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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