USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of companies I and E, Sixth Regt., Illinois Volunteer Infantry from Whiteside County > Part 15
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guards captured a Spanish soldier. When brought into camp he carried a Springfield rifle such as our troops were then equipped with, wore the regulation U. S. blue shirt and about his waist was strapped a web cartridge belt of the U. S. manufacture. The prisoner acted rath- er queer and his being in possession of a portion of an American soldier's outfit had a suspicious look. General
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
Garrettson was sent for and he asked the fellow if he was not a Spanish soldier. He fell on his knees and replied "No, no; Americano, Americano." It was pitiful to see him grovel in the dirt at the general's feet. He kissed his hands, his shoes and the ground he trod on; he stood up and hugged the boys about him, kissing their hands and all the time repeating, "Americano, Americano." This was the reply we inevitable received from everyone if we asked if they were not Spanish. The prisoner ap- peared to be nearly famished and indicated by signs that he had been living on roots and fruits. He was taken to the hospital and we afterward learned he no sooner found himself among friends, as there were some fifty wounded and sick Spanish soldiers in the hospital, than he revived immediately and in all probability laughed in his sleeve over the smooth trick he had played on the Americano soldiers.
The battery of artillery came into camp behind us and crossed the creek to the flat beyond where they re- mained that night. In coming in, their field pieces had almost slid down the steep embankment before crossing the stream. The next morning, (Sunday ), before break- ing camp the men of the battery worked with pick and shovel for some time reducing the abruptness of the climb so as to make it possible to drag their pieces out to the main road. After all was in readiness for the start, the men took their places, and the stream was crossed at a gallop; up the hill they tore, the men riding the pieces hanging on for dear life. If they appeared to make the start to slow a mounted officer, stationed on the opposite side of the stream and half way up the hill would roar some unintelligable command to the drivers and they would goad their horses on with whip and spur. After all were over we fell in behind them and continued-
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AT TALLABOA.
the march toward Ponce. The day before, the Sixth Ill- inois was in the advance followed by the artillery, the Massachusetts boys bringing up the rear. The second and third days the position of the regiments were re- versed and we brought up the rear.
We passed through several small straggling villages and in the middle of the afternoon went into camp. To get to the camp we were marched nearly a mile to the left of the direct route and crossed two streams before halting. Here the boys began to be troubled with blis- tered feet. There were no bridges over these streams and although they were nearly all quite shallow and easi- ly forded, wading through the water left the man with shoes and leggins thoroughly soaked; the mountain roads were covered with a sort of lime stone made hot by the sun and in a short time a large number of stragglers were scattered along the route.
That night we dined on fruit, the wagon train com- ing in late again. Half ripe bananas fried in grease was considered a treat although they were lacking in nourish- ment. Before leaving Guanica each man had been is- sued one hundred rounds of ammunition; the cartridge belts carried about half this number the remainder being put in the haver-sacks. This additional weight pulling over the shoulder wearied the men considerable. At the beginning of the march every man carried one half of a shelter tent with pole and stakes, a rubber poncho, gun, belt and bayonet, besides an extra shirt or two, a change of socks, and under wear, a blouse, a meat plate, knife, fork and spoon and whatever personal articles he had collected and desired to retain. A canteen of water completed the outfit.
When we had been two days on the march a rather decided change was manifest as to what was necessary
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for asoldier to "tote." Ammunition was thrown away by the box; clothing was scattered along the whole route, while here and there some weary soldier's-half-of-a-shelter or "pup" tent would be found. Some even went so far as to cast their bayonets in the brush by the roadside, any- thing to lighten the weight which grew heavier and more troublesome with each mile.
The second night out found the majority of the boys with wardrobes very much depleted, those who had retained their tents sharing with the comrades who had "lost" their own during the day. At nine o'clock in the evening we were unexpectedly ordered to fall in for inspection of ammunition, and there were few men in the regiment who could produce the one hundred rounds or one half of it. We were informed that the shortage would be charged to the men but our infor- mant was evidently a joker as we escaped the ex- pected penalty.
Breaking camp the next morning we recrossed the two streams which we had forded the night before, and started on the final march to Ponce. Fording the streams at the commencement of the days march aggra- vated the already tender feet of the men and in a short time they were in a deplorable condition. We had not seen an ambulance, and no one was allowed to ride on the overloaded ox carts. The straggling became gen- eral and when the regiment marched through the city of Ponce and out to the camp grounds a mile beyond there were but few men in line.
We were kept moving for hours without a mo- ments rest and this in a climate entirely strange to prob- ably every man in the division. On passing through some of the mountain trails, Old Sol would shoot his darting rays down upon us and not a breath of air stir-
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ENTERING PONCE.
ring; the burning heat at these places almost suffocated the men and it seemed we were at the very maw of a mammoth furnace which we might enter at the next step. We had been extremely anxious to get into act- ive service and here we were but we failed to notice any expressions of great joy on the countenances of the weary soldiers.
Straggling into Ponce we found every eating house in the city crowded with hungry soldiers. Upon enter- ing and taking a seat at one of the numerous tables we looked in vain for the waiters. They had dished up every- thing in the house to the early comers and taken refuge in some remote part of the building, badly scared by the presence of so many "Americanos." In one of the houses we did manage to get a loaf of bread and a couple of eggs.
The diminutive proprietor was nearly wild, half a hundred men all yelling for something to eat and curs- ing the waiters for a stupid lot. The little fellow would start for the kitchen when he would be stopped by a six foot soldier who demanded something to eat. Throwing up his hands and attempting to back away he repeated over and over "D -- n you, cant you wait," This was in all probability the extent of his knowledge of the English language and more than likely he had heard some of the boys repeat it but did not know its meaning.
After waiting some time we came to the conclusion there was nothing more to be had and tossing an Amer- ican dollar into the outstretched hand of the proprietor, we picked up our belongings and prepared to get out as soon as we received our change. The little man had disappeared and after a long wait he was hunted up and
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
requested to return at least a portion of the dollar which was worth two of their own coins of like denomination. To all of our entreaties we received the same reply, "No compr-r-r-ehendo." He did not understand English. With but little hesitation we began an argument with him, which he, as dumb as he was, could not fail to understand.
About this time a provost guard, one of the Massa- chusetts boys, rushed into the place and ordered us to move on. We were alone with the trembling but de- fiant native and the scarcity of money gave us sufficient reason why we should not allow him to rob us in such a manner. After explaining matters to the guard he volunteered to assist us and remarked "We'll get the change or have satisfaction." Just then a negro stepped in. He was as black as ebony and a shock of wooly hair stuck out from beneath a high crowned, wide brimmed straw hat. Good nature beamed from his smiling face and coming directly toward us, he spoke in perfect English. inquiring the cause of the distur- bance. Upon hearing our story he turned to the na- tive and said a few words in Spanish, whereupon the dwarf took an American half dollar from his pocket and gave it to us. We were satisfied to let matters go at that and thanking the provo and the darkey, we left the place.
We were but fairly ou the outside of the building when along came a patrol of drunken soldiers who were ordering the stragglers into a column of fours, all the while swearing, and cursing the men like a pirate cap- tain. A squad of perhaps twenty men had been collect- ed and were marching along the best they could. Some were quite ill and nearly on the point of dropping, others
Railroad station at Ponce, Porto Rico.
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EXPERIENCE WITH THE PATROL.
were shuffling along with blistered feet when every step brought its torture. They were in no mood to ac- cept the open insult of the intoxicated sergeant and lieu- tenant in command but were reluctant to cause a disturb- ance with their comrades.
After trudging along nearly a block, the abuse be- came unbearable and the men openly protested against its continuance. The lieutenant spurred his horse for- ward and loosening his revolver in its holster, ordered them to "shut up," and with a drunken leer informed the men he would kill the first one who dared to disobey him and fall out of the ranks. Instantly there was the sound of a dozen click-clicks and as many Springfield rifles were full cocked and brought to a "ready." The little hand- ful of men had grown desperate and while they knew they were courting death in thus defying an officer, they also knew there were men in the line, who from sheer exhaustion, might drop at any moment and should the lieutenant attempt to carry his threat into effect they cer- tainly would have done so regardless of the consequences to themselves. The first movement on the part of the lieu- tenant towards drawing a weapon would have been the signal for at least a dozen rifles to be trained on him and every man was in the mood to shoot to kill. The officer was not so drunk but what he saw and understood the actions of the men and reining in his horse he dropped in behind the column. Taking advantage of the opportuni- ty the men broke from the line and in two's and three's took to the narrow pavement all the while keeping a close watch on the actions of the lieutenant. He ap- peared to be stunned or the dangerous position in which he found himself had sobered him to the extent that he began to realize he had carried his authority to extremes
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under the circumstances. At any rate he made no effort to stop the men and in a moment they were out of his sight, mingling with other belated soldiers and he could not have identified them if he had cared to do so.
The crooked narrow streets of Ponce were now all but blocked by the train of bullock carts which followed in the wake of the troops. It was with difficulty that we made way through them at times and it seemed we never would get within sight of the camp. Just before reach- ing the outskirts of the city we heard the sound of march- ing troops and halting, we waited for them to put in an appearance as we were in doubt as to what direction we had best take to find our regiment and thought it possible the approaching soldiers might lead us to camp. As they hove in sight a military band struck up a lively march and the street suddenly swarmed with natives, drawn thither by the sound of the music. Imagine our astonishment when, as the tall color sergeant strode by bearing the American flag, the little Porto Ricans doffed their hats to a man. We were accustomed to witnessing this salute from our own men but were very much sur- prised to witness the mark of respect which was paid the colors by the natives, considering the few days they had known the "Americanos."
Upon making inquiries from the passing soldiers we were directed to our camp which was something over a mile out of town in an open field. We hurried along and fording a shallow stream soon found the regiment. We were in the nick of time too, for as we threw off our packs and stretched out on the ground for a good rest, the bugler sounded orderlies' call and when the first ser- geants arrived at headquarters they were instructed to return to their companies at once and all stragglers who
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THE SICK STAND GUARD.
arrived thereafter should be placed under arrest and the regimental guard selected from among them.
It may have been good generalship but to the sick and worn-out soldiers it seemed but little short of an outrage to be compelled to stand guard in the condition they were then in. Nine out of every ten of the men had fallen out because they could not stand the strain. Any number of them were actually ill and were in need of medical attendance, yet they were forced to shoulder their guns and keep a lonely vigil throughout the long hours of the night.
The number of stragglers was considerably in excess of the force required for guard duty and the remaining ones were placed in a temporary guardhouse for the night. This guard house was an open place selected near headquarters. The ground was rough and covered with stone. Into this place the men were huddled and a heavy guard placed over them. Seeking rest as best they may they spent the miserable night, and morning found them in an angry frame of mind. A little kind- ness at the hands of those who were chief in command would have been fully appreciated at this time but the experiences of the past few days had taught the men that they need not look for it and they said but little, realizing they must obey.
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
CHAPTER XVIII.
One company of the Sixth Massachusetts had been retained at Yauco to guard the field hospital which had been established there upon the arrival of the division. Shortly after the departure of the force as it advanced toward Ponce, reports were brought in to the officer in command at Yauco to the effect that the Spanish at San German were planning an attack on the small garrison. Assistance was called for and company F of Moline com- manded by Capt. Frank Clendenin and two companies of the Nineteenth regulars were returned to Yauco to re- enforce the company of Massachusetts boys. Either the plan of attacking the garrison was abandoned by the enemy or the re-enforcements scared them away as noth- ing was heard from them. On the third of August the company of Massachusetts troops joined the regiment at Ponce. On the seventh the three remaining companies were relieved from further duty at that point and re- turned to the general camp, the hospital having been re- moved to Ponce in the meantime.
General Henry evinced much displeasure at what he termed the lack of discipline shown by the men in drop- ping out of the ranks during the march and straggling into camp. After our arrival at Ponce he summoned the officers to his quarters and scored them heavily for "not having better control over the men." The matter caused considerable ill feeling to arise throughout the division
Railroad locomotive. Narrow guage line, Porto Rico.
241
GEN. HENRY DISPLEASED.
and was the cause of the colonel and several of the staff of the Massachusetts regiment tendering their resigna- tions which were immediately accepted and the ex-officers returned to the States.
General Henry appeared to overlook the fact that these men had been alternately baked and broiled for seventeen days while on shipboard and were weakened considerably as the consequence. In this condition they had been thrown into a foreign country where the cli- mate differed materially from that to which they had been accustomed. In addition to this they had been given a test that would have severely tried the endur- ance of troops hardened by a campaign. The actions of the general plainly showed his dissatisfaction and the men, although anxious to do all within their power were disheartened by the treatment they received, when a few words of encouragement would have done wonders toward reviving their drooping spirits.
A half hours work, or less, by a score of men at each of the streams forded, would have made it possible for the whole force to have crossed dry shod, and thus avoided the cause for fully one half of the straggling. If the column was halted by the side of a glaring cliff where the sun darted its fierce rays down upon the men they were compelled to remain in that position rather than allow them to seek a shaded spot. At such times weary as the men were, it was a relief to continue the march. All of these things, slight as some of them were, were noted by the men and although they did not have a desire to rebel, it had a tendency to cause them to exert themselves less than they would have done, had they been privileged to take advantage of the few op- portunities that arose looking toward their own comfort, yet in no manner detracting from the strength or dis-
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
cipline of the force, at least until they had become some- what more accustomed to the conditions surrounding them.
The march from Guanica gave us a fair idea of the chorography of the country as it differs but slightly throughout the island. After leaving Guanica the line of march followed a cart road for a distance of about three miles in a northerly course, thence turning sharply to the east. About half way between the turn and Yauco, the cart road terminated and the remainder of the march to Ponce was made over a horse trail. Just before reaching Yauco we crossed a spur of the mount- ain range which extended toward the south in the di- rection of the coast. We were then several miles in- land. We passed several banana and cane fields while the trail was bordered with cocoanut palms laden with fruit, and a great variety of tropical plants which under different circumstances would have delighted the hearts of the boys from the north but then were passed al- most unnoticed.
The streams which were crossed are very pictur- . esque, wending their way around the base of the mount- ains, singing and hurrying on toward the sea and finally bursting forth to view from a tangled mass of shrubbery, gurgling over and around the stepping stones which had been placed in the shallow beds by the natives, the water as clear as crystal. These streams, or mountain brooks, expand into raging torrents immediately after a rain storm farther up in the mountains. The low embankments overflow and the swirling current is filled with debris which is carried down from the mountain sides. Occasionly portions of the hastily constructed, primitive abode of a hapless peon was seen on the crest of the mud colored stream as it swept by.
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PORTO RICAN RAIN STORM.
What would be considered a heavy rain storm in Illinois is as a spring shower when compared with the deluge that occurs almost daily in the mountains of Porto Rico, during the months of August and Septem- ber. Great low hanging clouds, race swiftly along un- til they come in contact with the jagged peaks of the highest mountains which apparently make great rents in the black masses, out from which pours enormous quantities of water, flooding the whole country in the vicinity of the storm. As the violence of the storm in- creases, the mountain sides and trails become danger- ous as great rocks are dislodged and go rolling and tumbling far down into the valleys below, carrying . with them large trees and setting hundreds of cubic feet of earth in motion, causing landslides of no mean propor- tions completely blockading the trail for rods.
The dry beds of the valleys are buried in the seeth- ing torrents, the tiny rivulets become . rivers and the topography of the scene is altered as if by magic. As the storm abates, the sun shines forth brightly and a heavy fog of steam arises from the earth which all but suffocates the unacclimated. The rugged country is rapidly drained of the flood only to meet with a re- petition of the occurrence on the following day. If a native remained out in storm he protected his head and shoulders with a wide banana leaf which he carried poised above him.
Yauco was at that time the western terminus of a narrow guage railway which followed the coast as far east as Ponce. Upon leaving Yauco we crossed another mountain range, our route following the general direction of the railroad and bearing slightly to the south. At times we were within sight of the sea. We
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
skirted several prominent mountains but did but little climbing as' the horse trail wound in and about the foot of the hills but seldom crossed the summit while along the coast. Several miles out from Ponce the trail and the railroad ran side by side for some distance. As we were marching along, a diminutive, box like locomotive, to which was attached a queer open car, came rumbling along. The engine was apparently doing her best as she was working hard and was covering about twelve miles per hour. At Tallaboa, the train picked up a few sick soldiers and took them back to Yauco to the hos- pital.
The trail led us through a sparsely settled portion of the island. We passed through several small vil- lages but in the open country a house was rarely seen. The manner of building is peculiar to the inhabitants of that country. The better class of residences are built of corragated iron, both walls and roofing, some are clap boarded similar to the less pretentious homes of the working class of people in the United States, others are built of brick and overlaid with a coating of whitewash, while the home of the peons are built of poles and rough boards with thatched roofs, or with walls and roof covered with grass and huge leaves. Without exception every house in the country and in the villages is raised from two to five and six feet from the ground. The houses of the more wealthy of the residents are enclosed in high fences or walls inside of which are beautiful gardens of flowers and all about everything is neat and tidy.
One peculiarity of all buildings which gave them an odd appearance was the absence of window glass. With one or two exceptions we did not see a house of
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Suap shot of Rorto Rican child in usual costume, wearing a bright smile and a string of beads.
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PEOPLE OF THE ISLAND.
any description on the island which had a piece of window glass in its construction. The doors are made in two parts, the upper half remaining open the better part of the time while the lower half is kept closed. The window openings are protected by paneled shut- ters. The temperature varies but little at any period during the year and glazed windows are considered an expensive luxury and not at all a necessity. The sys- tem of taxation in vogue previous to the invasion of the American troops practically prohibited the purchase of numerous articles which we, in our homes. could not well get along without. Among them was the window glass. A glimpse of the interior of several of the bet- ter class of residences showed bare walls and uncarpet- ed floors and a scarcity of furniture that was surprising.
After entering Ponce we found practically the same conditions existing there as in the country with possibly a slight change for the better in certain portions of the city. If cleanliness is next to godliness. then they were certainly an ungodly lot, as the condition of the streets and interior of nearly all of the store build- ings was indisputable evidence against them. Ordinari- ly they were neat and tidy about their clothing and person, but beyond that the common people appeared to care nothing. Occasionally one found a store or other public building where the exception proved the rule but such places were not numerous enough to im- press the visitor with the habits of cleanliness of the general people.
The people are small in stature, the average height being less than five feet. The men are narrow chested and have a consumptive look about them. The women are slightly taller and more portly than the men and
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
appear healthy and robust as a rule. The children are small and usually run about wearing nothing but a string of yellow beads and a bright smile until they are from ten to twelve years of age. They are pot- bellied almost to a deformity and delight to roll about in the dirt, the hot rays of the midday sun having no apparent effect on their glistening, naked bodies. Either through fear or wishing to cover their naked- ness,they would hide behind their mothers skirts at the approach of an "Americano,"
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