adventures and letters-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


picnic　that　ever　happened；　you　wouldn't　credit　the　mistakes　that　are　made。　　It　is　worse　than　the　French　at　Sedan　a　million　times。　　We　are　just　amateurs　at　war　and　about　like　the　Indians　Columbus　discovered。　　I　am　exceedingly　pleased　with　myself　at　taking　it　so　good　naturedly。　　I　would　have　thought　I　would　have　gone　mad　or　gone　home　long　ago。　　Bonsal　and　Remington　threaten　to　go　every　minute。　　Miles　tells　me　we　shall　have　to　wait　until　those　cruisers　are　located　or　bottled　up。　　I'm　tired　of　bottling　up　fleets。　　I　like　the　way　Dewey　bottles　them。　　What　a　story　that　would　have　made。　　Twenty…six　transports　with　as　many　thousand　men　sunk　five　miles　out　and　two…thirds　of　them　drowned。　　Remember　the　Maine　indeed！　they'd　better　remember　the　Main　and　brace　up。　　If　we　wait　until　they　catch　those　boats　I　may　be　here　for　another　month　as　we　cannot　dare　go　away　for　long　or　far。　　If　we　decide　to　go　with　a　convoy　which　is　what　we　ought　to　do；　we　may　start　in　a　day　or　two。　　Nothing　you　read　in　the　papers　is　correct。　　Did　I　tell　you　that　Miles　sent　Dorst　after　me　the　other　night　and　made　me　a　long　speech；　saying　he　thought　I　had　done　so　well　in　refusing　the　commission。　　I　was　glad　he　felt　that　way　about　it。　　Well；　lots　of　love。　　I'm　now　going　to　take　a　bath。　　God　bless　you；　this　is　a　〃merry　war。〃

RICHARD。


In　sight　of　Santiago　June　26th；　1898。　DEAR　CHAS。：

We　have　come　to　a　halt　here　in　a　camp　along　the　trail　to　Santiago。　　You　can　see　it　by　climbing　a　hill。　　Instead　of　which　I　am　now　sitting　by　a　fine　stream　on　a　cool　rock。　　I　have　discovered　that　you　really　enjoy　things　more　when　you　are　not　getting　many　comforts　than　you　do　when　you　have　all　you　want。　　That　sounds　dull　but　it　is　most　consoling。　　I　had　a　bath　this　morning　in　these　rocks　that　I　would　not　have　given　up　for　all　the　good　dinners　I　ever　had　at　the　Waldorf；　or　the　Savoy。　　It　just　went　up　and　down　my　spine　and　sent　thrills　all　over　me。　　It　is　most　interesting　now　and　all　the　troubles　of　the　dull　days　of　waiting　at　Tampa　and　that　awful　time　on　the　troopship　are　over。　　The　army　is　stretched　out　along　the　trail　from　the　coast　for　six　miles。　　Santiago　lies　about　five　miles　ahead　of　us。　　I　am　very　happy　and　content　and　the　book　for　Scribners　ought　to　be　an　interesting　one。　　It　is　really　very　hard　that　my　despatches　are　limited　to　100　words　for　there　are　lots　of　chances。　　The　fault　lies　with　the　army　people　at　Washington；　who　give　credentials　to　any　one　who　asks。　　To　The　Independent　and　other　periodicalsin　no　sense　newspapers；　and　they　give　seven　to　one　paper；　consequently　we　as　a　class　are　a　pest　to　the　officers　and　to　each　other。　　Fortunately；　the　survival　of　the　fittest　is　the　test　and　only　the　best　men　in　every　sense　get　to　the　front。　　There　are　fifty　others　at　the　base　who　keep　the　wire　loaded　with　rumors；　so　when　after　great　difficulty　we　get　the　correct　news　back　to　Daiquire　a　Siboney　there　is　no　room　for　it。　　Some　of　the　〃war　correspondents〃　have　absolutely　nothing　but　the　clothes　they　stand　in；　and　the　others　had　to　take　up　subscriptions　for　them。　　They　gambled　all　the　time　on　the　transports　and　are　ensconced　now　at　the　base　with　cards　and　counters　and　nothing　else。　　Whitney　has　turned　out　great　at　the　work　and　I　am　glad　he　is　not　on　a　daily　paper　or　he　would　share　everything　with　me。　　John　Fox；　Whitney　and　I　are　living　on　Wood's　rough　riders。　　We　are　very　welcome　and　Roosevelt　has　us　at　　Headquarters　but；　of　course；　we　see　the　men　we　know　all　the　time。　You　get　more　news　with　the　other　regiments　but　the　　officers；　even　the　Generals；　are　such　narrow　minded　slipshod　men　that　we　only　visit　them　to　pick　up　information。　　Whitney　and　I　were　the　only　correspondents　that　saw　the　fight　at　Guasimas。　　He　was　with　the　regulars　but　I　had　the　luck　to　be　with　Roosevelt。　　He　is　sore　but　still　he　saw　more　than　any　one　else　and　is　proportionally　happy。　　Still　he　naturally　would　have　liked　to　have　been　with　our　push。　　We　were　within　thirty　yards　of　the　Spaniards　and　his　crowd　were　not　nearer　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　which　was　near　enough　as　they　had　nearly　as　many　killed。　　Gen。　Chaffee　told　me　to…day　that　it　was　Wood's　charge　that　won　the　day；　without　it　the　tenth　could　not　have　driven　the　Spaniards　back　Wood　is　a　great　young　man；　he　has　only　one　idea　or　rather　all　his　ideas　run　in　one　direction；　his　regiment；　he　eats　and　talks　nothing　else。　　He　never　sleeps　more　than　four　hours　and　all　the　rest　of　the　time　he　is　moving　about　among　the　tents　Between　you　and　me　and　the　policeman；　it　was　a　very　hot　time　Maybe　if　I　drew　you　a　map　you　would　understand　why。

Wood　and　Gen。　Young；　by　agreement　the　night　before　and　without　orders　from　anybody　decided　to　advance　at　daybreak　and　dislodge　the　Spaniards　from　Las　Guasimas。　　They　went　by　two　narrow　trails　single　file；　the　two　trails　were　along　the　crests　of　a　line　of　hills　with　a　valley　between。　　The　dotted　line　is　the　trail　we　should　have　taken　had　the　Cubans　told　us　it　existed；　if　we　had　done　so　we　would　have　had　the　Spaniards　in　the　frontband　rear　as　General　Young　would　have　caught　them　where　they　expected　him　to　come；　and　we　would　have　caught　them　where　they　were　not　looking　for　us。　　Of　course；　the　Cubans　who　are　worthless　in　every　way　never　told　us　of　this　trail　until　we　had　had　the　meeting。　　No　one　knew　we　were　near　Spaniards　until　both　columns　were　on　the　place　where　the　two　trails　meet。　　Then　our　scouts　came　back　and　reported　them　and　the　companies　were　scattered　out　as　you　see　them　in　the　little　dots。　　The　Spaniards　were　absolutely　hidden　not　over　25　per　cent　of　the　men　saw　one　of　them　for　two　hours　I　ran　out　with　the　company　on　the　right　of　the　dotted　line；　marked　〃our　position。〃　　I　thought　it　was　a　false　alarm　and　none　of　us　believed　there　were　any　Spaniards　this　side　of　Santiago。　　The　ground　was　covered　with　high　grass　and　cactus　and　vines　so　that　you　could　not　see　twenty　feet　ahead；　the　men　had　to　beat　the　vines　with　their　carbines　to　get　through　them。　　We　had　not　run　fifty　yards　through　the　jungle　before　they　opened　on　us　with　a　quick　firing　gun　at　a　hundred　yards。　　I　saw　the　enemy　on　the　hill　across　the　valley　and　got　six　sharp　shooters　and　began　on　them；　then　the　fire　got　so　hot　that　we　had　to　lie　on　our　faces　and　crawl　back　to　the　rear。　　I　had　a　wounded　man　to　carry　and　was　in　a　very　bad　way　because　I　had　sciatica；　Two　of　his　men　took　him　off　while　I　stopped　to　help　a　worse　wounded　trooper；　but　I　found　he　was　dead。　　When　I　had　come　back　for　him　in　an　hour；　the　vultures　had　eaten　out　his　eyes　and　lips。　　In　the　meanwhile　a　trooper　stood　up　on　the　crest　with　a　guidon　and　waved　it　at　the　opposite　trail　to　find　out　if　the　firing　there　was　from　Spaniards　or　Len　Young's　negroes。　　He　was　hit　in　three　places　but　established　the　fact　that　Young　was　up　on　the　trail　on　our　right　across　the　valley　for　they　cheered。　　He　was　a　man　who　had　run　on　the　Gold　Ticket　for　Congress　in　Arizona；　and　consequently；　as　some　one　said；　naturally　should　have　led　a　forlorn　hope。　　A　blackguard　had　just　run　past　telling　them　that　Wood　was　killed　and　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　Siboney　for　reinforcements。　　That　was　how　the　report　spread　that　we　were　cut　to　pieces　A　reporter　who　ran　away　from　Young's　column　was　responsible　for　the　story　that　I　was　killed。　　He　meant　Marshall　who　was　on　the　left　of　the　line　and　who　was　shot　through　the　spine　There　was　a　lot　of　wounded　at　the　base　and　the　fighting　in　front　was　fearful　to　hear。　　It　was　as　fast　as　a　hard　football　match　and　you　must　remember　it　lasted　two　full　hours；　during　that　time　the　men　were　on　their　feet　all　the　time　or　crawling　on　their　hands　Not　one　of　them；　with　the　exception　of　；　and　a　Sergeant　who　threw　away　his　gun　and　ran；　went　a　step　back。　　It　was　like　playing　blindman's　buff　and　you　were　it。　　I　got　separated　once　and　was　scared　until　I　saw　the　line　again；　as　my　leg　was　very　bad　and　I　could　not　get　about　over　the　rough　ground。　　I　went　down　the　trail　and　I　found　Capron　dying　and　the　whole　place　littered　with　discarded　blankets　and　haversacks。　　I　also　found　Fish　and　pulled　him　under　coverhe　was　quite　dead　Then　I　borrowed　a　carbine　and　joined　Capron's　troop；　a　second　lieutenant　and　his　Sergeant　were　in　command。　　The　man　next　me　in　line　got　a　bullet　through　his　sleeve　and　one　through　his　shirt　and　you　could　see　where　it　wen