart. It was as fol-
lows: " Darling Kate: Stopped no bullets;
caught no fe\er. Jim."
One of the Rough Riders who would have
been as anxious as any of the others to send
a message to his home folks was the late la-
mented Rough Rider Sergeant William Tif-
fany. After the battle of San Juan he was
detailed to j^roceed to Siboney to ])itrchase a
few luxuries for his troojx It was my ])leas-
ure on my way in from Playa to overtake this
gallant Rough Rider, and we came along the
last ])art of the journey together. He wanted
to know where he could obtain something in
the way of refreshmeiits, and I told him that
I should be pleased to take him to our head-
quarters and let him share what we had there,
lie was overjoyed at the pr()S])ect of once
more sitting- with his leo's under a table, and
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
H7
as he sat down to the bacon, eggs, and fried
potatoes which comprised our meal that
night he remarked on the strangeness he felt
in once more handling a knife and fork.
Porridge never tasted so good to him before,
and bacon and eggs never so palatable; his
appreciation of this meal was greater, he said,
than any he had ever had. This was because
he was hungry. After apologizing for call-
ing for a second plate, he said that on his re-
turn to Xew York he should be pleased to
reciprocate by playing host for the crowd at
any restaurant we chose to name.
He was then anxious to i:)urchase some
tobacco, cigarettes or cigars, or whatever
could be obtained in this line. After scout-
ing around the camp and the many different
places where we were likely to get such
things, I obtained a small quantity, for which
he was very thankful. Brummell, who was
the boy of all work around the Journal head-
quarters, made himself quite handy and of
service to Sergeant Tift'any at this time. He
helped him to get a few of the necessaries he
was in search of, and after feeing this boy with
a tip that would make the head of a Delmoni-
248 CANNON AND CAMERA.
CO waiter swim with dizziness, Sergeant Tif-
fany returned to his troojj with a better feel-
ing at his heart. This occurred on July 8th,
and after enjoying the repast which to him at
that time was a sumptuous meal, he strolled
out from the Journal headcjuartcrs. I oti'ered
him a cigar, which he accepted with the
thanks of a gentleman. It seemed to me at
the time that he had suffered much from the
rigours of this campaign, for he was not the
same man 1 had seen about fashionable re-
sorts in New York. His face seemed pinched
and drawn, and it had that sallow appearance
which IS the forerunner of fever in this cli-
mate. His step was not sprightly and
springy as of yore, but he was in fair spirits
and was thankful for any courtesies.
The treatment of the men of the Seventy-
first Regiment Xew York \"olunteers on
their return from Cuba was not the same
as that which they experienced when they
first occupied their little tents at Camp lilack
before the war commenced. It was now
(juite a dilYerent life. Many (^f those who had
been exultant in their anxiety to carr\- a rille
and to revenue themselxes for the dastardlv
i
I
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 249
deed which had been perpetrated on our brave
and gallant sailors who went down with the
Maine, were now helpless and unable to show
any signs of that spirit with which they were
imbued when they sailed for Cuba. They re-
turned to find that liberty was not theirs; to
find themselves in a position scarcely toler-
able to men who had done so gallantly for
their country. ^lany a man returned to the
States without his "bunkie"; many of the
companies returned with ranks depleted to
such an extent that they formed but the skele-
tons of companies and regiments. This de-
I)letion was not caused by our real enemies,
the Spanish forces in Cuija, but by army
contractors, political thievery and incompe-
tence on the part of those having the medical
and commissary departments in their care.
Not to the Mauser bullets, not to the shriek-
ing shrapnel from the enemies" batteries, but
to starvation which brought on sickness, not
to say the neglect and willful cruelty where
incompetence was not the only fault of the
medical ofticers. Even had the provisions
been rushed to the front by the commissary
branches of the corps then in Cuba, what phy-
2 50 CANNON AND CAMERA.
sician — nay. what schoolboy of fifteen years —
does not know that fihhy greasy pork which
has been salted down for so many years that
the stench escaping when the barrels are
opened is sufficient to act as a strong emetic
on the average individual's stomach, is not
onlv not proper food in the tropics, but is ab-
solutely poisonous under such circumstances?
The crime perpetrated on the American vol-
unteers by a tribe of military contractors who
received from the Administration awards of
large contracts should be avenged. The
conduct of the so-called physicians and sur-
geons who have but a kitchen interest in
their art and profession will react, I fear,
in future responses for volunteers. Let us
hope not.
The men l)rought to Camp WikotY re-
ceived none of the attention and care which
they would have received had they been per-
mitted to join their families and be under the
affection, love, and nursing of mothers,
brothers, fathers, sisters, and friends, instead
of being left to the mercy and ])()llution of
the vultures who would have made less money
had tliev been mustered out promptly or
1-V„, _ „ .^*.^!.:fe»3si^^„
I
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
251
given sixty or even thirty days' furlough, dur-
ing which time the men \voul<l have received
a money equivalent for their rations, and the
poor contractors would have been deprived
of this golden opportunity of making an
" honest dollar."
The wounded and sick were rushed into
tents and improvised hospitals, where they
were under the care of the regimental sur-
geons, instead of wives, and mothers, and sis-
ters, and their food was hard-tack and putrid
pork — until the bounty of private charity
came to their aid. It was then that the Ad-
ministration papers took the opportunity of
trying to show that the Government was fa-
vouring the soldiers with kind treatment,
when it was the kind-hearted American men
and w^omen who happened to visit the camp
for the purpose of aiding, be it ever so little.
Many cases of individual suffering have
reached the ears of the American public, but
many more are recitals of the trials and suffer-
ings of those who were crushed under them
and are now unable to speak since death
robbed them of an opportunity to tell their
woes.
252 CANNON AND CAMERA.
After the press had come to the aid of the
soldiers it was deemed advisaljle bv the au-
thorities to muster the men out at this i)oint.
This was made known in and about the camp
for some days previous to their departure.
Preparations were made to convey the Sev-
enty-first Xew York Regiment down to the
Battery, New York, from which point they
were to march up Broadway to their armory,
there to be dispersed and permitted to go to
their homes, where they were sought. Their
arrival at Long Island City upon the oc-
casion of their trip to Xew York city for
mustering out was in marked contrast to their
departure from this place for the front. When
they arrived at this terminus, the l)oat was in
readiness. There was no twenty-two hours'
wait in a railroad yard, amid the noise and
dirt of the engines and under the direct ravs
of the sun. The boat, I say, was there, but
the meal was provided not by a thankful na-
tion through its ( iovernment, Init by the
spontaneous muniticence of ])rivate charity.
Think of it, heroes! Charity is your re-
ward! Charity the return lo _\'()u for Nour
free offering of life and your rclin(|uish-
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 253
ment of all the comforts and advantages en-
joyed by you in your social sphere in civil
life. When they arrived at Long Island City
the soldiers were met by some of the brave
veterans of the civil war. Glad hands were
extended and grasped on all sides. Al others,
sisters, brothers, fathers, and friends from all
quarters were there to welcome the men.
The trip on the ferryboat Flushing from
the landing at the Long Island depot to the
Battery was as triumphal a sail along the
East River as has been witnessed in the past
decade. The pilots on the river, from those
having charge of a saucy little tug to those
piloting the large Fall River steamers, knew
the character of the " freight " on board this
ferryl^oat, and they showed their feelings by
continuous tooting of whistles. They knew
what these men had suffered and performed,
and they acknowledged the claim on their
gfratitude. Salutes were given to this craft
on all sides. The river shores were lined,
and cheer after cheer, veritable volleys of
joyful sound, went ringing out from both
shores of the river.
Arrived at the Battery, they found such a
30
254
CANNON AND CAMERA.
throng as can gather in Xew \'()rk city only.
No other people would have tolerated the
banging, pushing, and shoving which this cos-
mopolitan crowd withstood in this city on
this occasion. They had waited hour after
hour on the streets to welcome these men, and
a right good welcome they gave the soldiers.
The veterans who stayed at home were gath-
ered at the Battery and drawn up in double
line. Cars were provided to transport the
men along the streets, so as not to tire them
bv a long walk from the Battery to W'averley
Place: ambulances were filled with the sick
and wounded and those unable to march in
the ranks, in order that these men might re-
ceive the same reccj^tion as was accorded to
their fellow-soldiers who had been more for-
tunate in the matter of wounds and illness
than they had.
As thcv ])roceeded u]) Broadway there
was a great disi)lay of bunting froiu every
business house. Men. women, and children
waved the Stars and Stripes with tender feel-
ing for these men, coupled with pride in them.
wliicli was fnll\' warranted and justified.
Thev marche<l up r)roadway to W'averley
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 255
Place, then to Fifth Avenue, then to the
armory of the regiment. This trip, with the
exception of the charge up San Juan hill, was
possi])l_v the protidest moment in Colonel
Downs's life. It was manifestly a reception
most hearty and generous, a reception that a
hero alone is worthy of. His presence in the
front of the regiment, followed by the regi-
mental chaplain looking little the worse for
wear, in deep contrast to his colonel, was
loudly cheered. The greeting encouraged
him so that he looked readv and fit to go
through another such campaign. Let the
critics and those who ])en the history of this
campaign say what they may; let them talk
as they like; let their opinions be put in black
and white, it still remains a fact that the rank
and file of the Seventy-first Regiment, New
York \'olunteers, for whom I can speak per-
sonally, were as brave a lot of fellows as ever
shouldered a rifie. These men returned to
their armory in a sorry condition. Many
were social lights and many such had died
fighting for their country, and had gone to
meet the Great Conmiander. It is a most
significant fact that while these men had
256 CANNON AND CAMERA.
sliowii such fortiliulc and ^allantr}- under
the liar(lshi])s whicli they enchn^ed during
their last (hiys at Santiago, the percentage
of the sick was enormous. Mad this cam-
paign at Santiago been conducted in a sol-
dierl\- manner the^e men would not have
l)een ])ermitted to lie so long in those pits
of disease, the trenches. Something certain-
ly could have been done to alleviate the suf-
ferings, hardships, and inconveniences, to
which not only the men of the Seventy-first
Regiment were sul)iected, hut the entire
Fifth Army C'orjis.
The following letter from my friend the
late luigene Cjoff is worthy of record. It tells
in a plain lunarnished way of the sufferings
of the Seventv-ilrst. It was written with no
view to ])ul)licati()n. and to one who reads
between the lines it means a good deal.
" In niK Field .m:.\r Santi.\(;o dk Cub.\,
" August 4, iSgS.
" Friend Sam: 1 wrote \ou a letter some
time ago. about the 9th or loth of July, 1
think, antf ha\e received no answer as yet.
Still, as I know the mails are \ery uncertain. I
surmise \(iu miuiu not ha\e recei\ed it.
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 257
" My primary motive in writing- this is to
inform you of the sad death of poor Billy
Cheevers. He died on August ist, at abotit
9.30 p. M., after an illness lasting off and on
about twenty-two days. The disease was
fever. He makes the third one in the regi-
ment to go within the last week.
Billy was brave and merry right up to
the last, so much so that we all thought he
would pull through. Gaffney was the man
on watch with him at the last, and Billy's mind
was on military matters almost entirely. He
imagined he was going through the battle
again, and furthermore, for some unaccount-
able reason, thought he was in the old
Twenty-second.
" I tell you, Sam, we have put in a terrible
cam|)aign since the ist. 2n(l, and 3rd of July.
I doubt if there is a man in the outfit who
would not rather go through the din and roar
of actual battle than undergo again the hard-
ships of the last month.
" At least fifty per cent of the regiment
have been down with the fever, some with
mild attacks, others with severe. It was my
fortune to get it quite severely. It com-
238 CANXUX AND CAMERA.
mciiced on the i^tli of last month, and I have
not fully recoxered yet — in fact, don't expect
to until 1 reach the Xorlh (if 1 ever do). For
three alternate days I lay grovelling on the
ground hour after hour, just j^raying^ God to
let nie die. My feelings were something ter-
rible. It was as if 1 were put in a crematc^ry
while alive and the heat turned on. in conjunc-
tion with which my head was s])litting o])en,
and it appeared as if ni)' spine had been
broken. 1 tell yoti it was terrible.
" We are all eagerly awaiting orders to
move awa}- from here, and expect to go inside
of another week. 1 tell you. we are all
pretty well broken up around here. It is
only recently that we have been able to get
anything to eat except the regulation hard-
tack, pork, and cofifec.
" I realize now that if I had stayed with
the old organization my lines would ha\'e
been more ])leasant, but personally 1 do not
regret the step as }et, except in so far as it
])erhaps led to Billy's death, lie was hardly
in a physical condition to withstand the hard-
shi])s ;ni(l xicissitudes of this campaign. He
was \'ery sick at Lakeland. Ma., but ap-
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RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
259
parently recovered. Poor Bill! He is
buried right in front of the American en-
trenchments on the slope of the hill facing
Santiago. Right back of him are the inden-
tations made by Captain Capron's battery.
We acted as their support during the last
bombardment.
" Billy proved himself a brave and fearless
soldier all the way through. He was acting
corporal on July ist, and brought his squad
up on the hill together. He was right with
me when we arrived on the extreme top, and
if I hadn't jumped in front of him at the last
moment would have been the first man in the
regiment to reach the blockhouse. We
were right together throughout, and I really
think that he, Chalfin (an old regular-army
man), and myself fired more deliberate shots
at actual moving Spaniards than all the rest
of the Seventy-first Regiment put together.
I don't say all this boastfully, but to try and
give you some idea of Billy's sterling quali-
ties.
" Decker, of our company, was killed right
alongside of Billy, but he was so intent on his
work that he hardlv knew it. It is all too
26o CANNON AND CAMERA.
had. i can hardly realize it as yet. Well, 1
trust to get North and see you some day.
" Good-hye.
" From Gene Goff."
But to come hack to Canij) W'ikoff: Its
unsanitar}- condition soon hegan to foster
fever, and the neglect of the soldiers in the
hospitals, where they were literally starving —
for they could not eat the coarse fare pro-
vided — raised a storm of indignation through-
out the country. Some of the most outra-
geous evils were rectified, hut Camp W'ikoff,
which was evacuated 1)\ all the Nolnnteer
regiments hy September _'4tli, ])ro\ed the
deathplace of hundreds of hraxe men who
might have been alive to-day had proper care
been given them.
And now my task is hnished. My en-
deavour has been to describe scenes in the
war which I myself witnessed. 1 ha\e not
attem])ted to give a histor\- of the campaign,
but have simply dealt with na\ al and military
events which came within m\- own personal
obscr\-ation. I lia\e felt it ni\- dut\- at times
to criticise quite freely the gross mismanage-
I
RETURN OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. 261
meat which characterized the war from be-
ginning to end, bnt in no case have I l)lamed
withont cause. It is hard to lose dear friends
by the bullets of the enemy, but it is far hard-
er to realize that hundreds perished in our
own camps and transports of starvation and
disease, caused by the criminal negligence
and incompetence of those in charge.
Where is there an American who can read
without righteous indignation the report of
General Sir Herbert Kitchener, the victor of
the campaign in the Soudan just brought to
a triumphal close? The sirdar writes in cor-
dial commendation of the commissarv, medi-
cal, and transport departments and the " ex-
cellent rations which were always provided
and kept the men strong, healthy, and fit to
endure all the hardships of an arduous cam-
paign, enabling them at a critical moment
to support exceptional fatigue, continuous
marching, and fighting for fourteen hours
during the height of a Soudan summer.''
What a shameful contrast is presented by
the ])itiable results of our own campaign!
31
APPENDIX
Hints to Amateur and Professional Photographers.
To the professional and amateur photog-
rapher I wish to say a few words in concluding
my narrative of the events I witnessed in the
war between the United States and Spain. I
wish to say something that every photographer
may derive benefit from. My experience in this
campaign has been quite varied and interesting
from the view point of the photographer. It
was mv first experience of this character, but I
trust it will not be my last. Practical experi-
ence, as all know, is one of the best teachers,
and it is something which a man can not ac-
quire from books. Not only does it give the
method, but it also gives the skill and efficiency.
I do not mean to state that the few suggestions
I am about to give will make a photographer of
one unskilled in the art. A photographer must
necessarily experience these things in order to
263
264
CANNON AND CAMERA.
bccijinc proficient; l)Ul 1 do want tu impart to
my fellow-workers some hints which may pos-
sihlv help them sIkjuM the_\- undertake anything
of this kind. There are man\- older heads in
the profession than mine, and those who have
rendered greater service to the art than I have ;
but, as the old saying goes, there is something
to be learned from every fool and every child,
so possibly there may be something learned
from me.
1 wish to state that, while it is necessary to
have good lenses, good cameras, good plates,
and, in fact, everything good in the line of tools
and imi)lements incidental to the proper practice
of the profession, still there must be something
more than this. The camera is like the gun of
tlie war slii]) : while the gun c 11 d) the deadly-
execution, while slujt and shell are brought to a
state of ])erfection by our skilled artisans, the
man unist be behind the gmi. So it is with the
camera. 1 do not wish to give the impression
that I am iJic only ])hotogra])her: my desire is
sim])l\- to state that 1 consider myself fortunate
in being one of the few ])hotograi)hers who have
had the privilege and opportunity to re])ro(luce
the stirring and spk'udid pictures of this exciting
APPENDIX. 265
time and its incidents which I am proud to have
been a spectator of. I shall recall these scenes
in future and associate them with all ideas of
the life and dash in a man's composition — scenes
which have called a man to his senses in more
than one instance.
To go through a war and depict the scenes
with which one momentarily comes in contact
is to do something for which I can hardly find a
fitting comparison. The life there depicted is
full of trials and tortures, experiences which
would almost rend a man's heart asunder. A
man Ijecomes callous after witnessing the
wonderful exhibitions of exalted courage and
action which mortal man can endure in mo-
ments of martial inspiration. NTo man can go
on a field of battle and witness such things with-
out becoming callous. I do not mean to say
that a man loses all his sympathy, but he tem-
porarily parts with his nicer feelings in the ter-
rible realities that he passes through.
As I have said, it is absolutely necessary to
have good tools with which to do one's work.
When you have these, then you can go ahead
with might and will. Tn the first place, the
kind of climate one finds in Cuba is not at all
266 CANNON AND CAMERA.
favourahlc to the photo.ij^raijluT in the prosecu-
tion of his caUinij. While 1 a(hnit tlie Hi^ht is
ahiiost ])erfect. yet there are drawljacks almost
impossible to overcome. In the earl\- morning
there is a (lam])ness in the atmosphere, which is
apt to make your jilates or films, whichever you
use, useless, and sometimes to render them ab-
solutely worthless. The greatest care nuist be
taken to protect your i)lates and films from this
damp atmosj^here. While I should not advise
everv one to do as I have done (because I have
since seen where my experience taught me some-
thing by which I could in future profit), I would
say that the future photographing of war scenes
will be done with cameras (|uite difTerent from
those I used in this campaign. T have already
laid m\- ])lans and ordered new cameras in an-
tici]:)ation of what history may l)ring forth.
All through this war T carried glass plates in
large c|uantities, and in travelling from i)lace to
])lace 1 found them a very heavy l)urden. They
could not be stowed away in small places or with
the convenience of films, therefore I should ad-
vise that films be used wherever a long journey
is ex])ecte(l. No doul)t glass plates have some
advantages in their genuine lasting (jualities
APPENDIX. 267
which the fihiis do not possess. The support
of the fihii — the ceUuloid — has something very
defective in its composition which has not up to
this time been eradicated, and it afTects the sen-
sitiveness of the fihii, but this, I hope, chem-
ical experts may control or entirely overcome,
in the near future.
To the professional photographer who goes
to the front to depict anything and everything
that may occur I would give the advice to use as
small a camera as possible to render his pic-
ture properly discernible. To go more minutely
into details, I would advise the use of a rapid-
working lens, no matter whose make it may be.
as long as it has that necessary and requisite
property of dealing with a large, plain field, good
depth of focus, and plenty of brilliancy. A lens
that is not exactly a landscape lens, but one be-
tween the two. a lens more on the portrait style,
seems to be more adaptable, as it works with a
larger aperture, and is applicable to all kinds of
work, and we know that portraits and figures
are the most important parts in photographing
such a subject as I have here before me.
A camera not larger than five by seven is
the most convenient to use. If it is adapted for
268 CANNON AND CAMERA.
films as well as plates so much the better. A
camera C(jnverti])le, tu use with either lihiis or
plates, in my opinion is the ideal camera. If
you are j^oinj^ on a short journey I say take
plates and use them, iov the results i;ained will
repay you for the extra labour ycju may perform
in carryini^" them with y<ni. if vou are going on
a long journey, not knowing when you ma}'
return, not knowing where you may go, I should
say the daylight film is the most convenient and
the most popular of the i)resent-day creations.
It is sometimes necessary in going on extended
trips to take a developer along, with which you
can test your film and know what you are work-
ing at ; therefore 1 should advise taking along
a developer made up in j)owder form, by which
you can make a test of each film as you progress.
There is always some ])lace w here this work can
be done.
There may be such a word as " can't." but 1
shall never use it if 1 can ])ossibl\- help. The
old saying, that where there is a will there is a
way, came to me with vivid force during this
campaign. The pictures made nowadays do not
convey to the reader the same romantic s])ecta-
cle that one is accustomed to seek and find in
APPENDIX.
269
past war pictures, for the use of smokeless pow-
der has taken away the effect of clouds of dense
smoke, through portions of which were to be
seen, dimly outlined, the opposing forces and
all the attendant incidents. I imagine that if a
shutter can be made fast enough to take the bul-
lets as they whiz through the air, then war scenes
mav again become very vivid, picturesqtte, and
romantic. lUit can we ever expect this?
Think, you photographers. Just think for a
moment. Think of the rate at which these little
missives of death can travel. This is. of course,
but a dream, as we know it will never happen,
but we know there must be something that will
give that vividness and reality which the ab-
sence of smoke now deprives. I found that
while I was exposed to the dangers of the bul-
lets and the breaking of shells around me my
work kept me preocctipied ; that I reallv forgot
in a great many instances that I was on the
field of battle.
It has been said of the gallant men who fight
on the line that they forget the danger when
they once commence their work, and I positively
believe such is the case. A man gets to work,
and if he is in earnest I reallv think he forgets
270 CANNON AND CAMERA.
ever}tliin,<4" around liini and is \vrap]jcd up in
the results wliicli he has taken sucli chances to
gain. While every picture a man should take
under these circumstances mii^ht not he a work
of art, still it is possible to change position and
get a variety of pictures. It is one's duty to
depict that which seems to he the best. There-
fore a selection of sul)jects will cause you less
annoyance when you come to develop, and
find you have no repetitions. If you study your
pictures you will find that you can ])ortray many
more scenes and incidents with half as much
work than if you went into the field without any
certain plan.
While I can not say that I long to see an-
other war, yet I have a craving to go and do
again what I think T could now do better.
Should a chance present itself in future for me to
do what I have done in the past, I think I could
do myself, and the profession in general, more
credit than T have hitherto.
1 lie camera of which T think a great deal
will be heard in future in i)hotographing battle
scenes and stirring pictures of troops in action
will be a camera likened luito the moving-lens
camera, a camera of which one might sav it
APPENDIX. 271
looks behind you. It is a camera which will
take in a field of from one hundred and fifty to
one hundred and sixty degrees. These cameras
will be so made and adapted in time to come
that they will be used in the hand, as my own
camera is now, and will portray from one side to
the other, including-, as I said before, a large
and extensive angle. I can not go into details,
as I have not fully developed the idea. This
will I)e the camera I shall use in the future
should I ever have the opportunity.
I trust in these few suggestions that some-
thing may be found to help my brothers and sis-
ters — for has not this glorious art been taken
up bv women with all the enthusiasm and pride
which they infuse into all their undertakings?
It is not the professional who does so much
for the art, or who has done so much in the
past for photography, for the professional looks
to but the dollar-and-cents end. It is the ama-
teur to whom we must look for improvements;
his aim is to do something which has not yet
been done, for he has time to do it. Therefore
we have to thank the amateur for several praise-
worthy improvements.
I trust this little work may be of some value
272
CANNON AND CAMERA.
to the rccuki" iiitcrcstcd in lliis branch of pho-
tography, and thai the ilhistrations herein will
be judged from the conditions under which they
were made.
J. C. He.m.ment.
INDEX
Adams, W. Lincoln, intioduc-
tion by.
Almirante Oquendo, Spanish
war ship, 210, 218.
Ambushes of Cuban and
Spanish pickets, 122.
Appendix, hints to amateur
and professional photogra-
phers, 262 et seq.
Arkell, W. J., 10.
Arrolas. General. 29.
Art under difficulties, gS et
seq.
Asarradero, 214.
Baiquiri, 80.
Balloon, war, 135, 145.
Barb-wire fences, 120.
Barton, Miss Clara, 79.
Birds, calls of, use 1 as signals
by Spaniards, 120.
Blockading squadron
105.
Blue, Lieutenant, 218.
Board of inquiry, 25.
Bombardment of Morro Cas
tie, Santiago, 107 et seq.
70.
Brooklyn, flagship of Admi-
ral Schley, 208, 212.
Brummell, 247.
Bull, of Harvard, Rough Rid-
er, 244.
Bullets, stray, execution by,
179.
Bullfights, 27, 2g.
Cabaiia, 4.
Cabarellos, 20.
Camei-a, 62, 65, 200.
Camp Black, 41-44 ; drills of
recruits at, 47 ; discipline
at, 51 ; unsanitary condi-
tion of, 52.
Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point,
237 ; landing of troops at,
23S ; insufficient shelter for
sick and wounded at, 239;
Rough Riders arrive at,
241 ; arrival of Seventy-first
at, 250 ; neglect and suffer-
ing at, 251 ; unsanitary con-
dition of, 260 ; evacuation
of, by volunteers, 260.
Cape de Verde fleet, destruc-
273
274
CANNON AND CAMERA.
lion of, by American fleet,
212.
Capron, Captain, 87, 259.
Caribbean Sea, roughness of,
71-
Cartridge pudding, 131.
Cervcra, Admiral, 39, 109,
206, 20g ; destruction of his
fleet, 206 et seq.
Chadwick, Captain, 24.
"Chang" pie, 131.
Cheevers, Private William,
48 ; deatli of, from fever,
257-
Chickamauga, camp at, 53,
57 ; departure of transports
from, 60.
Chidwick, Father, chaplain of
the Maine, 25, 29.
Chills and fever, 175.
Cristobal Colon, Spanish war
ship, 212.
Clark, Captain, in command
of Sylvia, 69.
Clothing, list of, taken by au-
thor, 64.
Cocoanuts, 132.
Colon Cemetery, Havana, 26.
Coloured troops, jollity of,
58 ; bravery of, 165 ; bold
attack on .Spanish trenches,
i6g.
Converse, Captain, in com-
mand of Montgomery, 21,
Cowardice, Spanish sailors
shot Ijy their officers for,
Creedmoor, rifle ranges at, 48.
Creelman, James, correspond-
ent, 112, 113 ; bravery and
wound of, at El Caney, 171,
225.
Crowninshield, Captain, com-
mander of Maine, succeed-
by Captain Sigsbee, 3.
Crystal Spring Hotel, Kings-
ton, Jamaica, 67.
Cuban soldiers, 30 ; sickness
and starvation of, 31 ; sad
condition of, at Siboney,
80, 84 ; Spanish sympa-
thizers among, 174; Span-
ish sailors in sea >hot by,
214.
Custom house, Havana, 6;
spies from, 36; bribery of
ofhcials of, 37.
Dark room, 35, 100.
Decker, Private, killed before
.Santiago, 259.
Disguises of Spanish and Cu-
ban pickets, 115, 122.
Divers on wreck of Maine,
23 ; body of Lieutenant
Jenkins recovered by, 24.
Downs, Colonel, of Seventy-
first Regiment, 255.
Corsair, yacht. See (;U)uces- j Edwards, Colonel, 241.
ter. I El Caney, charge at, 164 (-/j-fV/.;
INDEX.
275
capture of, 165 ; bravery of
Spanish officer at, 167 ; suf-
fering and starvation of Cu-
ban refugees at, 176 ; sur-
render of blockhouse near,
200.
El Pozo, violent storm at,
92, 144 ; old fort at, 146,
153-
Engineer Corps, good work
of, at Siboney, TJ^
Eulate, Captain, in command
of Viscaya, 208, 209, 211.
First Cavalry, 237.
Fish, Hamilton, 224.
Flag, American. See Stars
and Stripes.
Flag, Cuban, presented by
General Garcia to Mr.
Hearst, 83.
Flag, Spanish, 7 ; shot from
ramparts of Morro, 109.
Flushing, ferryboat, 253.
Follaiisbee, J., member of
expedition, 66, 13S, 144,
146, 172 ; captures Spanish
soldiers, 173.
Forty-seventh Regiment, New-
York Volunteers, 44.
Fourteenth Regiment, New
York Volunteers, 44.
Furor, Spanish torpedo boat,
210, 211.
Gadalia, Seilor, 30.
Garcia, General, arrival of, at
Siboney, 80 ; visit to, 80 ;
co-operates with General
Shafter's forces, 81 ; pre-
sents Cuban flag to Mr.
Hearst, 83 ; photographed
in group with Mr. Creel -
man, 83 ; departure of, from
Siboney, 85.
Gloucester, formerly yacht
Corsair, chases Pluton and
Terror ashore, 211.
GoiT, Sergeant Eugene W.,
48, 50 ; letter from, 256.
Gonzalez, Senor, 30.
Government, United States,
instructions fro.-n, to photo-
graph Maine, 3.
(heenway, "Yale," Rough
Rider, 243.
Grimes, battery of, 95 ; in ac-
tion, 148, 149.
Guantanamo, 74, 114; our
troops surprised at, 117,
130, 134.
Guerilla warfare of Cubans
and Spaniards, 118.
Hard-tack sandwiches, 131.
Havana, the land sharks of.
6 ; making photographs
along water front of, 11 ;
rowdyism at, 12 ; departure
from, 39.
Hearst, W. R., proprietor of
New York Journal, 62 ;
charters Sylvia, 65, 66 ;
visits Admiral Sampson, 71,
76
CANNON' AND CAMERA.
144, 146, 172 ; tako Sjiaiii>li
sailors prisoners, 220.
Hemment, j. C, arrives at
Havana, 4 ; consults Cap-
tain Sigsbee and Consul-
( Icneral Lee, 9, 10 ; insulted
t)y Spanish volunteers, 12,
14 ; arrested for pholo-
giaphing Fort I'unta, 18;
escape by subterfuge, 19 ;
boards and photographs
cruisei' Montgomery, 22 ;
photographs Maine wreck,
23 ; visits Colon Cemetery,
26 ; photographs bullfight,
29 ; investigates reconcen-
trados with .Senator Proctor,
30 ; bribes custom-house
oflicial>, 37 ; leaves Havana,
39 ; visits Camp Black and
camp at Chickamauga, 40 c'/
sc(]. ; packs up for Cuban
expedition, 62 ; sails on
Sylvia, 66 ; touches at
Kingston, Jamaica, 67 ; ar-
rives off Santiago de Cuba,
70; visits Admiral Sampson
and (leneral Shafter, 73, 74 ;
lands at Silioney, 76 ; visits
( "leneral Garcia, 80 ; follows
on General Shafter's trail,
S7 ; photographs graves of
Rough Riders, 88 ; rings a
bell at fort near El Pozo
and arouses the Cubans, 93 ;
photographs Santiago from
the top of a tall tree, 95 ;
ililticulties in Sylvia'> dark
room, 99 ; sends photo-
graphs to New York from
Port Antonio, 103 ; witness-
es bombardment of Morro,
106 et seq. ; visits Edward
Marshall on Olivette, in ;
among the Cuban pickets,
114 ct scq.; studies the
campaign mule, 124; visits
camps of regulars and vol-
unteers, 130 ; watches siege
of Santiago, 149 ; among
the killed and wounded,
153 ; bandages a wounded
soldier, 159 ; the Seventy-
first in action, 161 ; wit-
nesses attack on El C"aney,
164 ; fierce fight in the
trenches, 169 ; difficulty in
making photographs, 171 :
suffering of our soldiers at
El Caiiey, 175 ; with Roose-
velt's Rough Riders, 179;
photographs operating tents,
186; sad scenes among the
wounded, 18S ; buries and
pravs over dead -oldier, 192 ;
fired at bv sharpsliooters,
197 ; in the trenches with
the troops, 203 ; sees the
destruction of Cervera's
fleet, 206 et seq. ; photo-
graphs stranded vessels,
218 ^/ seq. ; meets Lieuten-
ant Hobson, 228; ]ihoto-
graph> return of the Rough
INDEX.
277
Riders, 242 ; meets old
friends at Camp WikofF,
243 ; a few last words, 261 ;
useful hints to photogra-
phers, 262 et seq.
Heroism of American soldiers,
178.
Hill, Bill, famous mule packer,
127.
Hobson, Lieutenant, 109, 202,
206, 227, 228.
Holzer, Father Chid wick's
assistant, 26, 27.
Hospital, First Division, 164,
175, 185 ; operating tents
photographed, 186.
Illinois volunteers, 77.
Indiana, United States war
ship, 107.
Iowa, United States war ship,
107.
Jenkins, Lieutenant, officer on
Maine, i, 2 ; recovery of body
of, from wreck, 24.
Jersey City, inadequacy of
transportation to, 58.
Jim, J. C. Hemment's assist-
ant, 136, 186; grazed by
Mauser bullet, 199.
Jones, Chaplain, fired at while
burying soldiers, 118.
Journal headquarters at Sibo-
ney, 136 ; used as a hos-
pital, 137.
32
Kane, Lieutenant Woodbury,
Rough Rider, 48, 244.
Key West, camp at, 53 ; mis
management at, 59.
Kingston, Jamaica, 66-68, 70.
Kitchener, General Sir Her-
bert, 261.
Knobloch, the brothers, 244.
Land crabs, 137.
Larned, Rough Rider, 48, 244.
Las Guasimas, where Rough
Riders fought, 88, 120, 141,
143-
Lawton, General, battery un-
der, in action, i6g.
Lee, Fitzhugh, American con-
sul general at Havana, 10,
18, 41.
Lesser, Dr , of the Red Cross
Society, 79.
Letter writing in camp, oddi-
ties of, 133.
Logan, Mrs. John A., at Camp
Wikoff. 242.
Long Island City, suffering of
troops at, 54.
Long, Secretary, of the navy,
3-
Machina. See Custom house.
Maine, United States warship,
blown up in Havana har-
bour, I, 4, 5, 24, 25, 35.
Mangoes, soldiers forbidden
to eat, 132.
Maria Teresa, Admiral Cerve-
278
CANNON AND CAMERA.
ra's llag^^hip, 210, 211, 220 ;
havoc aboard, 221 ; relics
from, 222, 226 ; floated and
towed to Guanlanaino Bay,
228.
Marix, Lieutenant-Command-
er, judge advocate on board
of inquiry, 24, 25.
Marshall, Edward, corre-
spondent, wounded at Las
Guasimas, iii, 112, 225.
Massachusetts, United States
war ship, 107.
Massachusetts, volunteers
from, 77.
Matanzas, 30, 32.
Mauser bullets, 157, 175, 184.
McKinley, President, calls for
volunteers, 41, 44.
Medical sup])lics, list of, taken
by author, 63.
Miami, transport, arrival of, at
Montauk Point with Rough
Riders, 241.
Mike, interpreter at Havana,
17, 18.
Miles, General, 229 ; consults
with Shafter, 229 ; demands
surrender of Santiago from
General Toral, 233 ; gains
surrender, 234.
Miley, Lieutenant, 90.
Military mismanagement, 237.
Montauk I'oint as acamp site,
236.
Montgomery, American war
ship, 16, 20, 21, 23.
Morro Castle, Havana, 4, 16.
Morro Castle, Santiago, bom-
bardment of, 107.
Mosquitoes, 8, 137.
Mule, the, in the campaign,
1246'/^-^^, 125, 129, 138.
Naval Militia of New York,
return and parade of, 239 ;
splendid condition of, 240.
New Orleans, United States
war ship, 70.
New York, Admiral Samp-
son's flagship, 72 ; directs
the bombardment of Morro,
loS.
Ninth Regiment, 142.
"Old Glor)'." See Stars and
Stripes.
Olivette, hospital ship of Red
Cross Society, 79, 112.
Operating tents photo-
graphed, 1 86.
Oquendo, Spanish war ship.
See Almirante Oquendo.
Oregon, United States war
ship, 108, 213,
Pancoast, G., member of ex-
pedition, 66.
Pasaje Hotel, 6-8, 34.
Philip, Captain, of Texas,
107.
Photographers, hints to ama-
teur and professional, 262
et seq.
INDEX.
279
Photographic supplies, 3, 62,
136.
Photographs of Maine wreck
fix the blame on the Span-
ish, 25 ; first prints of, sent
to United States, 103 ; of
operating tents, 186 ; diffi-
culty of making, during bat-
tle, 171.
Pickets, Cuban, among the,
114 et seq., iig.
Pickets, Spanish, disguises
and ambushes of, 115 ; imi-
tate calls of birds as signals,
120.
Pifiar del Rio, 30.
Playa, headquarters of Gen.
Shafter at, 89, 91, 137, 143.
Pluton, Spanish torpedo boat,
driven ashore by the Glou-
cester, 211.
Polo ponies, purchase of, at
Kingston, 68.
Port Antonio, Jamaica, 103,
226.
Potter, Commander, on board
of inquiry, at Havana, 24.
Powelson, Ensign, United
States Navy, testifies on
Maine explosion before
board of inquiiy at Havana,
24.
Printing press on Sylvia, 66.
Prisoners, Spanish, scared by
camera, 200 ; arraigned be-
fore General Shafter, 202 ;
taken by Mr. Hearst and
transferred to the St. Louis,
220.
Proctor, Senator, investiga-
tion of condition of recon-
centrados by, 30.
Punta, Fort, in Havana har-
bour, where author was ar-
rested, 16.
Red Cross Society, hospital
ship of, 79, 158 ; aids killed
by sharpshooters, 160 ; great
strain on capacity of, 185.
Refugees, Cuban, 139 ; apa-
thy of, 140 ; suffering and
starvation of, at El Caney,
176, 177.
Regulars, American, bravery
of Ninth and Twenty-third
Regiments, 88 ; assist the
author to take photographs,
89.
Resolute, naval steamship, for-
merly Ward liner Vorktown,
213.
Rio Tarquino, 212.
Robustiano, Spanish boatman
at Havana, 21.
Roe, General, in command at
Camp Black, 44.
Roosevelt, Colonel Theodore,
bravery of, 1 79 ; encourages
his Rough Riders, 180 ; in-
cident at Fort Hamilton, 180;
protest by, against army re-
maining in Cuba, 236 ; arriv-
al of, at Montauk Point, 241.
28o
CANNON AND CAMERA.
Rough Riders, graves of, 141
179 ; splendid organization
of, 182; return home of the,
236.
Sailors, Spanish, shot in sea
by Cubans, 214 ; taken pris-
oners by Mr. Hearst, 220;
shot by tiieir officers for
cowardice, 222.
St. Louis, naval despatch boat,
220.
Sampson, Admiral, on board
of inquiry at Havana, 24,
72 ; at Siboney when Cer-
vera's fleet dashed out of
Santiago, 208.
Sanitary precautions, neglect
of, 176.
San Juan, Cuban outpost near,
93-
Santiago de Cuba, 70; photo-
graph from tree, 95 ; siege
of, 135 et scq. ; surrender
of, 229 et seq.
Schley, Admiral, directs de-
struction of Cervera's fleet
from flagshi]) IJrooklyn, 208.
Seasickness, 3 ; as a prevent-
ive of fever, 102.
Seguranca, steamship, 3 ; (ien-
eral Shafter's headquarters
aboard, 73, 74.
Seventy-first Regiment, New
York Volunteers, arrival of,
at Camp Black, 42 ; landing
of, at Siboney, 77, 142 ; in a
hot engagement, 161 ; gal-
lantry of, 163 ; arrival of, at
Montauk Point, 248 ; bad
treatment of, at Camp
Wikoff, 251 ; departure of,
from Camp Wikoff, 254 ;
warm reception and parade
in New York, 256.
Shafter, General, aboard Se-
guranca, 73 ; visit to, 74 ;
physi ;al unfitness of, for
campaign, 75 ; gives per-
mission to enter lines, 76 ;
requests co-operation of
General Garcia, 81 ; Hem-
ment, in pursuit of, 87 ; re-
connoissance by, 90 ; pho-
tograph of, while halting at
stream, 91 ; headquarters
of, 144 ; headquarters of,
fired on by Spanish sharp-
shooters, 194 ; indisposition
of, 195 ; Spanish prisoners
arraigned before, 202 ; con-
sults with General Miles,
229.
Sharpshooters, Spanish, kill
Red Cross aids, 160 ; fire
from steeple, 166 ; dislodged
by colored troopers, 167 ; in
action, 194 ct seq. ; fire on
Shafter's headquarters, 194 ;
dislodged by Fifth Artiller}',
195.
Shrapnel, Spanish, 148, 153,
158, 179.
Siboney, 73 ; landing of troops
INDEX.
281
at, 76 ; repulse of Spaniards
at, 77 ; hospital headquar-
ters at, 79, 143, 226.
Sigsbee, Captain, succeeds
Captain Crowninshield in
command of Maine, 3, y, 25.
Simpson, tug, 73.
Sixteenth Regiment, 142.
Soldiers, Spanish regular,
brutality and licentiousness
of> 31 ; ignorance and lack
of discipline of, 32 ; coward-
ice of, on train, 33.
Spanish officer, bravery of, at
El Caney, 167
Stars and Stripes, 21, 39 ;
Spanish prisoners cheer, 225.
Sugar house near San Juan,
1-45-
Sunstroke, wagon driver af-
fected by, 186.
Suwanee, naval vessel, iii,
21S.
Sylvia, ocean steamsliip, char-
tered by Mr. Hearst, 65 ;
touches at Kingston, Jamai-
ca, 66 ; boarded by officer
from New Orleans, 70 ;
leaves Siboney for Port An-
tonio, 99 ; difficult work in
dark room of, 100 ; arrival
of, at Port Antonio, 103 ;
zecil of crew of, 104 ; in
thick of naval attack on
Morro Castle, no ; ordered
out of danger, in ; wit-
nesses destruction of Cer-
vera's ileet, 209 ; Spanish
prisoners transferred from,
to the St. Louis, 220 ;
wounded correspondents
Creelman and Marshall
conveyed on board of, 225.
Tampa, camp at, 53.
Telegram, characteristic, from
Rough Rider to his girl, 246.
Tenting, Cuban method of,
131-
Texas, United States war ship,
107, 213, 225.
Thirty-second Regiment
(Michigan), 77.
Tiffany, Sergeant William,
Rough Rider, 246.
Transports, abuses on, 60.
Trenches, life in, 203, 204.
Twenty-fourth Regiment, 142.
Vesuvius, United States war
ship, shelling of Morro
Castle, Santiago, by, 108.
Viscaya, Spanish war ship,
208, 211 ; wreck of, photo-
graphed, 215 ; havoc
wrought on, by American
shells, 216.
Vixen, United States steam-
ship, III, 213.
Volunteers, American, frater-
nize with regulars, 56.
Volunteers, Spanish, 8 ; fe-
rocity of, 12 ; hated by Cu-
bans, 13-15.
282
CANNON AND CAMERA.
Vultures prey on dead, 175,
197, 214.
Wadsworth, Craig, Rough
Rider, 244.
Wainwright, Lieutenant-Com-
mander, executive officer of
Maine, 10.
Water, tested for poison, 13J.
Watson, Commodore, pro-
posed expedition of, to
Spain, 240.
Wheeler, General, 241.
Wikoff. See Camp WikofF.
Wingate, General, 48.
Wood, Major, 185.
Wounded, American, suffer-
ing of, at EI Caney, 176 ; no
stimulants for, 187 ; hard
fare of, 188 ; neglect of,
near San Juan, 189 ; shot
by comrades, 190 ; heroism
of, 192.
Wrenn, Rough Rider, 48, 244.
Yankee, United States steam-
er, formerly Morgan liner
El Norte, 239.
Yorktown, steamship. See
Resolute.
\'oung. General, 139, 242.
Yucatan, steamship, 39, 40.
THE END.
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