第38章

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。

Nextdaythefightturnedintoasiege；thereweresomestirringincidents；butforthemostpartitwastrenchwork。AfortnightlaterSantiagosurrendered。Woodwonhisbrigadier-generalshipbythecapitalwayinwhichhehandledhisbrigadeinthefight，andinthefollowingsiege。Hewasputincommandofthecapturedcity；andinafewdaysIsucceededtothecommandofthebrigade。

Thehealthofthetroopswasnotgood，andspeedilybecameverybad。

Therewassomedysentery，andalittleyellowfever；butmostofthetroublewasfromasevereformofmalarialfever。TheWashingtonauthoritieshadbehavedbetterthanthoseinactualcommandoftheexpeditionatonecrisis。Immediatelyafterthefirstday’sfightingaroundSantiagothelatterhadhintedbycabletoWashingtonthattheymightliketowithdraw，andWashingtonhademphaticallyvetoedtheproposal。Irecordthisallthemoregladlybecausetherewerenottoomanygleamsofgoodsenseshowninthehomemanagementofthewar；

althoughIwishtorepeatthattherealblameforthisrestedprimarilywithusourselves，thepeopleoftheUnitedStates，whohadforyearspursuedinmilitarymattersapolicythatrendereditcertainthattherewouldbeineptitudeandfailureinhighplacesifeveracrisiscame。AfterthesiegethepeopleinWashin