deployedtherest，makingthemliedownandgetbehindtrees。RichardHardingDaviswaswithus，andaswescannedthelandscapewithourglassesitwashewhofirstpointedouttoussomeSpaniardsinatrenchsomethree-quartersofamileoff。Itwasdifficulttomakethemout。Therewerenotmanyofthem。However，wefinallydidmakethemout，andwecouldseetheirconicalhats，forthetrenchwasapoorone。Weadvanced，firingatthem，anddrovethemoff。
WhattodothenIhadnotanidea。Thecountryinfrontfellawayintoaverydifficultjungle-filledvalley。Therewasnothingbutjungleallaround，andifIadvancedIwasafraidImightgetoutoftouchwitheverybodyandnotbegoingintherightdirection。Moreover，asfarasIcouldsee，therewasnownobodyinfrontwhowasshootingatus，althoughsomeofthemenonmyleftinsistedthatourownmenhadfiredintous——anallegationwhichIsoonfoundwasalmostalwaysmadeinsuchafight，andwhichinthiscasewasnottrue。Atthismomentsomeoftheregularsappearedacrosstheravineonourright。Thefirstthingtheydidwastofireavolleyatus，butoneofourfirstsergeantswentupatreeandwavedaguidonatthemandtheystopped。
Firingwasstillgoingontoourleft，however，andIwasnevermorepuzzledtoknowwhattodo。Ididnotwishtotakemymenoutoftheirpositionwithoutorders，forfearthatImighttherebybeleavingagapiftherewasaSpanishforcewhichmeditatedanoffensivereturn。
Ontheotherhand，itdidnotseemtomethatIhadbeendoingenoughfightingtojustifymyexistence，andtherewasobviouslyfightinggoingontotheleft。IrememberthatIkeptthinkingoftherefrainofthefox-huntingsong，“Here’stoeveryfriendwhostruggledtotheend“；inthehuntingfieldIhadalwaysactedonthistheory，and，nomatterhowdiscouragingappearancesmightbe，hadneverstoppedtryingtogetinatthedeathuntilthehuntwasactuallyover；andnowthattherewaswork，andnotplay，onhand，IintendedtostruggleashardasIknewhownottobeleftoutofanyfightingintowhichIcould，withanypossiblepropriety，get。
SoIleftmymenwheretheywereandstartedoffatatrottowardwherethefiringwas，withacoupleoforderliestosendbackforthemenincasethatprovedadvisable。Likemosttyros，Iwaswearingmysword，whichinthickjunglenowandthengotbetweenmylegs——fromthatdayonitalwayswentcordedinthebaggage。Istruckthetrail，andbegantopassoccasionaldeadmen。PrettysoonIreachedWoodandfound，muchtomypleasure，thatIhaddonetherightthing，forasI
cameupwordwasbroughttohimthatBrodiehadbeenshot，andheatoncesentmetotakechargeoftheleftwing。Itwasmoreopencountryhere，andatleastIwasabletogetaglimpseofmyownmenandexercisesomecontroloverthem。Therewasmuchfiringgoingon，butforthelifeofmeIcouldnotseeanySpaniards，andneithercouldanyoneelse。Finallywemadeupourmindsthattheywereshootingatusfromasetofred-tiledranchbuildingsagoodwayinfront，andtheseIassaulted，finallychargingthem。Beforewecameanywherenear，theSpaniards，who，asitproved，reallywereinsideandaroundthem，abandonedthem，leavingafewdeadmen。
BythetimeIhadtakenpossessionofthesebuildingsallfiringhadceasedeverywhere。Ihadnotthefaintestideawhathadhappened：
whetherthefightwasover；orwhetherthiswasmerelyalullinthefight；orwheretheSpaniardswere；orwhetherwemightbeattackedagain；orwhetherweoughtourselvestoattacksomebodysomewhereelse。Igotmymeninorderandsentoutsmallpartiestoexplorethegroundinfront，whoreturnedwithoutfindinganyfoe。Bythistime，asamatteroffact，theSpaniardswereinfullretreat。MeanwhileI
wasextendingmylinesoastogetintotouchwithourpeopleontheright。WordwasbroughttomethatWoodhadbeenshot——whichfortunatelyprovednottobetrue——andas，ifthiswereso，itmeantthatImusttakechargeoftheregiment，Imovedoverpersonallytoinquire。SoonIlearnedthathewasallright，thattheSpaniardshadretreatedalongthemainroad，andthatColonelWoodandtwoorthreeotherofficerswereashortdistanceaway。BeforeIreachedthemI
encounteredacaptainoftheNinthCavalry，veryglumbecausehistroopershadnotbeenupintimetotakepartinthefight，andhecongratulatedme——withvisibleeffort！——uponmyshareinourfirstvictory。Ithankedhimcordially，notconfidinginhimthattillthatmomentImyselfknewexceedinglittleaboutthevictory；andproceededtowhereGeneralsWheeler，Lawton，andChaffee，whohadjustcomeup，incompanywithWood，wereseatedonabank。TheyexpressedappreciationofthewaythatIhadhandledmytroops，firstontherightwingandthenontheleft！AsIwasquitepreparedtofindIhadcommittedsomeawfulsin，Ididmybesttoacceptthisinanonchalantmanner，andnottolookasrelievedasIfelt。AsthroughoutthemorningIhadpreservedaspeciousaspectofwisdom，andhadcommandedfirstoneandthentheotherwing，thefightwasreallyacapitalthingforme，forpracticallyallthemenhadservedundermyactualcommand，andthenceforthfeltanenthusiasticbeliefthatIwouldleadthemaright。
ItwasaweekafterthisskirmishbeforethearmymadetheadvanceonSantiago。JustbeforethisoccurredGeneralYoungwasstrickendownwithfever。GeneralWheeler，whohadcommandedtheCavalryDivision，wasputingeneralchargeoftheleftwingofthearmy，whichfoughtbeforethecityitself。Brigadier-GeneralSamSumner，anexcellentofficer，whohadthesecondcavalrybrigade，tookcommandofthecavalrydivision，andWoodtookcommandofourbrigade，while，tomyintensedelight，Igotmyregiment。Ithereforehadcommandoftheregimentbeforethestiffestfightingoccurred。Later，whenWoodwasputincommandinSantiago，Ibecamethebrigadecommander。
LateintheeveningwecampedatElPoso。Thereweretworegularofficers，thebrigadecommander’saides，LieutenantsA。L。MillsandW。E。Shipp，whowerecampedbyourregiment。Eachofmymenhadfoodinhishaversack，butIhadnone，andIwouldhavegonesupperlesstobedifMillsandShipphadnotgivenmeoutoftheirscantystoresabigsandwich，whichIsharedwithmyorderly，whoalsohadnothing。
NextmorningmybodyservantMarshall，anex-soldieroftheNinthColoredCavalry，afineandfaithfulfellow，hadturnedupandIwasableinmyturntoaskMillsandShipp，whohadeatenalltheirfoodtheprecedingevening，totakebreakfastwithme。AfewhourslatergallantShippwasdead，andMills，anexceptionallyableofficer，hadbeenshotthroughtheheadfromsidetoside，justbackoftheeyes；
yethelived，althoughoneeyewasblinded，andbeforeIleftthePresidencyIgavehimhiscommissionasBrigadier-General。
Earlyinthemorningourartillerybeganfiringfromthehill-crestimmediatelyinfrontofwhereourmenwerecamped。SeveraloftheregimentwerekilledandwoundedbytheshrapnelofthereturnfireoftheSpaniards。Oneoftheshrapnelbulletsfellonmywristandraisedabumpasbigasahickorynut，butdidnotevenbreaktheskin。ThenweweremarcheddownfromthehillonamuddyroadthroughthickjungletowardsSantiago。Theheatwasgreat，andwestrolledintothefightwithnodefiniteideaonthepartofanyoneastowhatweweretodoorwhatwouldhappen。Therewasnoplanthatourleftwingwastomakeaseriousfightthatday；andastherewerenoplans，itwasnaturallyexceedinglyhardtogetorders，andeachofushadtoactlargelyonhisownresponsibility。
Lawton’sinfantrydivisionattackedthelittlevillageofElCaney，somemilestotheright。Kent’sinfantrydivisionandSumner’sdismountedcavalrydivisionweresupposedtodetaintheSpanisharmyinSantiagountilLawtonhadcapturedElCaney。Spanishtownsandvillages，however，withtheirmassivebuildings，arenaturalfortifications，astheFrenchfoundinthePeninsularWar，andasboththeFrenchandourpeoplefoundinMexico。TheSpanishtroopsinElCaneyfoughtverybravely，asdidtheSpanishtroopsinfrontofus，anditwaslateintheafternoonbeforeLawtonaccomplishedhistask。
Meanwhileweoftheleftwinghadbydegreesbecomeinvolvedinafightwhichtowardtheendbecamenotevenacolonel’sfight，butasquadleader’sfight。Thecavalrydivisionwasputattheheadoftheline。Weweretoldtomarchforward，crossalittleriverinfront，andthen，turningtotheright，marchupalongsidethestreamuntilweconnectedwithLawton。Incidentally，thismovementwouldnothavebroughtusintotouchwithLawtoninanyevent。Butwespeedilyhadtoabandonanythoughtofcarryingitout。ThemaneuverbroughtuswithinfairrangeoftheSpanishintrenchmentsalongthelineofhillswhichwecalledtheSanJuanHills，becauseononeofthemwastheSanJuanblockhouse。Onthatdaymyregimenthadtheleadofthesecondbrigade，andwemarcheddownthetrailfollowingintracebehindthefirstbrigade。ApparentlytheSpaniardscouldnotmakeuptheirmindswhattodoasthethreeregularregimentsofthefirstbrigadecrossedanddefiledalongtheotherbankofthestream，butwhenourregimentwascrossingtheybegantofireatus。
Underthisflankfireitsoonbecameimpossibletocontinuethemarch。
Thefirstbrigadehalted，deployed，andfinallybegantofireback。
Thenourbrigadewashalted。Fromtimetotimesomeofourmenwouldfall，andIsentrepeatedwordtothereartotrytogetauthoritytoattackthehillsinfront。FinallyGeneralSumner，whowasfightingthedivisioninfineshape，sentwordtoadvance。ThewordwasbroughttomebyMills，whosaidthatmyordersweretosupporttheregularsintheassaultonthehills，andthatmyobjectivewouldbethered-
tiledranch-houseinfront，onahillwhichweafterwardschristenedKettleHill。ImentionMillssayingthisbecauseitwasexactlythekindofdefiniteorderthegivingofwhichdoessomuchtoinsuresuccessinafight，asitpreventsallobscurityastowhatistobedone。Theordertoattackdidnotreachthefirstbrigadeuntilafterweourselvesreachedit，sothatatfirsttherewasdoubtonthepartoftheirofficerswhethertheywereatlibertytojoinintheadvance。
IhadnotenjoyedtheGuasimasfightatall，becauseIhadbeensouncertainastowhatIoughttodo。ButtheSanJuanfightwasentirelydifferent。TheSpaniardshadahardpositiontoattack，itistrue，butwecouldseethem，andIknewexactlyhowtoproceed。Ikeptonhorseback，merelybecauseIfounditdifficulttoconveyordersalongtheline，asthemenwerelyingdown；anditisalwayshardtogetmentostartwhentheycannotseewhethertheircomradesarealsogoing。SoIrodeupanddownthelines，keepingthemstraightenedout，andgraduallyworkedthroughlineafterlineuntilIfoundmyselfattheheadoftheregiment。BythetimeIhadreachedthelinesoftheregularsofthefirstbrigadeIhadcometotheconclusionthatitwassillytostayinthevalleyfiringatthehills，becausethatwasreallywhereweweremostexposed，andthatthethingtodowastotrytorushtheintrenchments。WhereIstrucktheregularstherewasnooneofsuperiorranktomine，andafteraskingwhytheydidnotcharge，andbeingansweredthattheyhadnoorders，IsaidIwouldgivetheorder。Therewasnaturallyalittlereluctanceshownbytheelderlyofficerincommandtoacceptmyorder，soIsaid，“Thenletmymenthrough，sir。”andImarchedthrough，followedbymygrinningmen。
Theyoungerofficersandtheenlistedmenoftheregularsjumpedupandjoinedus。Iwavedmyhat，andwewentupthehillwitharush。
Havingtakenit，welookedacrossattheSpaniardsinthetrenchesundertheSanJuanblockhousetoourleft，whichHawkins’sbrigadewasassaulting。IorderedourmentoopenfireontheSpaniardsinthetrenches。
Memoryplaysfunnytricksinsuchafight，wherethingshappenquickly，andallkindsofmentalimagessucceedoneanotherinadetachedkindofway，whiletheworkgoeson。AsIgavetheorderinquestionthereslippedthroughmymindMahan’saccountofNelson’sordersthateachshipasitsailedforward，ifitsawanothershipengagedwithanenemy’sship，shouldrakethelatterasitpassed。
WhenHawkins’ssoldierscapturedtheblockhouse，I，verymuchelated，orderedachargeonmyownhooktoalineofhillsstillfartheron。
Hardlyanybodyheardthisorder，however；onlyfourmenstartedwithme，threeofwhomwereshot。Igaveoneofthem，whowasonlywounded，mycanteenofwater，andranback，muchirritatedthatIhadnotbeenfollowed——whichwasquiteunjustifiable，becauseIfoundthatnobodyhadheardmyorders。GeneralSumnerhadcomeupbythistime，andI