(1907) A Recent Campaign in Puerto Rico

Recent Campaign

m

Puerto Rico

FREELY ILLUSTRATED

Reserve Storage

Collactioa

Class.

Book

COPYRIGKF DEPOSIT

i

M?'

FROM YAUCO TO

LAS MARIAS

Theodore Schwan, Brigadier-General U.S. Volunteers.

Recent Campaign

m

Puerto Rico By

the

Independent Regular Brigade

under the command of

BRIG.

GENERAL SCHWAN

,

BY

KARL STEPHEN HERRMAN

E.

H.

BACON ^

Boston, Massachusetts,

1907

CO. LJ.

S.

A.

^AnA Copyright 1899 by Richard G. Badger & Co.

Copyright 1907 by E. H. Bacon

&

Co.

All Rights Reserved

LIBRARY Two

of

CONGRESS

Copies Received

AUG 23 1907

'

COPY

A.

TO

ROBERT SMITH COBB MY BROTHER LORD

IN

CERTAIN

AND OWNER OF PRECIOUS CARGO

ISLES

IN

MY

OF

FRIENDSHIP

SHIP OF

DREAMS

CONTENTS Introduction

CHAPTER The Independent

Regular Brigade

Page

13

Page

1

I .

.

of meeting —

.

—

Forces comprised by the command Place Characteristics we were not like the Volunteers Sketches of the more imporof the professional soldier

Why

—

—

tant officers

— What we were

ordered to do.

CHAPTER The

II

Page

Day's March

First

column

road to

hospitality

infantrymen's

blankets

Into

repartee

troop

Arrival

CHAPTER The

24

Sabana Grande — The — — The burden — Wayside — camp and under Hard tack and — A smoke-talk. — of Macomb's Disposition of our

III

Page

People of Puerto Rico

3

i

—

The toward the invading Americans Justice and the private proclamation of General Miles Men and Depravity of the native masses soldier Local attributes of life women of the better class

Their attitude

—

—

A hint

—

to the weary.

CHAPTER The Second Day

We

—

—

IV Page

Begins

—

Removal of the sick from San German An approaching Spanish force Our the ambulances march

to

—

7

—

39

CONTENTS

8 scouts

and

their

leader

— Concerning Senor — Something

imminent town of San German.

Visible effects of

battle

Fijardo

—

about the

CHAPTER V The Engagement

at

Topography of the

Hormigueros

.

.

— Macomb's — Our

battlefield

.

Page

47

cavalry fired

advance-guard comes General Schwan reaches the The main body arrives and joins in the fray firing line Subsequent manoeuvres of our column The Spanish computation of losses. retreat

into by Spanish skirmishers into contact with the foe

—

—

—

—

—A

CHAPTER

VI

The Second Day Ends Page A personal resume of the fight — Lack of melodramatic accompaniments — A lost chance of glory — Another neglected opportunity — A glimpse of the flag — Once more

into

58

camp.

CHAPTER Vn The Occupation

....

of Mayaguez

Page

67

We enter the city in triumph — An enthusiastic reception — A pretty girl and the star-spangled banner — Other memorable incidents — Our rags and tatters — A description of Mayaguez — We pitch our tents in a swamp — The

First

Kentucky Volunteers.

CHAPTER The Engagement

at

Las Marias

Vm

....

Page

encountered in locating the retreating enemy Final determination upon pursuit Lieutenant-Colonel Burke sets forth Discovery of Spanish troops near Las Marias one-sided encounter Unwelcome notification of truce The rest of the brigade comes up FeedDifficulties

—

—A

—

—

ing the prisoners

— Our

— —

disappointment.

—

75

CONTENTS CHAPTER The

Territory General

Won

Schwan

Page

returns

to

transportation

real

estate

laborer

Skilled

the dis-

Facilities

Aguadilla

84.

and

Business

abolished

captured by our brigade

living

— — Extent of — — — The Mayaguez

— A custom we — Labor and the — — Rents and

pleasure trict

IX

cost

workmen

for

of

—A

word about investments.

CHAPTER X of the Campaign

The End

Page

93

—

The soldier-boy and his Arrival of the mail-steamer The greater part of the brigade is quartered in letters Material reAgriculture in Puerto Rico Mayaguez General farewell order campaign sult of our

—

Schwan

A

—

—A

—

—

departs for the United States.

Brief Sketch of the Life of Brigadier-General

Schwan Appendix

Page

loi

Page

103

THE ILLUSTRATIONS Theodore

Schwan,

Brigadier-General

U.S. Frontispiece

Volunteers

FACING PAGE

Mayaguez American Cavalry entering Mayaguez on August Statue of Columbus,

The

1

the

nth

of

20

Aguadilla, a Favorite RenPublic Fountain dezvous for Runaway Lovers in

Plaza Principal,

Town

Mayaguez.

12

Hall in Back-

ground

2.4

Spanish Prisoners to

who were brought from Las Marias 26

Mayaguez

A Public

Celebration of Plaza Principal, Mayaguez. the New Flag's Advent, under the Auspices of the Local School-teachers and their Pupils .

28

....

30

.

German on Market-day Lower Quarter of Mayaguez

The

Plaza of San

3^

A

Mid-section of the Calle Mendez-Vigo, Mayaguez Positions occupied by Spanish Soldiers in the Skirmish at

3^

Hormigueros

Mayaguez to Aguadilla The Theatre, Mayaguez Custom-house at Mayaguez occupied by General Schwan as Brigade Headquarters Road from Mayaguez to Anasco Lower End of the Calle de Mendez-Vigo, Mayaguez Railroad from

Guenar Bridge, Mayaguez Upper End of the Calle Mendez-Vigo, Mayaguez

The Town

34

of Sabana Grande II

38

4° 42

44 46 4^

.

50 5*

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

12

FACING PAGE

Witch River, near Cabo Rojo American Camp at Mayaguez Plaza Mercado, Mayaguez Mouth of the Mayaguez River A Bit of Yauco

Wooden Dock seen the «<

at

54 56 58 60

62

Mayaguez.

In the Offing can be

German Man-of-war "Geier"

...

Eleventh of August'' Street

The

Alphonso XIII Regiment of Cazafew days before the Fight with the American Troops at Hormigueros

68

Mayaguez

70

Officers of the

dores, taken a

The

...

Military Hospital,

Part of the Village of Maricao Infantry Barracks,

The

A

72

Mayaguez

74

Rosario River, near Hormigueros

Street in

The

78

(cutting leaves),

Plaza Principal in the

76

San German

Tobacco Plantation

Mayaguez

.

.

8z

Church Line of March

...

at

Yauco

....

88

Lares

our

Wagon

88

Train

" Promenade of the Fleas"" in Yauco only One Man gets a Letter The '* Weary Travellers' Spring," near Anasco

90

When

A Crude Sugar Mill near Las A very Popular Spot Two

86 86

Native Bull-team

in

84 84

Watering the Artillery Horses

On the Road to The Best Outfit

80

Mayaguez looking toward

A Ruined Church along our A Puerto Rican Laundry A

64 66

Knights and a Pawn

Marias

90 .

.

92 92

94 94

INTRODUCTION HAVE

I

place

ventured to

the

following

items of our recent

set

down

bald

in this

and

history,

brief

not

be-

I doubt an already existing common knowledge of their substance, but simply because they serve to illuminate and give

cause

finish to the succeeding narrative.

Major-General Miles sailed from Guantanamo, Cuba, on the 21st of July, 1898; and landed at Guanica, Puerto Rico, on the 25th of the same month.

The

troops

sail-

him numbered 3,554 officers and men, mainly composed of volunteers from Massachusetts, Illinois, and the District of Columbia, with a complement of regulars in

ing with

five

batteries

of light

artillery, thirty-four

from the battalion of engineers, and detachments of recruits, signal, and hospital

privates

corps. 13

INTRODUCTION

14

On August

he was re-enforced by General Schwan's brigade of the Fourth Army Corps and part of General Wilson's division of the

Corps, raising his

First

strength to

1st

9,641

officers

numerical

and men.

The

Spanish forces in Puerto Rico at that time numbered some 18,000, about evenly divided between regulars and volunteers, and scattered advantageously over 3,700 square

miles of territory.

By

the end of

August

the American strength had nearly doubled.

In the brief campaign that followed, a large part of the island was captured by the

United States

forces,

and the positions of

all

the Spanish garrisons, except that at San There were alJuan, were made untenable.

together six engagements,

Guayamo

(2),

—

at

Guanica Road,

Coamo, Hormigueros, Aibo-

—

with a total loss to nito, and Las Marias, the Spaniards of about 450 killed and wounded, while the American casualties of

amounted to 43. Miles, in his scheme of opera-

the same nature

General tions,

troops

intended

that three

— each composed of

columns of our infantry, cavalry,

INTRODUCTION artillery,

and

their adjuncts

through

the

eastern,

15

— should

western,

and

march central

parts of the island, respectively, diverging at

Ponce and coalescing before San Juan. entire

success

of

this

plan was

The

prevented

only by the arrival of the order to suspend hostilities,

on the

13 th of August.

— known Army Corps — was

The column marching the First Division, First

east

as

commanded by Major-General James H. Wilson, and took part

in three

engagements.

—

The column sent through the interior known as the Provisional Division was commanded by Brigadier-General Guy V.

—

Henry, and met no opposition of moment. The third column, called the Independent Regular Brigade, and directed to proceed through the western section

of the island,

was commanded by Brigadier-General Theodore Schwan, and had two engagements with the

Alphonso XIII Regiment of Cazadores. of General Schwan*s camabout to relate.

It is the story

paign that

I

am

From Yauco

to

Las Marias

CHAPTER

I

The Independent Regular PJace of meeting

—

— Why we were teristics

Forces comprised by the

not like the Volunteers

— — What we were

of the professional

more important

Brigade

officers

YAUCO, the

soldier

command

— Charac-

Sketches of the

ordered

to do.

place selected by General

Miles as a rendezvous for the troops of the Independent Regular Brigade,

town of about 15,000 inhabitants, and It six miles distant from Guanica. is connected both by rail and wagon-road with Ponce, the largest city on the island, is

a

some

and

is

noted for

its

Spanish proclivities, fine

climate, excellent running water,

of

mountains —

and

setting

luxuriantly green through-

out the year. 17

1

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

8

Here were assembled on Aug. eral

8,

1

8985

all

the evening of

the forces assigned to Gen-

Schwan, with the exception of Troop

"A,"

Fifth Cavalry, which did not appear

thirty hours later. The comof the Eleventh composed Inmand was

until

some

fantry,

Light Battery

Artillery,

"D"

Light Battery "

C

of the Fifth " of the Third

and the troop of cavalry already all regulars, and as resolute and picturesque a set of men as ever wore the

Artillery,

mentioned,

—

uniform of war. Because we had no Volunteers with us, we

were not granted even one tering

newspaper

at the outset

scribe,

little

word-spat-

and so relinquished

any fugitive hopes of glory that

otherwise might have been entertained.

We

— hard marching, hard — and opening

were out for business, living,

hard fighting,

the

was fringed with gore. We the darlings of any particular

vista

were none of us State,

nor the

precious offspring of a peripatetic statesman were at no time with a practised pull.

We

decimated by

disease through ignorant or in-

Statue of Columbus,

Mayagut

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

19

subordinate disregard of the primary principles of hygiene.

We

didn't write long wail-

home because we were obliged to on the damp ground, and had neither hot rolls, chocolate, nor marmalade for breakWe were ragged, hungry, tough, and fast. In other words, we were regular faithful. army men, and, most distinctly, not Voluning letters

sleep

teers.

There

a personality peculiar to the pro-

is

fessional soldier,

even though he be but a

half-fledged recruit, that defies analysis baffles

description.

from the same clay

He

and

of course built

is

as his brother

of the

is a tin god, and Yet the difference does not spring from anything more fundamental than environment, and therein lies the

Volunteers

the former

;

but the

is

a

latter

devil.

solace of the other fellow.

Putting aside

all

odious comparisons and limiting myself to a

view of the regular army I

man

as I

know him,

can simply say that in the eight months

during which

I

underwent

in his

company

hard knocks and privations without number I

could not have found a more truly

satis-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

20

comrade and friend. He doesn't, on the average, know much about books; factory

nor did he ever hear of the Etruscan Inscriptions or the Pyramidal

Policy of the

He takes a grim desmashing the English language into

Ancient Egyptians. light in

microscopic atoms at a single blow.

He

is

more fond of women, horses, and prizefighting than is good for him. He will steal when he is hungry, lie to save his skin, curse most terribly on trifling provocation, and spend,

to his last sou

won wage on

markee,

his hard-

adulterated drink.

"He's

a devil an' a ostrich

an' a orphan-child in one."

But

he

will

while there

throw

is

his life

the

flag,

girl

;

he

stand his ground in action ground to stand on he will away at a moment's notice for ;

or a chosen comrade, or a worthless will

march and starve and

world without end holds his confidence

if ;

he has a leader

and he

is,

Irish or

who

on the whole,

a rather fine specimen of the true

— being usually

thirst

German.

American

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS Our

— was

spare

—

regarded

him,

with

contact

tall,

and

affection

and

upright,

silent,

respect by every one

He

with

who came

into personal

and man

officer

alike.

was shrewd, clever, and distinguished,

but never too busy or elevated to the humblest soldier from the

from it is

Theo-

brigade commander. General

Schwan

dore

21

first

Of

to last a gentleman.

listen to

ranks, and his staff

the highest praise to say that they were

in every

way worthy of

Bluff

their chief

Captain Davison, gruff Captain Hutcheson,

Major Root, saturnine Major Egan, wounded Lieutenant Byron, patient

studious

Lieutenant Poore, dashing Captain Elkins,

and

Lieutenant

courteous

you

salute

all

in

the

most

of the soldier dismounted friends

in

need, you lent

gave

me

dom

to the

I

shall

At

fatherly counsel

!

Summerlin, military

I

manner

You were my me money, you

and passes of

shimmering tropic

free-

dawn — and

not forget.

the head of the Eleventh Infantry was

Colonel isterial

D. DeRussy, who, with drawl and dry wit, was I.

his

min-

a

sharp

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

22

and

contrast to his blunt, impetuous,

second

command,

in

Burke.

But, so far as

am

I

aware, per-

harmony reigned between them

petual

of

my own

bat-

artillery

He was best known in the " Side-wheeler," from a peculiarity

outfit.

ranks as

and, though well

gait,

on

in years,

stiff

was

and capable.

at all times gallant, courageous,

A

and

was commanded by CapFrank Thorp of Light Battery " D,"

talion

of

;

The

both were beloved by their men. tain

fiery

Lieutenant-Colonel

he kept his guard-

disciplinarian,

filled from week to week but he was as quick to reward as punish, when

house well

;

warranted by circumstances.

of note that although

It

is

worthy

he took each

day

enough medicine to lay an ordinary man on his back, or in an early grave, yet he was well and fit from start to finish. Captain

Macomb

of the Fifth Cavalry

not an easy

man

Handsome,

stalwart,

to

is

describe in cold ink.

and

grave

;

black-

haired, black-eyed, a scarf of yellow knotted at his

vanity

throat,

or

— he

was Custer without the

Lancelot

devoid

a

Guinevere.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS When Httle

many

he clattered through the

towns abutting on our

23

quaint

of march,

line

he was followed by a billow of sighs from

behind the half-closed dare

though

lattices,

he knew nothing about

say

I

for

it;

indeed he was no heart-breaker, but a true

recommend him to either Rudyard Kipling or Richard Harding Davis. soldier.

I

Said General Miles, in a letter of instruction to General

—

Schwan under date of Au-

gust 6, 1898 " You will drive out or capture :

all

Spanish

troops in the western portion of Puerto Rico.

You

will take all necessary precautions

and

exercise great care against being surprised or

ambushed by the enemy, and

movement same time

as

rapidly

as

will

possible,

exercising your best

the care of your

make

command,

at

judgment

to

the

the in

accomplish

the object of your expedition."

And

this

to carry out.

programme we were now ready

CHAPTER The Disposition

Grande pitality

under

II

First Day's

of our

column

— The — Hard and — Arrival

March

— The Sabana — Wayside — camp and —A Macomb's of road

to

infantrymen* s burden tack

repartee

blankets

hos-

Into

troop

smoke-talk.

THE

and arrangement of first day's march can best be shown by the following document disposition

our forces on the

:

—

Headquarters Independent Brigade (Regulars), Camp at Yauco, Puerto Rico, Aug. 8, 1898.

General Orders No. 13. This command to

will

Sabana Grande

morning.

It will

move out on

at ten o'clock

the road

tomorrow

observe the following rules

and order of march

;

— 24

crq

1.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

25

Macomb's troop of

act

as a screen,

and

will

cavalry

will

march about two miles

advance of the point of the advance-

in

The

guard.

extent

of

the

front

to

be

covered by, and the disposition of the cav-

depend upon the nature of the country, and will be left to the judgment of the troop commander. He will communicate freely by means of orderlies with alry, will

the will

commander of at

once transmit

commanding derlies,

the advance-guard,

to

all

who

messages to the

Three mounted be furnished by the troop, general.

orwill

march with the advance-guard. 2.

Two

toon of

companies of infantry, one pla-

artillery,

constitute

the

and two Gatling guns

advance-guard.

A

will

pioneer

detachment, consisting of one non-commissioned officer and eight men, to be carefully selected

from the advance-guard,

will

march

with the reserve, and will be under the direction of the engineer officer of the brigade.

The requisite tools will be carried on a cart. Upon arriving in camp, the advance-guard will

immediately establish the outpost.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

26 3.

The main body

will

consist

of nine

companies of infantry, one battery and two platoons of artillery, and two Gatling guns. 4. The trains following the main body be under the direction of the brigade quartermaster, and their order of march

will

will

be

:

—

Hospital

train.

Ammunition column. Supply and baggage wagons.

The

rear-guard will be composed of one

company of

infantry.

A

detachment from

it will protect exposed flanks of the train. If horses can be procured for them, the commanders of the advance and rear guards

will

be mounted.

The above

disposition

for

each

day's

march will be conformed to, unless otherwise ordered.

By command

of Brigadier-General Schwan.

Grote Hutcheson, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General

^

«^^

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS As

Captain

Macomb's

cavalry

27

had not

arrived at the hour appointed for our start,

we

without him.

set off

was

little

need of

And

in fact there

on that day,

his services

being through a section of the

our march

island already cleared of Spanish troops,

and

exceedingly slow and wearisome, besides.

The lies for

route from

Yauco

to

Sabana Grande the level and

some two miles along

creditable road leading to Guanica, suddenly

going off

at right angles just

beyond

a pict-

uresque sugar-mill into as uneven, crooked,

and I

just

hilly a

highway

cannot

how

tell

as can well

you

be imagined.

in adequate language

the tropical sun punishes the un-

acclimated Northerner, especially foot-soldier

tramping along

in

if

he be a

a

blinding

empty of belly, and loaded down with a pack that would make a quartermaster's mule to fake the glanders. If you have been there, it needs no words of mine to galvanize your memory; and, if you have not, you cannot understand. This matter of the soldier's pack and what to do with it became a subject of serious consider-

dust, parched of throat,

28 ation

and

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS during the recent war, in both Cuba

Puerto

On

Rico.

the march, in the

charge or pursuit or retreat,

it is

a senseless,

clogging, spirit-shackling incubus, a rank ab-

three days

result, after

the infantryman

and

a

wisp

seems to

me

to

condition

of

a

of active campaign

seen gayly stalking along

is

with no burden save his belt,

As

and an utter impossibility.

surdity,

rifle,

of gray

ammunition-

blanket,

which

be a fatuous and footless

affairs

might well

that

quickly remedied for the benefit of

all

be con-

cerned.

As we

passed the occasional

haci-

little

grove of cocoanut palms or dusky and wrinkled women came forth from the doors, bearing upon their heads huge jars, from which we filled enda, set in

its

orange-trees,

our ever-parched canteens with cool, sweet water.

They

also

other native

fruits,

abominable

flavor.

brought us mangoes and

bidden to eat of the selves with

it,

cigars of

most

Because we were

for-

and queer fruit,

and looked

we

stuffed our-

for more.

From

2

o"

c/2

r>

o

2-

2. ^

c

crq

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

29

time to time a weary or sick soldier would lay

himself

down by

the

roadside,

picked up later on by an ambulance

;

to

be

but, as

the day wore on, the intervals of rest grew

longer

of the

We

and more frequent.

one opportunity artillery,

had but

to water the sweating horses

and then

it

was a painful

We

munched hard-tack for our noonday meal, and made merry over it, talking of the day when we should go home and feast on beans and beefsteak and matter of buckets.

countless other things of which the heathen

wot

not.

We

were intensely voluble or

by turns, and invented new nicknames for each other, which were so apt, silent

spite

of being touched with bitterness, that

And

they stuck forevermore. as I can

never, so far

remember, did any one mention the

" Maine " or Cuba Libre.

At

last,

we descended and went into camp in

shortly after sunset,

a long, steep hillside,

the valley of the Rio Grande, just without the gates of a small town, uninteresting in character,

We

and

Sabana

Grande

by

name. had marched only twelve miles, but

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

30

So, having were hungry, limp, and ugly. crammed down a hasty supper of nothing in

we made

particular,

tents, and, pulling

short

shift

of absent

our blankets to our chins,

upward to the homesick, and slept the

lay face

stars

that

made us

sleep of tired

little

children.

was wakened

I

by

in the

middle of the night

a distant jangle of sabres

hooves.

Seeing our

officer

and

of

rattle

of the day. Lieu-

tenant R. E. Callan, standing not far away

and looming gigantic against the asked him the meaning of the noise replied that

it

sky, ;

I

and he

was Captain Macomb's troop

I lit my pipe of cavalry just coming in. lieutenant of with the while a for and talked

other things than war

John Drew, till

finally

My

— Maude Adams

football, ambition,

and

and books

—

he went away to make his rounds. I dreamed of stranger

pipe went out, and

happenings than

my

longest thoughts could

fashion in the glare of day.

woke

again, reveille

to post.

And, when

I

was soaring from post

p

CHAPTER The

III

People of Puerto Rico

— The — Men

Their attitude toward the invading Americans

— —

proclamation of General Miles

vate soldier

— Depravity

and women of life

—J

hint

Justice

of the native masses

the better class

to the

BEFORE

and

the pri-

Local attributes of

weary.

proceeding further with the

it may interest know what manner of people we found the Puerto Ricans to be, and how they behaved toward us who came to them

story of our advance,

you

as

to

dogs of war.

When we

on the island, there is the mass of the population

were

no doubt that

first

regarded us with acute distrust, dislike

and

fear.

if

not with

But the prompt measures

taken by General Miles to

disabuse their

minds of any preconceived ideas of ensuing rape, robbery, or desecration, did

much

to

soothe the more ignorant and childish of the 3'

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

j2

natives, while class

the intelligent and educated

needed no further assurance than that

contained in the proclamation issued by the

commanding

general from Ponce on the 28th

of July, which was as follows

To THE

:

—

Inhabitants of Puerto Rico

:

In the prosecution of the war against the

kingdom of Spain by United

and humanity, to

the

States, in the cause its

people of the

of liberty, justice,

come

military forces have

They

occupy the island of Puerto Rico.

come bearing

the

banner of freedom,

in-

spired by a noble purpose to seek the ene-

mies of

our country and

destroy or capture resistance.

arm of is

in its justice

this

lease

yours, are

and

in

to

armed

you the fostering whose greatest power and humanity to all those bring

a free people,

living within

of

They

who

all

its fold.

occupation will

Hence

the

first

effect

be the immediate

from your former

relations,

and

it

reis

of the govern-

hoped ment of the United States. The chief object of the American military forces will be a cheerful acceptance

7i

N

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

armed authority of Spain,

to overthrow the

and

measure of liberty consist-

island the largest

ent

with

come

to

country

of your beautiful

the people

to give

make war upon that

pressed, but,

We

occupation.

this

:^:^

centuries

for

have not

the people of a

has

on the contrary,

to

been

op-

bring you

protection, not only to yourselves,

but to

promote your prosperity, and bestow upon you the immunities and your property blessings

to

of the

government. fere

;

It

liberal is

institutions

of our

not our purpose to inter-

with any existing laws and customs that

wholesome and beneficial to your people so long as they conform to the rules of military administration of order and justice. This is not a war of devastation, but one to give all within the control of its military and naval forces the advantages and blessings of are

enlightened civilization.

Nelson A. Miles, Major-General, Commanding United States Army,

The

promises set forth in

were kept to the

letter.

this

document

Indeed, Justice

sat

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

34

straight for the people of Puerto

up so

crushed

the

Rico

over backward and

that she often toppled

American

To

soldier.

steal

anything, from a kiss to a cow, was almost

while houses and churches might have been lined with gold and jasper, a capital offence

;

or infected with the small-pox, so stringently

were we kept out of them

—

at least

during

the hostile period.

This was

all

a mighty

good thing

for

somebody, no doubt, but it detracted in large chunks from the glamour of war for the soldier-boy and I fear that the majority of ;

us it

Nor

hurt, if not sorely cheated.

felt

at all

is

certain that the average inhabitant of

Puerto Rico is worth coddling, protection, prosperity, " and the immunities and blessrulers.

A

thick, stout cudgel or a bright, sharp

axe

ings " accorded

will

him by

his

new

be more effective than honeyed words

in helping him cheerfully to assimilate

ideas

;

home

though no one until the hurrah

will believe is all

it

new

here at

over and some

of the truth gets into general circulation. About one-sixth of the population in this

<

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS island

—

35

the educated class, and chiefly of

blood

pure Spanish

— can

be set

down

as

valuable acquisitions to our citizenship and

most Ameridomesticity, fidelity, and

the peer, if not the superior, of

cans in chivalry,

Of

culture.

the rest, perhaps one-half can

be moulded by a firm hand into something

approaching decency

;

but the remainder are

going to give us a great deal of trouble.

They

are ignorant, filthy, untruthful, lazy,

treacherous, murderous,

brutal,

and black-

Spain has kept her hand at their throats for

many weary

years, and the only thing that them from being throttled is the

has saved

powerful influence in their discipline effected

Roman

by the

Catholic

Church.

When

our zealous missionaries have succeeded in leading them into the confines of other creeds,

shall have all the excitement we Puerto Rico, and the part of our

we

want

in

army

stationed

there will

have no lack of

exercise.

Despite a

common

the color-line

Rico as

it

is

belief to the contrary,

drawn as rigidly in Puerto The people in Kentucky.

is

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

;^6

having nothing but Castilian blood in their veins are as proud as Virtue; and, while politics

and business see a

mixture ceases to exist

of skin-colors, the across

the

certain mingling

threshold

of home.

No

true

Spaniard would permit himself to sing of his

"coal-black lady" or his "cute

yallar

gal"

;

little

and, if he did, he would be

ostracized.

The women

are

all

very pretty or ex-

The

tremely ugly, and never simply plain. girls

of the better

class are

brought up from

babyhood under a constant surveillance that knows no laxity until after marriage, and

The does not altogether cease even then. piano or the growing bud is taught to play guitar, to embroider, to sing a little, to

a little less,

powder her very queen. she

is

dance

to speak and read French, to face with art,

She

is

and to walk

like a

usually married before

seventeen, especially

if hei* father

has

money and, until the day of her death, she never sees a modern newspaper, never goes slumming, and never soils her gentle hands ;

with work of any degree.

She

is

apt to love

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

37

her husband devotedly, and does not think

rounded until she is a mother. The men of the same social footing are

her career

fitly

not so interesting they possess

—

many

to

me

but, nevertheless,

;

which claim

characteristics

and deserve applause. never drunkards or wife-beaters

They

attention

;

are

they don't

drag their business to the dinner-table and

bed

they are not given to profane speech

;

and they show greater

interest in a sonnet

than in the price of pork. Life for both sexes and

Rico

is

a rose, a kiss,

and

grades in Puerto

a cigarette

The

laughter, and manana.

equivocally, a Paradise

all

;

and,

island if I

;

song,

is,

un-

remember

rightly, dwellers in Paradise are not expected

to labor.

These people amply

fulfil

the ex-

pectation.

If you are sick of the worry and fret and jar of

contemporaneous

you care

life

here at home,

for wide, sweet blue

flowers, crystal fountains,

if

sky, eternal

and gypsy music,

then there is no better place for you to go than to Puerto Rico. Take a bicycle

and

ride

from Ponce around the island or

38

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

straight across to

the roads, excellent

an

when

—

you do not mind sharp and sudden

or

hill

The

rain.

month

Juan, you

will find

there are roads, superlatively-

comfortable hotels stay a

You

particularly, if

occasional

shower of

San Juan.

in

;

larger cities

and,

if

you can

all

have

afford to

Ponce, Mayaguez, and San

bring back fragrant memories you many years, or else you will send for your household gods and not come back at all. And, if you don*t ride a bicycle, you will be able to get just as much pleasure from the toy railroad or wee horses when you travel about from place to place, will

that will last

while the expense in either case will be marvellously small.

5^

>

CHAPTER The Second Day We

march

from

Fijardo

scouts

—

Begins

— Removal of — — imminent

San German

to

the ambulances

— Our

IV

and

Visible

— An

their

effects

the sick

approaching Spanish force

leader

of

Concerning Senor battle

Some-

thing about the town of San German.

AT

eight o'clock in the

loth of August

brigade

broke

Grande, and moved

morning on the Schwan's

General

camp

at

Sabana

on the road to San German. order of march differed from that of the day before only in the out

The

presence of the troop of cavalry

command

;

and, the

being well rested, such progress

was made that the advance-guard reached the western side of San

German by noon

—

good ten miles. The main body halted at the same hour just outside the eastern

a

entrance to the town, preparing a makeshift

meal

;

and

at

this

point the sick, both on 39

1

40

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

their

own account and

already

crowded

make room

in the

ambulances, were

trans-

to

ferred to a private hospital.

Before

quitting

San

German, word was

brought to the commanding general the entire

men,

Mayaguez

chiefly regulars

garrison

— some

that

1,362

—-was marching in

our

and would contest our advance. This information, which proved to be corthe at once communicated to rect, was direction,

cavalry and advance-guard, with

orders to

proceed with the greatest care, and to reduce

somewhat the

distances ordinarily separating

the different parts of the column.

Our

source

of information at

this

and

other important times was a small body of native

numbering from 6 to 1 commanded by Lugo Vina,

scoutSj

men and

swarthy, wizened

looked

like

General

turn as an Indian.

who

Gomez and was

taci-

He

General Schwan to be a acter

and

force.

a

Puerto Rican,

little

was considered by

man

of great char-

These scouts were

well

mounted, and accompanied the brigade during its entire march, rendering most impor-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS and

tant

were arrested

Las

between

Three of them

service.

efficient

spies by

as

41

Spanish

Marias and

officials

Mayaguez, and

narrowly escaped being shot.

Eventually,

they suffered nothing worse than imprison-

ment when for

months

for several

at

San Juan

;

and,

the Evacuation Commission arranged

their release,

bursed them

to

the United

the

full

States

extent

reim-

of their

wages for the period of their captivity.

For the position of "alcade" or Mayor Schwan had a most difficult task. Someone thoroughly acquainted with the country and its people was wanted and the of the city of Mayaguez General

selection

fell

to a prosperous planter residing

within the jurisdiction of

had been scout

— while

— was

Mayaguez

— who

not properly speaking, a

yet of considerable service

to

General Schwan as an interpreter and guide

up

to the taking of

Mayaguez.

And

because

he had in addition been exceedingly useful to

our government before the actual breaking out of the war,

it

was the wish of General

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

42

Miles to confer upon him some suitable reward immediately hostilities were suspended. General Schwan was prepared to make this appointment, but so strong an opposition to the plan sprang spontaneously from the inhabitants of the municipality

most interested

that the appointment was held up.

After a careful consideration of

all

the re-

monstrances and the strenuous denial by the candidate of

all

desire that the

and every allegation and

his

promised honor be conferred

upon him at once and without delay, it was decided by General Schwan that in the face

much opposition there was nothing to do but to leave the residents of Mayaguez to decide the question for themselves which

of so

they did in a most emphatic manner by refusing to endorse the planter as a possibility,

and presenting the name of Senor Santiago Palmer as an acceptable party. This

latter

gentleman subsequently received

the appointment, which was satisfactory to all

concerned.

The news

that

we were about

to

meet the

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

43

Spanish forces face to face spread rapidly among the men in the ranks, and aroused

more enthusiasm than pagne

could

have

and chamNobody any

terrapin

done.

when nobody

longer complained of the heat; and, it

began to shower by

complained of

fits

and starts, There were no

that, either.

more stragglers casting a windward eye to an empty ambulance, nor growls because we pressed forward so rapidly.

On

that particular afternoon

the advance-guard; and,

I

was with

when we had learned

what we might expect before sunset, ied the as to

ate

men about me

what

action

stud-

I

with a lively curiosity

effect the probability

would have upon

of immedivisible

their

emotions.

Most of them, at least,

in

our platoon of

were boys, or

little

artillery

more than boys,

and almost without exception recruits of It might less than six months' standing. have been gravity

expected that some degree

would have crept over them

of

in the

nearness of such unpleasant possibilities

;

but

never were they more gay and care-free, to

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

44

Old jests already worn to the transport at left we shreds Guanica were once more revived, and Good-natured ironycapered with new life.

all

appearance. before

flew from lip to lip in fantastic speculation as

officers

The

promotions

probable

to

in case all the

should be killed at the

first go-ofF.

horses were told, individually and with

great tenderness, just

pected of them in

And

what every man ex-

the approaching

crisis.

no comrade gave another any instrucmother or the girl at home,

tions regarding if

he were to bite the dust.

part,

I

found

my mind

the cadences of a waltz

Somebody months

For

my own

so busy in going over I

had danced with

before that

I

could not

bring myself to consider anything else but or was it Her the beauty of its refrain eyes

?

—

—

try as

I

might.

And,

besides,

it

is

not profitable to shake hands with the devil

you are within reach of his claw. The wagon-road leading from San German, over which we were now marching, follows the valley of the Rio Grande, whose flats, varying in width from a few hundred

until

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

45

thousand yards, extend on each side to On either hand, in the ima chain of hills. mediate distance, are fields of sugar-cane, to a

bounded wherever they touch the road by wire fences.

San German, the

had just passed,

hospital,

buildings, railroad

a jurisdiction

and

theatre,

in

seminary,

a

casino.

construction, a

telegraph station.

uneven

numbering

It has three very fine markets, a

30,600. charity

a place of nearly 10,000

is

inhabitants, with

through which we

city

hill,

at

It

the

the beautiful valley

is

good school There is a

post-ofiice

situated

foot

of the

of

and

on a long, which

lies

Juanjibos and

Boqueron Rivers, which is made a veritable garden of enchantment by the orange, lemon, and tamarind trees, together with various other plants, growing there in abunThe town was founded in 151 1 by dance. Captain Miguel Toro, and has borne the title

of

city

since

streets are called

chief plaza

is

1877.

The

principal

Luna and Comercio.

of notable

size, its

church

Its is

46

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

quite regular in architecture, though of old

construction, and fantry Finally,

and it

civil

may

the barracks

guard

be said that

of the in-

merit its

mention.

citizens

have

held a distinguished record for bravery and patriotism ever since their decisive victory

over the English forces

in

1743.

CHAPTER V The Engagement Topography fired into

of the

guard comes

Schwan arrives

into

reaches

and

cavalry

General

the foe

contact

the

advance-

skirmishers

firing

body

line

Subsequent

the

Spanish retreat

com-

losses,

THE the

— Macomb's

— Our — with — The main manoeufray — — The —A

joins in

vres of our column putation of

battlefield

Spanish

by

Hormigueros

at

ensuing account of our fight with

XIII

Alphonso

Regiment

Cazadores, on the loth of August,

taken bodily from the

official

report

of is

made

by General Schwan to Major-General Miles under date of August 21 :

—

At a distance of about seven miles from Mayaguez the Rio Rosario, coming from the mile,

east,

parallels

the

road

for

nearly

a

and empties into the Rio Grande just 47

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS south of Hormigueros. A sugar-mill stands

48

just off the road to the left

;

and a wagon-

road branches off to the right, lined with

hedge and brush, and, crossing the Rosario on an iron bridge, leads to the hamlet of Hormigueros, which is located on a side hill 1,500 yards from the main road. The

ground

the

to

south

of Hormigueros

covered with banana groves and cane

At about 600

yards from where the

Hormi-

gueros road leaves the main road the crosses the

Rio Grande on

a

wooden

is

fields.

latter

bridge.

Just beyond this bridge the road to Cabo

Rojo branches off nearly

to the south.

a

mile,

point,

for

passes

through very low,

the flat

From

this

main road ground, cut

up with deep furrows, which extend to the hills on the left and the river on the right, and contain considerable water from recent To resume the narrative of the rains. day's events, near a point on the main .

.

.

road where

it

our cavalry was effect,

is

flanked

fired into,

by sugar-mills

though without

by the enemy's scouts, who were con-

cealed behind a hedge lining the

Hormi-

o w

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS gueros

The

They were

road.

and

infantry

49

easily dispersed.

having

advance-guard

passed this point, the cavalry took the latter road, and, crossing the Rosario, turned west-

advanced under

ward, and

of the

cover

—

taking every embankment until opportunity to damage the enemy by its fire

railroad

—

action

reached a position beyond

it

the

covered wooden bridge.

The German

When sent

commander had

brigade at

head of the main

the

he heard the

word

to

commanding

commands sent to

halt,

closed up.

the train.

body.

he

in his front,

firing

vance without further

San

left

officers

and

ad-

to

keep

to

their

Similar orders were

He

was informed and

approved of the route taken by the cavalry

He

before reaching the bridge. latter

crossed the

about half-past three o'clock, being

that time about

500 yards

in

at

advance of the

main body.

A to

staff officer,

select

who had been

camp, reported

at this

ground west of the Cabo suitable for this

purpose

;

sent ahead

time the

Rojo road

as

but owing to the

so

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS proximity of the enemy, whose

suspected

position had not yet been determined,

was

it

decided to push ahead and beyond the iron bridge.

This, despite the fact that the

men

had now marched 13 miles and were very Once in possession of the bridge and tired. the high ground to the north of

mand would occupy a would make it hard

it,

the com-

strong position, which to

check

advance

its

Accordingly, the advanceon Mayaguez. guard, under Captain Hoyt, moved forward,

deploying

its

advance party

as

skirmishers

supports into a line of squads.

and

its

this

formation

it

continued until

In

had ap-

it

proached the bridge within about 400 yards.

At first

this

juncture the

individual

enemy opened

The

fire.

fire, at

aimed

firing

at

the advance-guard accelerated the march of the Eleventh Infantry, which to the brigade

already

.

.

commander, whose

commenced

reported

.

staff

the demolition

had

of the

About commander caused

wire fences enclosing the road.

the

time that the brigade

the

deployment of two companies to re-enforce Major Gilbraith in the advance-guard,

—

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS command,

—

51

the enemy, from his position in

the hills to the right front, fired volleys at

the main body through the interval separat-

advance-guard from the cavalry, wounding a number of men, also an officer and several horses of the brigade Meanwhile the artillery battalion, staff. ing

the

infantry

under the authority of the brigade commander, had taken up a position to the

As

left

powder used by the enemy was absolutely smokeless, and his position being, moreover, for the most part screened by the trees along the Rio Grande, of the road.

the

the

question of the exact direction

to

be

given Major Gilbraith's detachment, and to the lines of battle about to be formed from the main column, became a most perplexing one.

Luckily, this uncertainty did not last

long,

those

of

the

enemy's bullets

that

struck the ground near us solving the prob-

Some

slight confusion was caused by and hurried deployment of the remaining companies, which interfered somewhat with the brigade commander's intention

lem.

a premature

of forming two additional

lines,

one

to sup-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

52

port the fighting line and the other to act as

a reserve, or as

the changing conditions

of the combat might render expedient.

under tion

his supervision

was

soon

this

companies

three

rectified,

But

defective forma-

being placed on the right and four companies on the

under

left

of the road, the former,

Lieutenant-Colonel

moving

Burke,

forward in support of Major Gilbraith, and the

latter

being

held

back

a

for

Major Gibraith and Colonel Burke's

time.

troops,

being unable to cross the creek, passed over the bridge that spans

it

by the

the

left flank,

former's companies having previously occu-

pied a sheltered place in a ditch parallel to

and this

to the right of the

time

the

main road.

About

advance-guard, one of the

companies of which (Penrose's) had previously held for a short time a knoll on the left

of the road,

moved forward and

crossed

the iron bridge, the advance sections of the

companies being led by Lieutenants Alexander and Wells, respectively. a time the

entire advance-guard,

After

.

.

.

including

the two Catling guns, was concentrated on

i

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS the right of the railroad.

It

^3

dislodged the

enemy, and with the cavalry troop to the the troop had arrived about this right,

—

time, after doing effective service in threat-

the

ening

enemy's

flank,

— and

the

with

companies of Major Gilbraith pushed forin the centre, took up a position on Here they were the northern line of hills.

ward

rejoined by the infantry and by two pieces

of

artillery

under First Lieutenant Archi-

commander had ordered forward, and which by

bald

Campbell, which

their fire

enemy.

the

brigade

added to the discomfiture of the The two Catling guns under Lieu-

good

tenant Maginnis, with the advance, did

work, at

first in

and

later

on

main body were of the

good view of the enemy,

at the various positions

advance-guard.

hill

where

a place near the creek

the gunners had a

of the

The two guns from also operated

during the

latter

from the stage

the crest

of the

combat.

The

affair

ended about

the troops, including

all

six o'clock

;

and

the artillery, bivou-

acked on or near the position occupied by

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

54

The wagon

the enemy.

went into park between the railroad and the Rio Grande, near enough to enable the men to get

what was necessary

during the night. Captain to

Macomb

make an

command

;

from the

hill

it.

It also

escaped some

by the artillery. had now become quite dark,

it

the captain picked

wounded

The

occupied by the

but the train got under way be-

he could reach

ing a

in,

with his troop was directed

shots that were fired at

Although

for their comfort

Before darkness set

effort to capture a railway train

in plain sight

fore

train afterward

up

it

a few prisoners, includ-

lieutenant.

difficulty in locating the

enemy, and

hence in giving proper direction to the attack has

formations,

already

been

alluded

Another cause of anxiety during the

earlier

stage of the fight were the reports that to the

brigade

commander from

to.

came

different

parts of the field, through officers, that the

enemy was

getting around our right (or

left)

and endeavoring to capture our train. There may have been some foundation for flank,

these reports

;

but, if so, the flanking parties

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

55

were probably small, and deterred from pursuing their design by our steady advance. It

may

be added

that the train was well

guarded.

Our

embraced

loss

i

man

enlisted

killed

and I officer and 1 5 men wounded. All the wounded, the surgeons say, will recover. The enemy's loss cannot be definitely ascertained, but It

it is

estimated at

probably did not

fall

1

5 killed alone.

short of 50 in killed

and wounded.

The command

continued

its

march

at

an

early hour the following morning, the advance-guard and the main body proceeding

This extra

slowly and with great caution. care

was unnecessary.

forces that were

them not

far

Those of the enemy's

held in reserve (some of

from the

city)

had

fled precipi-

tately as soon as they realized the extent of

their defeat.

In connection with the foregoing report consider the subjoined interest

:

—

document

as being

I

of

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

S6

Headquarters United States Military Expedition in Camp at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Aug. 12, 1898.

General Orders No. 14.

The sires to

his

brigadier-general

convey to the

command

commanding deand

officers

soldiers

of

thanks for their excellent

his

conduct in the engagement they had on the loth instant, near the town of Hormigueros, with

the

Concealed a

Spanish

camp

in

that

fire

Had

after a fatiguing march.

advance-guard — which — been and

latter

had the

poured

into our troops about to

disposition of the cavalry screen

infantry

vicinity.

in a strong position, they

murderous

into

forces

artillery

command been

go the

and of the

included both less perfect, or

deficient in discipline

or other soldierly qualities, such an

attack

might have proved disastrous. As it was, it was promptly and gallantly repulsed, the repulse resulting in the enemy's precipitate evacuation of the city of Mayaguez, though it

had been placed

The

in a state

major-general

of defence.

commanding

the

army

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS has been pleased to

commend

their gallant action

on

which

it

the troops for

this occasion,

affords the brigade

57

—

a fact

commander gen-

uine satisfaction to announce.

By command of Brigadier-General Schwan. Grote Hutcheson, Captain and jissistant Adjutant-General.

CHAPTER

VI

The Second Day Ends

A personal resume of the fight — Lack of melodramatic — A chance of glory — Another neglected opportunity — A glimpse of the fag — Once

accompaniments

more

A

lost

into

camp,

T

the risk of being considered tauto-

r\

logical, I

cannot refrain from devot-

ing another chapter to the

gueros fight

:

first,

experience under there are

more

because

fire

;

Our

was

my

initial

and, second, because

things in a soldier's

than are set forth in the

commanding

it

Hormi-

official

memory

report of his

general.

advance-guard, after leaving San Ger-

man, marched rapidly along the

level road

in the

Mayaguez until about three o'clock afternoon. As the head of our column

came

into view, the

leading to

country people living

along the route gathered their most precious possessions into huge bundles, and hurried s8

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS away across the

fields,

—

a sure sign that

were approaching the enemy's position. the hour mentioned

we were suddenly

59

we At set

upon by a blinding shower, and a halt was made for about fifteen minutes, when, the fury of the downpour having somewhat abated, we once more began to move ahead.

The

cavalry had gone oif on a side road some purpose not known to me, and the

for in-

fantry was deployed in long lines to the right

and

left,

rear at

At

while the artillery brought

up

the

an interval of about a hundred yards.

half-past three the skirmishers

came

to

the Rio Rosario, but, being unable to ford It,

were called back to the road and started

across the iron bridge, already described

General

Schwan.

It

was

at

this

by

moment

opened fire, concealed a dense undergrowth about 500 yards in

that the Spanish forces in

our

front.

jammed

we were, it would seem that we might have been absolutely slaughtered by the leaden hail which was poured in upon us and the only explanation of our marvellous immunity probably **

All

together as

;

;;

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

6o

lies in

the fact that the

enemy were

surpris-

whistled by our up the dirt at our feet but, though the pop of rifles made up a continuous sound like the opening of a hundred thousand beer-bottles, not a vestige of smoke ingly bad

shots.

heads,

kicked

or

rose in the clear

Bullets

air,

not a patch of hostile

uniform was to be seen.

For some reason our

infantry did not at

once reply to the Spanish fusillade ing

brief interval

this

horses were lery

and dur-

in the platoon

of

artil-

which stood idly just behind the foot-

soldiers,

—

too close, in

fact,

to be of

any

Then two Gatling guns under Lieutenant Ma-

service,

the

wounded

;

two men and two

and

in the

way of everybody.

went off into the field at our right, where they began to speak for themselves and Gatling guns in action have a mighty ginnis

upon your nerves, if they hapon your side of the fracas. Next, an order from the general sent the artillery cheerful effect

pen

to be

galloping to the rear for abour an eighth of a mile, where, after a short left

and

a

mad

race across

detour to the

swampy,

ditch-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS dug fields, it took up on a convenient knoll. our

a

6i

temporary position

The main body of command had meanwhile arrived, and

got into the row without ceremony, the

fir-

now being heavy on both sides. My memory serves me with no clear impression ing

of the sequence of events after

this period.

During the first hour of our fighting all powder used by us was as smokeless as that of the foe, and again and again the rethe

mark was passed

that this did not

the real business of war. as well

there were

was a tained

in

accompaniour stay-at-

imagination of battle scenes.

There

galloping of hooves, not long susan occasional sharp cry of command

little ;

or sharper oath jar

like

In other respects

few of the

ments that we conjure up

home

seem

an intermittent rumble and from the infrequently moved artillery, ;

not yet in action; and perhaps a groan or

two from the wounded. field-rifles

began to

when

the

boom and shroud

the

But, even

landscape in drifting smoke, the make-believe aspect of the affair did not in any degree

diminish.

There were no clouds of

dust,

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

62

no heaps of

slain,

no cheers, no desperate

charges, and not even a glimpse of the stars

and

Away

stripes.

to

see crowds of spectators

our right we could

on the elevated

plat-

form surrounding the Sanctuary of Montserand I remember thinking it was well rate ;

no admission

fee

had been charged for the

upon which they gazed, else they would have murmured themselves defrauded. My own most thrilling moments came about in this way The platoon of artillery to which I belonged had, as already related, spectacle

:

decided that

its

position directly behind the

hotly beset infantry was untenable, and con-

sequently tance.

with

all

back

fell

at speed, for

Standing at the head of the

my

before me,

faculties I

some first

dis-

piece,

engrossed by the scene

did not hear the order which

should have sent

me

scampering to

my

seat

on the limber-chest, and so suddenly found myself alone, with my comrades mounted and away in full career. A glance about me disclosed the fact that no other living thing was standing up within a radius of five hundred yards.

I

was a conspicuous mark for

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

Gi,

the eager slayers in the adjacent underbrush; and I ought, of course, to rejoin my section

me

curred to

show what running, a

So

quickly as possible.

as

I

was made

and

fill

thus winning, perhaps,

me; but

places.

also

I

would stop

I

and

pipe,

replied

stalk in

I

a

road,

comment and applause

say

occurred to

all this

happened

to

recollect the

story told of the survivor of Bull to

chance to

manner down the white

leisurely

from high

my

of.

my

light

It oc-

ran.

I

that here was

sneering

criticism

Run, who anent the

Federal retreat from that famous field by the sententious rejoinder that " all them as didn't run was there yet," I

— and

I felt

continued to sprint as

that

So

could fully appreciate the point.

I

fast as I could, leaving

the bubble Reputation for other seekers, or for I

myself upon some other day and field. afraid, and I was simply doing my

was not

duty

;

but

I

sometimes think that

I

may

have neglected the flood-tide of opportunity,

and

I

often

crises, a

wonder why,

man's mind

control his legs.

is

in

melodramatic

not always able to

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

64 I

was not alone

mantic I

the disregard of ro-

in

Later in the afternoon

possibilities.

saw a wounded private propped up against and bleeding copiously from a bullet-

a fence,

hole

extended

that

His eyes were

through

both cheeks. and he was making

closed,

As

queer noises in his throat.

happened

I

to be idle at the instant, I stepped to his side,

and inquired compassionately anything for him. spat

a jerk,

replied

forth

" If you'll

:

He a tell

my

me how

stared at

the beginning

give you a piece I've been trying

blame tune straight

minutes, but

trolley." I

I'll

face for a souvenir.

to get that fifteen

his eyes with

couple of teeth, and

of 'Sweet Marie' goes, of

And him

could do

if I

opened

for the last

my

keep getting off

he laughed a ghastly laugh. in

amazement, and then,

see-

ing that he was not delirious, strode moodily

away. was, "

What

How

that

man ought

goes the fight

water, for God's sake " ful truth that

A

;

?

but

it

have said

to

" or "

A

is

drop of

the pain-

he didn't.

striking feature of the

the thoroughly

engagement was

matter-of-fact manner

in

c 3 7q

c

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

6s

officers and men went about their There was no strutting, no posing, no shirking, but an evident intention on the part of all concerned, from General Schwan down, to do whatever had to be done without unnecessary fuss and feathers, promptly and well. I have seen far more excitement displayed on an ordinary drill-ground at home, in the piping times of peace. A sudden appearance of the flag just " after the trumpets had sounded "cease firing

which both

work.

brought moisture

toughened veteran tory

still

to ;

the eyes

of

many

a

but even then, with vic-

glowing in our grasp, there was not

the ghost of a cheer.

We

were simply more

tired and hungry than usual, and until matters had been straightened out for the night had no time for sentiment. And, when we finally

went into camp on the very field where we had just ceased fighting, we found our chief interest centred in hot coffise, crisp hard-tack,

and comfortable blankets.

We

had begun

we might have lain stiffer and night but for the whim of chance,

to realize that

starker that

and were

silent with the clacking tongue.

66

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

Hormigueros, the village which gave its name to this engagement, is a place of about 3,000 inhabitants, whose houses cluster about the base of the mountain crowned by the Sanctuary of Montserrate.

This church

is

visited by an endless stream of pilgrims, and

many

wild legends are told concerning

it.

n

CHAPTER The Occupation

ception

ner

tatters

of Mayaguez

— An and — Our memorable of Mayaguez — TVe Kentucky a swamp — The

JFe enter the

—J — Other —J

VII

city

triumph

in

enthusiastic re-

the star-spangled ban-

pretty girl

rags

incidents

description

and pitch

First

Volun-

early as half-past eight

on the follow-

our tents in teers.

AS

ing morning

— August — our 1 1

scouts

some camp of

entered the city of Mayaguez, three or four miles distant from our

the night before.

About an hour

Macomb marched

tain

his

later

Cap-

troop through

the streets, accompanied by the brigade headquarters

staff.

Many

prominent

citizens

greeted General Schwan at the Casa del Rey,

and declared themselves subject to

At

Mayaguez, with the general head, colors flying, and band

tered its

his orders.

eleven o'clock the entire brigade en-

67

riding at playing.

68

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

We

had been through

triumphal entry

this

business several times before

never grew

world like being

The

circus.

of

tired

it.

It

;

but

I,

was for

in the procession

for one, all

the

of a great

sidewalks, balconies, windows,

and roof-tops were packed with wide-eyed humanity, of all ages and conditions, hues, sizes,

and

street

corner,

of

degrees

and

in

crowds of the lower

beauty.

every

At every

square,

great

classes rent the air with

vivas and bravos, regulating their enthusiasm by the size of the guns that swung past

them.

It

is

easy

enough

for

some grades

of mankind to cheer with frenzy the appearance of a victor, no matter who he be and ;

a

Chinese host would have been received much acclaim as we were, had

with just as they

come

as

conquering heroes.

The houses

of the aristocrats sent us no demonstration of feeling one way or the other, with a single

and highly dramatic exception. We had turned from the Calle Mirasol into the Calle Candalaria, and the head of the column

startling

had

The

Plaza Principal. band had just crashed into " The Stars

almost

reached

the

I

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

69

and Stripes Forever."

Suddenly the crowd on an upper balcony of a stately house to the

was seen to sway violently

left

moment

later a beautiful

young

streaming from her eyes, leant the

rail,

and waved

a

far

crudely

and a

;

tears

girl,

out over

made Old For

Glory over the ragged ranks below.

a

we were struck dumb by this apparition. Then every hat came off; and for the first time that day we split the heavens with breath

a cheer,

was

—

lustily

infectious,

and long.

The

outbreak

and from every side the clamor

swelled and burst

seemed

till it

as if the uni-

mad tumult at the hand. Her name was

verse had vaulted into

touch

of

a

girl's

Catalina Palmer, and she has since married

an American lieutenant. ling

would

At one

say,

upon

that, as

among

after

us.

Kip-

another story.

corner a richly dressed old

threw handful coins

is

But

woman

handful of small silver

In several places

we

trod

great quantities of flowers thrown in

our path

by peasant

girls.

The

England, Germany, France, and everywhere to be seen.

The

flags

Italy,

of

were

quaintly uni-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

yo

formed

corps

of

out in

turned

firemen

with grave dignity the

we saluted immense statue of

Columbus standing

the

to do us honor, and

splendor

By

town.

those

in

who

centre

entered

of

the

Mayaguez

that day none of these things will ever be

forgotten.

From

am

a spectacular point of view I

inclined to believe that Kiralfy

would have

regarded us with scorn and derision, though FalstafF

Jack

We

pleased.

unshaven,

shevelled,

Toes were

might have been better were gaunt, bronzed, and di-

protruded full

dirty,

from

and

shoes,

tattered.

our

hats

of holes, our trousers hardly dewe limped disgrace-

served the name, and

was the popular impression in Rico that every American soldier was a full-fledged millionaire, but even they expressed some disappointment at our eviIt

fully.

Puerto

dent disregard for the external superfluities But, when you stop to conof elegance. sider

make

it,

we

love

did not go to the Antilles to the

pretty

girls.

We

quite sufficiently clothed and fed to

to

were

march

iSS.'

\

1

h.i'

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS through cities,

tropical

to

ignominious

what we were there

several

And

flight.

that

for.

the early part of the

In

take

and put our more gaudily equipped

enemies is

underbrush,

71

went into camp about

outside the city lines, and

we

afternoon

a mile

and

a

half

body

the main

remained here until August 13. The camping-ground was a bad one, lying as it did

bowl formed by a

in a

and

circle

of low

hills

was soaked and spongy to a degree

it

approaching

absolute

swampiness.

were not allowed to go into the grudgingly sat

still,

As we city,

we

and chanted our mis-

ery to the unresponsive wilderness, getting

our

feet

malaria

On

wet and gathering the frolicsome

germ by way of

interlude.

the evening of our arrival a transport

steamed into the bay, having on board the First Kentucky Volunteers, who for some weeks afterward were quartered in the town, doing provost duty and breaking hearts.

Later on

when

we came

to

know them

well

;

and,

marched away to Ponce, we them sadly. They had lots of money, and they spent it freely. We of missed

they

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

72

the regular brigade had

not been paid for

three months.

Mayaguez

a darling

is

balconies,

lattices,

with

ablaze

and

—

Behind

semicircle of green hills,

laughing

one of

sea.

his

associations

a place of

gardens

walled-in

blossoms.

on the

city

little

western coast of Puerto Rico,

lies

it

and before

it is

Columbus touched here

earlier

have

voyages, and

a

the in

historical

been accumulating ever

since.

It is the third largest

town on the

island,

having a population of 25,000, the majority of whom are white. The harbor is next best to that at San Juan,

— and

is

miles distant,

an open roadstead formed by two

projecting capes. erable

— 102

It

is

a seaport of consid-

commerce, and exports sugar,

coffee,

oranges, pineapples, and cocoanuts in large quantities,

—

principally, with

of coffee, to the United not

much

States.

the exception

Of

industry

can be said, save that there are

three manufactories of chocolate, solely for local

consumption.

lent, the

The

climate

is

excel-

temperature never exceeding 90° F.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS The

city

is

73

by tramway with

connected

the neighboring town of Aguadilla, and by

military

Hor-

Lares on one side and

railroad with

migueros on the other. hospital,

It has a civil

two

asylums,

and

public

a

handsome market,

library, three bridges, a

the best on the island, constructed entirely

of iron and stone,

— a

a slaughter-house, a theatre, a casino,

number of

societies

tion,

and commerce.

office

and telegraph

A

river

called

and

of instruction, recreaIt

has a post-

also ;

was founded

of

city in 1877.

station

1760, and given the

in

of 70,000 pesos,

at a cost

title

Mayaguez

the

divides

town into two parts, connected by two pretty iron bridges named Marina and Guenar, respectively. The sands of this the

formerly

much

and there gold still to be had from the same source, if one has energy enough to seek it. There are no less than 37 streets river

yielded

gold

;

is

—

and 4 squares, the Iglesia, and Teatro, fountains, and, in one del Teatro, well.

The

—

—

Mercado, adorned by dainty

Principal, all

instance,

a veritable ocean

Calle

— the

Plaza

of flowers as

Mendez-Vigo

is

one of

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

74

the most picturesque and attractive streets in the world.

It stretches

from one end of

the town to the other, wide and beautifully

and it is lined on either hand by the handsome houses of rich merchants. In

clean

;

the middle of

length

its

the Plaza del

lies

Flores, between the theatre and the

Moreover,

Paris.

it

dez-Vigo that there Puerto

in

Rico,

—

little

Hotel

Men-

the Calle

in

lives the

a

Esperanza

years,

is

prettiest girl

maid of sixteen by

Bages

name,

and

already famous for her charms.

The

church was

built

in

1760.

It

is

of masonry, with two towers and magnifi-

The town

cent altars.

Plaza Principal,

two

hall, situated on the good stone building of

Annexed

stories.

Rey,

a

is

to

it

is

of the military commandancy. try also

barracks a

—

Cuartel

building

of

dating from

1

848

architecture,

it

is

And now little

while,

the Casa del

1832, and serving for

built in

let

;

del

modern

The

offices

infan

Infanteria

—

is

construction,

and, though of simple

very capacious.

us leave

Mayaguez

and get on with the war.

for

a

CHAPTER The Engagement

VIII

at

Las Marias

Difficulties encountered in locating the retreating

—

Final determination

enemy

Lieutenant-

Spanish troops

one-sided encounter

truce

notification

comes

Discovery

sets forth •

come

—

— of — UnwelLas Marias — J — The of of — Our up — Burke

Colonel

near

upon pursuit

rest

the brigade

Feeding the prisoners

disappoint-

ment.

Headquarters Independent Brigade (Regulars), Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Aug. 22, 1898.

General

J.

Gilmore,

C.

Headquarters

Army,

of the

Ponce, P.R.

SiVy

—

.

.

.

Detachments from the cavalry

troop went out (from Mayaguez) in the after-

noon of the nth on both roads leading to Lares but the left hand or westerly of these ;

roads was followed only a short distance, information, thought

to

been received to the

effect that the

be

reliable,

the enemy's force had taken the 75

having

bulk of

more

east-

— YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

76

on which the town of Maricao is This part of the force was reported

erly road, situated. as

making

fair

headway, having only a packReports also came

train as transportation.

to brigade headquarters that Spanish troops

numbers, coming

large

in

places,

from

different

— including Aguadilla and Pepino,

my command. While not impressed with the accuracy of were concentrating to attack

these reports,

I

had the outposts strength-

ened, and placed a field officer in charge of

A

them.

party from the outposts, sent to

reconnoitre the

Las Marias road, brought

word on the afternoon of the 12th rear-guard of the Spanish was

that the

within five

still

miles of Mayaguez, and proceeding slowly. I

immediately determined to pursue and,

if possible, to

and

capture or destroy this force,

at first resolved to

entire

command.

On

move out

reflection,

with the

however,

I

realized that there were objections to such a

course.

were latter

in

The

city

and surrounding country

an unsettled and excited

state,

the

swarming with guerillas, deserters, and I had no accurate ^knowledge

bushwackers.

Ws

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS of the

77

and location of the

spirit, strength,

forces, supposed to be within easy Mayaguez. Then, too, the rest of reach of my command, already worn down by the exhausting marches and operations beginning on the 9th, had been seriously broken in upon by heavy outpost duty and drenching rains, which latter had made their camp a

enemy's

Furthermore, the road

veritable mud-hole.

to Lares, except for the first eight miles out,

was said to be vehicles

;

and

all

but impassable for wheeled

this

reminded

might have to go

that I

Aguadilla.

me

commanding had

major-general

I

to

that the

intimated

Lares by way of

therefore concluded

to

de-

spatch a reconnoissance in force, under Lieu-

tenant-Colonel Burke, Eleventh Infantry, to harass the

enemy and

in

every way.

of

six

to retard its progress

The detachment was made up

companies of infantry and one platoon

each of cavalry and artillery, and started at ten

o'clock

a.m. on

August

given ample transportation for rations

12. its

and the infantrymen's packs.

therefore as mobile as

it

could be

It

was

three days' It

made

was

with-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

78

Hindered by excessive heat, followed by heavy showers, it marched only to a point where the two roads, above pack-train.

out a

—

or mentioned, are joined by a cross-road, Colfrom hear not did I about nine miles.

Burke during the night, as I had hoped and the remainder of my command had to its wagons packed, and was preparing to pull out on the morning of the 13th, when a courier came to me from him with a report

onel ;

of the

difficulties that

had retarded

his

prog-

and of the presence of a Spanish force near Las Marias, variously estimated at from This force, the colonel 1,200 to 2,500. defensive position and a up taken had said,

ress,

;

he was moving toward

it

.

.

.

Respectfully submitted,

Theodore Schwan, Brigadier-General Commanding,

Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Aug.

My first

time,

dear Gilmore,

— Availing myself of

breathing-spell I

16.

I

have had

for

the

some

wish in this informal way and in

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS my

advance of

79

regular report to say a few

words to the general and yourself regarding our last Saturday's work (August 13).

As soon

as the result of the Hormigueros about became known in Mayaguez Colonel Soto, the nine o'clock on the loth commander, " pulled up stakes." That the fight

—

—

Spanish troops

left in

the greatest hurry the

condition of their barracks abundantly evi-

denced.

Our advance-guard found

entirely clear of the Spanish,

and

the city

I

ordered

my

cavalry to

The

cavalry took the right-hand road of the

keep

in

touch with

them.

two roads leading to Lares, over which some of the Spanish troops had actually gone in the

and

still

thoroughly ing

it

and

evening the troop commander reported

that they were between seven off,

;

retreating.

tired.

No

My

and ten miles command was

one without witness-

can conceive the distress an infantry

soldier suffers climate, in a

while marching in this hot

deep column, weighted down as

and some rest seemed actually imperative. But the next morning I found that the main body of the he

is

even without his pack

;

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

8o

Spanish had taken the westerly (or road to Lares, and early being

many

left

on Friday

hand)

—

there

other things to engage the atten-

—

I started Burke tion of myself and troops out in pursuit, with about 700 men, all told. I overtook him Saturday morning about three

and one-half miles north of Las Marias. His infantry had pulled his guns over roads that His troops were were almost perpendicular. exchanging shots

at

long range across a deep

valley with the retreating Spaniards,

most of

had forded (losing a lot of men, who were drowned) a deep and rapid river known Our fire in that country as the Rio Prieto.

whom

had already demoralized the thoroughly

dis-

heartened and half-famished Spanish soldiers

and

their rear-guard, at least,

ganized and hiding in the

A

company of

brought

in,

forty

odd

mals,

etc.

;

was also disor-

hills.

infantry

I

had sent out

about ten o'clock in the evening,

number of pack-aniOur men were thoroughly worn

prisoners, a

by the day's work. Early the next morning I had four companies of infantry, the cavalry, and two guns ready to resume out

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS the pursuit.

And

there cannot be the

of a doubt that, had

I

had

should have taken Lares

;

five

have the most

shadow

more hours,

I

for that the flying

Spaniards had prepared to abandon I

8i

it

at

once

But

reliable information.

at this particular juncture the notice that

hos-

would be suspended came to me. No troops ever " suspended " with worse grace. We had given the Spanish no peace, and had tilities

taken

all

the

starch

out of them.

The

colonel

and lieutenant-colonel had surren-

dered.

Their troops were utterly demoral-

ized and disintegrated.

deprive us of the

It

seemed

which we had labored so hard

we had

to

bow

the general read

a pity to

of a victory for

full fruits

;

but of course

to the inevitable.

Please

let

this.

Faithfully your friend,

Theo. Schwan.

The onel

part of our

DeRussy

set

command

left

under Col-

out on the morning of the

13th to join the rest of the column, whose

movements you have already followed

in

82

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

the preceding documents.

The

last

detach-

ment found it no less difficult to make headway than had the first and on the morning ;

of the 14th the entire brigade was so broken up and strung out that its head and tail were a

good nine miles

apart.

had been experienced

So much trouble

in getting the artillery

up the incredibly steep mountain-sides that no one had been able to give assistance or even thought to the hopelessly embarrassed wagon-train, and consequently tically

without

hours.

When

we were

prac-

food for over twenty-four at last

something to eat did

come plodding along, we were obliged to put up with half-rations in order that our little collection

of recently acquired prisoners might

be fed.

At

prisoners

must have been the hungriest

of

men

a conservative estimate, those

ever

that

laid

down

their

lot

arms.

There were less than sixty of them, and they drew rations for about 1,200. However, they were fed

;

and we had the consolation

of realizing that victory, like some other things of less familiar acquaintance,

reward.

By noon on

is its

own

the 14th, everything

^

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS was once more

in order

ceased to wonder

managed

how

and

;

I

those

83

have not yet in

authority

to erase so quickly the chaos of the

night before.

The engagement

Las Marias, while not particularly momentous in itself, was noteworthy as being the last between our forces at

and those of Spain during the recent war. I do not believe that the knowledge of this fact

— even had we possessed

— would have

it

time

materially consoled us for the

disappointment we

felt

in being obliged to

stop shooting just

when we had

do

;

it

at the

so beautifully

but,

still, it is

to have been in at the finish.

learned to

something

CHAPTER The

district ities

The

—A

Won

Territory

— and — Extent of — — — — Labor and — — Rents and

General Schwan returns pleasure

IX

to

we

custom

Mayaguex

the

Jguadilla

captured by our brigade

the

for transportation cost

workmen

of living

— A word

ON

real estate

Skilled

i6j in obedience to orders

Army

Schwan

Facil-

laborer

about investments.

August

from

Business

abolished

left

Headquarters, the bulk

in the positions they

General

of his troops

had respectively occu-

pied at the time of the receipt of the truce, and, accompanied by the artillery, returned to

Mayaguez.

The

had not yet recovered from the ferment into which they had been thrown by our advent, and people of

went about

in a state of

expecting

know

I

this city

tremulous

not what.

did not seem to arrive

;

and

titillation,

At any

rate,

after a

day or

two had passed without any sign of 84

it

fell

A

Ruined Church along our Line of March,

A

Puerto Rican Laundrv

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS upon our

intent

themselves

part the merchants allowed

coaxed

be

to

of business.

places

85

The

back into cafes

their

were once

Semi-weekly concerts were

more thronged.

given in the Plaza Principal by the band of

Eleventh Infantry and the Banda del

the

Balls, dinnerBomberos, in alternation. parties, and flirtations resumed their interrupted course, gathering new zest and brill-

iancy from

the foreign element within the

All the Americans began to study

gates.

Spanish, and

all

the Puerto Ricans to study

English, without particularly gratifying results

on

Cocking-mains, local

either side.

games of chance, and more ties

were

set forth for the delectation

private soldiers

edge of

hectic immorali-

;

while

at least

fight, that

may be

I

of the

have personal knowl-

one quasi-clandestine bullbest described as a furtive

fizzle.

measures were taken by the brigade commander to prevent anything resembling Strict

conduct among

men, and though these laurel-crowned heroes, under the influence of a wonderfully cheap rum.

disorderly

his

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

86

were seized

at

odd moments with an evident

desire to start the

was not much

war

difficulty

taining a degree of

all

over again, there

encountered in main-

decorum

that was highly

satisfactory.

The

sanitation

of the municipality was

rigorously inquired into, and regulated it is

only justice to the residents of

to say that

little

;

but

Mayaguez

reform was necessary in this

regard, as the current statistics of mortality

Of the few and disease amply proved. changes made, however, one may be specifimentioned. was the custom whenever a peasant died to carry the corpse to the cemetery in a at transient rates, and then, coffin hired

cally It

having

dumped

the deceased into a shallow

grave, to return what

is

facetiously

the " wooden overcoat " to for further service.

its

known

as

original owner,

This was bad enough,

considering the danger of infection thus en-

but much worse remains behind. seems that the plot of ground reserved So for dead paupers was very circumscribed. it had become necessary to bury four or five

gendered It

;

Watering the Artillery Horses

A

Native Bull-team.

at

Yauco.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

87

bodies in the same hole, the last one in being

perhaps no more than six inches from the light

of day.

And,

were not already

as if this state

of

affairs

horrible,

sufficiently

we

found that the congestion was sometimes still

further relieved

by

emptying removed being

a wholesale

of graves, the bones thus

thrown into

some

corner above

adjacent

ground, where they lay undisturbed hot sunshine and

in the

This

smelt to heaven.

ghastly practice was summarily stopped.

If you will

take a

map

of Puerto Rico

and cut off the western section by drawing a line from Guanica through Lares to Camuy,

you

once the extent of the

will see at

terri-

brought under American control by General Schwan. The principal towns of

tory

this

section,

described, are

in

addition

to

those

already

Aguadilla, Maricao, Anasco,

Cabo Rojo, Lares, and Las Marias; but none of these places are important enough to call

for detailed notice, with

exception

of the first-named.

Aguadilla, while

it

the possible

This

city,

has a population of only

;

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

88

5,500,

notable as being the most pictur-

is

esque town on the entire island.

It is the

and port of the surrounding district and, though the climate is hot, it is remarkacapital

The

bly healthful.

Mona

facing

quen and the Rio Culebrinas. hind

the

rises

Mountain,

steep

;

Jaicoa

slopes covered with orange,

its

in

bewildering pro-

while half-way to the summit there

gushes forth a

fairylike, crystal stream,

flows directly through the

ing into the bay. little fort

of

town before empty-

antique church and a

beauty of the picture, when

viewed from the this

An

which

guns, called Conception, add

1 1

to the scenic

spoil

Directly be-

green-crested

lemon, and palm trees fusion

of shore

site is a stretch

Channel, between Cape Borin-

Tourists will probably

sea.

lovely town

before the end of

another decade, but at present

it is

a quiver-

ing page of romance.

Of

the

facilities for

part of Puerto Rico, are either extremely

The

it

transportation in this

may

be said that they

good or extremely bad.

former condition prevails generally in

the valleys, and the latter

among

the hills

On

The

the

Road

Best OutHt

in

to Lares.

our

Wagon

Train.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

89

There are several interrupted Hnes of railroad, and burros are used toward the

considerable

a

to

interior.

but

planters

;

nication

and

of the

extent

by the

inland

of

commu-

far the greater part

carriage

accompUshed by way

is

sea.

Labor here, as elsewhere in the tropics, is to be had very cheaply, but is uncertain, sluggish, and dishonest. A man for plantacan be tion work hired for almost nothing a day, but he will not earn even that unless he

driven at the point of a machete.

is

local

peon

desires to toil

The

no longer than

is

necessary to obtain the bare wherewithal to fill

his

Then

belly.

he dreams away the

remainder of the day, smoking the eternal cigarette

;

perhaps rousing himself sufficiently

to pick the strings of a guitar in the cool

the evening

— and

this, at

least,

does well.

He

not

all

is

at

improve his condition, and he any better than he is to-day. will

be

much

worse.

and burn haciendas if

he

is

all

He

of

the beggar

ambitious to will

will

never be

Probably he cut throats

the gay year round

not allowed to gang his ain

gait.

We

;

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

90

are going to reform him, of course

the day will to

come when we

look Spain in the

face.

;

but

—

be ashamed

shall

In Cuba this as " patriots "

man's brothers were known which meant that they were soldiers when there was any work to be done, and laborers ;

when

on hand.

fighting was

In

my

opinion,

they are vicious beasts.

The

cost of living naturally hinges

the price of labor

;

and so one may

drink in Puerto Rico for a song.

trifle

upon

eat

and

more than

a

Fruit and vegetables are cheap and

plentiful,

though

almost a luxury

;

flour

is

so costly as to be

while the meats are neither

low in price nor good

in quality.

fowls are to be had for very

Excellent

little

money.

Milk is dear and dangerous butter is only known as it appears in cans from Denmark ;

and all the other dairy products are of the meanest description. Still, one can live with pleasure and comfort upon the many peculiarly native articles

of subsistence

in

common

use.

Rents are low, but satisfactory houses are

seldom to be had when they are wanted.

Promenade of the Fleas''

When

only

One Man

in

Yauco.

gets a Letter.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS There

is

always

towns

larger

room

in

91

the hotels of the

and, until one can build for

;

himself, a hotel offers a very pleasant substitute

—

at a slightly increased expense.

Land,

for building purposes, or in an unimproved state,

can be leased for a

sum

that

is

almost

nominal, except in a few highly favored localPurchasers of land

ities.

likely

to

are

more than em-

find themselves immediately

broiled in a lawsuit over the flaw exists in

your

title,

then

it

title.

If no

does exist in

one that was drawn up a hundred years ago and in either case the result is the same

—

you

lose.

Skilled

workmen

any branch of industry

in

not find a good

will

field for their abilities

in Puerto Rico, at least not for a few years

to

come.

their

If there were any

services,

— which

would not be able

to

there

demand isn't,

command

for

— they

anything

approaching the standard of wages usual in the United States.

To

the investor, dairy farms, ice-plants,

transportation schemes, and bar-rooms offer

tempting

possibilities,

—

I

reserve agriculture

92

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

for separate consideration,

too

forcibly

— but

emphasized

money, good-health,

it

that

patience,

and

cannot be

plenty

of

a smatter-

ing of the Spanish language are absolutely indispensable requisites to the foreigner try-

ing to do business on this island.

The "Weary

A

Travellers' Spring/' near Aiiasco.

Crude Sugar Mill near Las Marias.

CHAPTER X The End

of the Campaign

—

The soldier-boy and Arrival of the mail-steamer The greater part of the brigade is his letters

—

Mayaguex — — Material of — General Schwan

quartered

Rico

Agriculture

in

well order

Puerto

in

our campaign

result

— A fare-

departs for the United

States.

ON

the 19th of

August

into the harbor,

the

first

those

letters

bringing us

we had

beginning of July.

a steamer

came

a mail,

received

since the

If the people

who wrote

could have seen the happiness

they wrought

upon

their distant boys, I

sure they would have been surprised

touched.

Again

and

—

again

we read

am and the

the cat was dead, or simple news of home, little sister had the mumps, or father had built a new fence around the back pasture,

and wars and kings and presidents faded into 93

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

94

forgetfulness before the heart to heart talks that had I

come from

don't

over-seas.

suppose there

knows the value of

A

soldier does.

is

anybody

that

a letter better than a

few blotted lines from his

mother or sister or sweetheart are meat and drink and fine raiment for his soul. He feels brave again and good again and homesick again. He makes life a burden for the whole camp until he has borrowed or stolen a scrap of paper and a stubby pencil

—

wherewith to make reply.

some convenient

He

spot, with

sits

down

emotion

in

fairly

oozing from every pore, and for a solid hour

he wrestles with

The

result

his tools

probably

He

please him.

does

feels that

and vocabulary. not

altogether

he has said too

much about

his lack

of his

the flatness of his purse.

the

fare,

love and

of socks, the toughness

tenderness he meant

All

to set

down have somehow

refused to leave him,

even

But he knows he

in description.

be massacred

if

will

he goes howling for more

and so he sends off^ what he has written, counting the weary days until his

paper

;

A

very Popular Spot.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS The man who

answer comes.

first

95

invented

writing was, without doubt, the greatest

man

that ever lived.

On August but

25 it was decided to bring all companies of the brigade into

four

Mayaguez, chiefly because a great had begun to spring up in This was accordingly outlying camps.

quarters at

deal of sickness

the

done.

and prosperity have

Scientific agriculture

long been regarded as almost synonymous terms in Puerto Rico.

The provincial government established and maintained an experimental station at Rio the purpose of promoting a knowledge of the native soil-prodand the results of this step have proved

Piedras,

for

technical

ucts

;

invaluable. tion,

recent director of the sta-

Senor Fernando Lopez Tuero, wrote,

while in cal

The

office, several

agriculture

;

which

pains to translate in

monographs on

tropi-

have been

some

I

my

at

search for absolutely

reliable information relating to that subject.

Senor Tuero

is

considered, to be a high and

— YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

g6

conservative authority by those of his com-

who

patriots feel

judge

are best able to

and

;

I

confident that the following estimates

are nearly, if not entirely, correct

The

chief agricultural

:

—

products

of

the

island are cotton, rice, cacao, corn, cocoanuts,

bananas,

pepper, coffee, all

tobacco,

sugar, pineapples,

these

I

shall

vegetable

and

vanilla.

dyes,

Of

only pause to deal here with

the last four.

Coifee

and

sugar

are

regarded

by the

Puerto Ricans as their most valuable crops.

come

into full

bearing, and during this time will

cost an

The

first

takes six years to

expense of about 162 pesos an acre, with a return in the last year of 86 pesos an acre, a net deficit for the full period of 76 pesos.

Afterward the expense should be about 66

and the return 90 pesos. Sugar requires a heavy investment at the A plantation of 250 acres, together start. with the necessary buildings and machinery,

pesos

an acre,

about 52,500 pesos. The total cost of a crop, from beginning to end, should be 152 pesos an acre, and the return about

will call for

170.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS A

97

pineapple plantation, for the investor

of limited means, ought to prove profitable

and encouraging. The first year of cultivation will produce a crop, at a final cost of 40 pesos an acre, including the land-rent.

put down

The

200 pesos, leaving a return is It would gorgeous net profit of 160 pesos. that under such circumstances perhaps seem it

odd

is

that there

of

raising

at

this

fruit

not a more general

is

by the

planters

local

but the reason for an apparent neglect of a

golden opportunity

lies

the

in

difficulties

heretofore encountered in finding swift and

adequate transportation from

With

this

field to

handicap removed there

doubt that pineapple-growing tempting industry.

The the

vanilla bean, however,

list

from

its

in the claim

culture.

It

will

zling.

—

little

a

of profit to be derived is

said that the yearly

manure and

94 pesos an

irrigation.

the annual return for every acre

652 pesos,

is

become

king-pin of

is

cost of raising the crop will be acre, chiefly for

market.

a net profit that

is

is

And

figured at fairly

daz-

:

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

98

While

these details

all

many

digressed so

properly form

— which have — do not I

times to give

a part

of the story of our

by no means unusual for one who has put his hand into a grab-bag to look carefully and well at the prize withAnd that is what I have been drawn. campaign, yet

it

is

doing.

The

material result of General Schwan's

campaign may be

He

marched

his

briefly

summarized thus

command

ninety-two miles

fought two successful engage-

in eight

days

ments

expelled the Spanish forces from the

;

;

entire western part

of Puerto Rico

;

captured

and occupied nine towns; and took ^62 prisoners, including

lieutenant-colonel, officers.

of arms,

Colonel

and

four

Villeneuve, a

other regular

In addition he seized 450 stands 145,000 rounds of ammunition,

and ten thousand dollars

in silver coin.

His

and 16 wounded against a total of 20 killed and 50 wounded on the side of the enemy. loss

was

On

I

killed

August 27 the general

issued a fare-

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS well order to his brigade,

quote "

:

—

On

to the

from which

command

relinquishing his

United

commanding

States, the

of

the

briefly

to return

brigadier-general

and to the officers and

to congratulate,

desires

return his heartfelt thanks to, soldiers

I

99

regular

brigade

for

their

achievements and excellent conduct during the last eighteen days.

.

.

.

Our

troops have

continued to hold their advanced positions

and

outpos-ts until

assured,

now, when, peace being

but a small fraction have been

all

brought to comparatively comfortable barcity. The hardships endured on the march and at these outposts have But these hardships have been great. been cheerfully borne by officers and men.

racks near this

.

.

.

murmur

has been heard, despite the

fact that nearly

one-fourth of the strength

Not

a

of most organizations

is

on

sick-report, their

ailments being directly caused by the expos-

ure incident to this campaign.

" Less than three weeks have been occupied

by the campaign, yet a bond of sympathy

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

loo

between

officers

and

soldiers has

been estab-

lished that years of peace could

not have

engendered.'*

On the following morning, accompanied by Lieutenant G. T. Summerlin, his aide-de camp, General Schwan left Mayaguez for Ponce, where he boarded the transport " Chester," and returned to the United States.

The campaign lar

of the Independent Regu-

Brigade was thus brought to an

end.

official

A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF BRIG-

ADIER-GENERAL SCHWAN. Theodore Schwan was born 1

He

841.

came

tory schools of his native land, but States

Germany,

in

when he was

as a private in the

He

Tenth

Infantry on June 12, first

He was made

received his commission. Infantry, April 9,

December, 1864;

i

864

a

enlisted

1857; and

sergeant,

quartermaster-sergeant until October 31, 1863,

ter in

9,

the United

to

about sixteen years old.

served successfully as corporal, sergeant,

Tenth

July

received his earlier education in the prepara-

first

and

when he

lieutenant.

regimental quartermas-

;

March

a captain,

14, 1866; a

major. Eleventh Infantry, and assistant adjutant-general, July 6,

1886;

a lieutenant-colonel

general, February 19, tant-general.

promotion

in

May

1895

;

18, 1898.

the regular

and

a colonel

Two

and

in

Act of Congress, approved March several times during the

whole years,

military is

career,

adjutant-

assistant adju-

weeks before

army he was appointed

dier-general of volunteers,

tain that rank until July

assistant

and

i,

War

his last

briga-

accordance with the 2,

1901.

i

899, he will

He

re-

was brevetted

of the Rebellion, and his

covering a period of forty-two

absolutely devoid of blemish.

APPENDIX I

The

following

officers

received

distinguished

General Schwan's reports, for service rendered under fire during the campaign in vv^estern Puerto Rico

mention

in

:

Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, Eleventh Infantry. * Major Gilbreath, Eleventh Infantry. Captain P. M. B. Travis, Eleventh Infantry. Captain R. W. Hoyt, Eleventh Infantry. Captain A. L. Myer, Eleventh Infantry. Captain Penrose, Eleventh Infantry. Captain Macomb, Fifth Cavalry. Acting Assistant Surgeon Savage. Lieutenant Odon Gurvoits, Eleventh Infantry. Lieutenant T. F. Maginnis, Eleventh Infantry. Lieutenant Alexander, Eleventh Infantry. Lieutenant Wells, Eleventh Infantry. Lieutenant W. S. Valentine, Fifth Cavalry. Lieutenant Rogers F. Gardner, Third Artillery. In addition to those named above, special and was displayed by Major E. A.

valuable efficiency

Root, engineer; Major H. H. Benham, ordnance; * Died of apoplexy on August 2Z, 1898, while Marias.

103

in

camp near Las

;

I04

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

Major Egan, brigade-surgeon Captain Buchanan, Collector-of-the-Port at Mayaguez Captain Da;

;

Captain Hutcheson, assistant adjutant-general; and Captain Elkins,* Lieutenant Byron, and Lieutenant Summerlin, aides-de-camp. vison, brigade-quartermaster

;

II

In connection pressed

opinion

with

the

regarding

present writer's

the

relative

ex-

practical

value of regulars and volunteers in modern warfare, the following excerpt from the Chicago Record of November 3, 1898, is worth reading.

Captain Avid Wester, the Swedish officer who accompanied the American army in Cuba, in order to study the war, has just returned to Sweden. During his stay in Gothenburg he was interviewed, and he seems now to have a more sympathetic view of the Americans the volunteers excepted than former reports indicated. Captain Wester greatly praised the treatment he had received from all the American officers, and the bravery of the Americans in the regular army. " Of the 18,000 men under the command of General Shafter," he says, " only 4,000 were volunteers or militiamen the rest consisted of regulars, which had had an average service of six years on the borders of the Indian territory. They were very good and well-

—

—

* Wounded

at battle of Hormigueros.

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS disciplined soldiers,

105

who went into battle with comThe militia regiments,

plete disregard of death.

however, could not be got within range of the Spanish bullets, and all the stories about the heroism of volunteers are untrue. The only volun-

who distinguished themselves were the rough riders,' who, in spite of their name, fought on foot, but these men were not a militia regiment. The troop consisted of cowboys and adventurers, who cared neither for life nor death, but rushed blindly into battle. Brave fellows withal." After praising the bravery of the Spaniards and the accuracy of their fire, Captain Wester expresses the belief that with modern rifles in use it is of the greatest importance to have welltrained soldiers, who in the heat of battle retain their coolness and listen to their officers' directions and commands, in a word, soldiers who retain good firing discipline. This, he says, cannot be expected of men with short time of training, on whom the din of battle often has so paralyzing an effect that the soldier can neither hear nor see. teers

'

—

Ill

The question concerning the quality of the beef served as a ration to our troops during the recent war in Cuba and Puerto Rico, and aboard the transports has already been pretty thoroughly

—

—

answered, one way or the other. topic

is

worn

Yet, though the

nearly threadbare and admittedly has

io6

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

nothing in particular to do with General Schwan*s campaign, I venture to make, m this place, a personal contribution to the discussion in the form of an extract from a letter, written by me from Mayaguez on September 15, 1898.

"

Our rations [on the transport Comanche "] consisted of hard tack, coffee, canned baked-beans, Becanned tomatoes, and canned " roast beef." fore we arrived at Key West the baked-beans had all been eaten and the water in the tanks had gone so that we rotten we carried no condenser were reduced to the rather monotonous diet of tomatoes for breakfast, tomatoes and canned roast beef for dinner, and tomatoes again for supper; with a full allowance of coffee and hard tack at all

—

—

three meals.

Anybody will be pretty

were

hungry

able to understand that

thirsty too

—

we were

end of the second day.

at the I

paid as

much

as

fifty

—

We cents

but I will of ice-water from the cabin had seen the piles of neat cans, labelled " roast beef," stacked up on the dock at Port Tampa, and we were impatient for the first mess-call that made us acquainted with the contents of those cans. I regret that I cannot adequately describe to you the appearance of the stuff. I will simply say that it looked filthy, was covered with a sort of slime, and emitted a nauseous odor. It was very hard to even gaze at it and remain unmoved, but we did more than that we tried to eat it. - I managed to swallow three for a glass

skip the mass of details.

—

We

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS

107

mouthfuls and immediately became wretchedly sick. The example seemed to be popular. On the succeeding day we were each given an unopened can of the meat, which was supposed to last us for twenty-four hours. Most of the men threw their portions overboard at once; a few packed away the " corpse *' as we already called it for purposes of trade with the unsophisticated Cubans ; and I kept my can as a souvenir. I did not, however, keep it long ; for, chancing to drop it upon the deck, the contents exploded with a distinct report, startling me not a little and covering my person with the debris. At the time I thought this experience was going to be altogether unique, but I discovered afterward that the same thing happened in a great many other instances. Having abandoned the beef, we were forced to subsist on hard tack and tomatoes for the rest of the voyage, and hailed with joy our anchorage at

—

—

Daiquiri.

But we were too previous.

During

our ten days* stay in Cuba we found the " corpse " still waiting for us in the mess, and we carried the ghastly burden along when we finally steamed away for Puerto Rico. landed at Guanica on the 25th of July, which meant that we had been half-starved for '* twenty-two days. had forgotten the " Maine and would have greeted Weyler himself with a glad sweet smile, had he come bearing in his hands food fit for a human being. Once more disembarked, we lost sight of the canned roast beef for good save at extremely rare intervals

We

We

—

io8

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS We

while on the march.

found no

difficulty in

eating the beef obtained from Puerto Rican steers,

although it was tough and bloodless ; and we received salt pork often enough to furnish variety. After the cessation of hostilities we began to

American beef instead of the native article, and, while it was by no means so impossible a food as its canned cousin, it certainly could not be

get

called delicious. It smelled badly before it was cooked, was rigid and stringy when served, and had a rank taste, like well like nothing else on

—

earth.

Our

sick-list

doubled

at this time.

IV

A

LIST

American

of the

killed

side, at the

and

wounded on

the

near Hormigueros,

battle

Puerto Rico, on the loth of August, 1898.

Killed,

Fred Fenneberg, private Eleventh Infantry.

in

Company " D,"

Wounded. Lieutenant J. C. Byron, Eighth United States Cavalry, R. D. C.

John Bruning, corporal

in

Light Battery " D,"

Fifth Artillery.

George Curtis, Fifth Artillery.

private in Light Battery

" D,"

YAUCO TO LAS MARIAS Samuel G. Frye, private

109

Light Battery " D,"

in

Fifth Artillery.

Willard H. Wheeler, sergeant in Company " A," Eleventh Infantry. Joseph P. Ryan, corporal in Company "A,"

Eleventh Infantry. Arthur Sparks, private in Company " C," enth Infantry. John L. Johnson, corporal in Company Eleventh Infantry. Sanders, private in Company " D," J. A. enth Infantry. Harry E. Arrick, private in Company Eleventh Infantry.

Henry

Gerrick,

private

Eleventh Infantry. Paul F. Mitzkie, private Eleventh Infantry.

William Rossiter, Eleventh

Lemuel

Elev-

" D," Elev-

" E,"

in

Company " E,"

in

Company " E,"

in

Company " G,"

private

Infantry. P.

Cobb, private

Eleventh Infantry. D. J. Graves, private Eleventh Infantry. Amos Wilkie, corporal Eleventh Infantry.

Company "I,"

in

in

Company " M,"

in

Company "

M,''

Injured.

Frank Muller,

private in

Company " E,"

Elev-

enth Infantry.

Augustus H. Ryan, private Eleventh Infantry.

in

Company "

F,''

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