askedhispermissiontoleadthecharge。Heorderedmetodoso，andthistimeawaywewent，andstormedtheSpanishintrenchments。Therewassomeclosefighting，andwetookafewprisoners。WealsocapturedtheSpanishprovisions，andatethemthatnightwithgreatrelish。Oneoftheitemswassaltedflying-fish，bytheway。Therewerealsobottlesofwine，andjugsoffieryspirit，andassoonaspossibleI
hadthesebroken，althoughnotbeforeoneortwoofmymenhadtakentoomuchliquor。LieutenantHowze，oftheregulars，anaideofGeneralSumner’s，broughtmeanordertohaltwhereIwas；hecouldnotmakeuphismindtoreturnuntilhehadspentanhourortwowithusunderfire。TheSpaniardsattemptedacounter-attackinthemiddleoftheafternoon，butweredrivenbackwithouteffort，ourmenlaughingandcheeringastheyrosetofire；becausehithertotheyhadbeenassaultingbreastworks，orlyingstillunderartilleryfire，andtheyweregladtogetachancetoshootattheSpaniardsintheopen。Welayonourarmsthatnightandasweweredrenchedwithsweat，andhadnoblanketssaveafewwetookfromthedeadSpaniards，wefoundeventhetropicnightchillybeforemorningcame。
Duringtheafternoon’sfighting，whileIwasthehighestofficeratourimmediatepartofthefront，CaptainsBoughtonandMortonoftheregularcavalry，twoasfineofficersasanymancouldwishtohavebesidehiminbattle，camealongthefiringlinetotellmethattheyhadheardarumorthatwemightfallback，andthattheywishedtorecordtheiremphaticprotestagainstanysuchcourse。Ididnotbelievetherewasanytruthintherumor，fortheSpaniardswereutterlyincapableofanyeffectivecounter-attack。However，lateintheevening，afterthefight，GeneralWheelervisitedusatthefront，andhetoldmetokeepmyselfinreadiness，asatanymomentitmightbedecidedtofallback。JackGreenwaywasbesidemewhenGeneralWheelerwasspeaking。Ianswered，“Well，General，Ireallydon’tknowwhetherwewouldobeyanordertofallback。Wecantakethatcitybyarush，andifwehavetomoveoutofhereatallIshouldbeinclinedtomaketherushintherightdirection。”Greenwaynoddedaneagerassent。TheoldGeneral，afteramoment’spause，expressedhisheartyagreement，andsaidthathewouldseethattherewasnofallingback。
Hehadbeenverysickforacoupleofdays，but，sickashewas，hemanagedtogetintothefight。Hewasagamecockifevertherewasone，buthewasinverybadphysicalshapeonthedayofthefight。Iftherehadbeenanyoneinhighcommandtosuperviseandpresstheattackthatafternoon，wewouldhavegonerightintoSantiago。Inmypartofthelinetheadvancewashaltedonlybecausewereceivedordersnottomoveforward，buttostayonthecrestofthecapturedhillandholdit。
Wearealwaystoldthatthree-o’clock-in-the-morningcourageisthemostdesirablekind。Well，mymenandtheregularsofthecavalryhadjustthatbrandofcourage。Ataboutthreeo’clockonthemorningafterthefirstfight，shootingbeganinourfrontandtherewasanalarmofaSpanishadvance。Iwasnevermorepleasedthantoseethewayinwhichthehungry，tired，shabbymenalljumpedupandranforwardtothehill-crest，soastobereadyfortheattack；which，however，didnotcome。AssoonasthesunrosetheSpaniardsagainopeneduponuswithartillery。AshellburstbetweenDaveGoodrichandmyself，blackinguswithpowder，andkillingandwoundingseveralofthemenimmediatelybehindus。