8o The Rough Riders 



we should meet the Spaniards on the morrow, Fish 

 occasionally asking a question. They were both 

 filled with eager longing to show their mettle, and 

 both were rightly confident that if they lived they 

 would win honorable renown and would rise high 

 in their chosen profession. Within twelve hours 

 they both were dead. 



I had lain down when toward midnight Wood 

 returned. He had gone over the whole plan with 

 General Young. We were to start by sunrise 

 toward Santiago, General Young taking four troops 

 of the Tenth and four troops of the First up the 

 road which led through the valley; while Colonel 

 Wood was to lead our eight troops along a hill-trail 

 to the left, which joined the valley road about four 

 miles on, at a point where the road went over a 

 spur of the mountain chain and from thence went 

 down hill toward Santiago. The Spaniards had 

 their lines at the junction of the road and the trail. 



Before describing our part in the fight, it is nec- 

 essary to say a word about General Young's share, 

 for, of course, the whole fight was under his di- 

 rection, and the fight on the right wing under his 

 immediate supervision. General Young had obtained 

 from General Castillo, the commander of the Cuban 

 forces, a full description of the country in front. 

 General Castillo promised Young the aid of eight 

 hundred Cubans, if he made a reconnaissance in force 



