i3 2 The Rough Riders 



mander, was hit by a shrapnel bullet. He continued 

 on the line, firing 1 until his arm grew numb ; and he 

 then refused to go to the rear, and devoted himself 

 to taking care of the wounded, utterly unmoved by 

 the heavy fire. Trooper Hugo Brittain, when 

 wounded, brought the regimental standard forward, 

 waving it to and fro, to cheer the men. 



No sooner were we on the crest than the Span- 

 iards from the line of hills in our front, where they 

 were strongly intrenched, opened a very heavy fire 

 upon us with their rifles. They also opened upon us 

 with one or two pieces of artillery, using time fuses 

 which burned very accurately, the shells exploding 

 right over our heads. 



On the top of the hill was a huge iron kettle, or 

 something of the kind, probably used for sugar re- 

 fining. Several of our men took shelter behind this. 

 We had a splendid view of the charge on the San 

 Juan block-house to our left, where the infantry of 

 Kent, led by Hawkins, were climbing the hill. 

 Obviously the proper thing to do was to help them, 

 and I got the men together and started them volley- 

 firing against the Spaniards in the San Juan block- 

 house and in the trenches around it. We could only 

 see their heads ; of course this was all we ever could 

 see when we were firing at them in their trenches. 

 Stevens was directing not only his own colored 

 troopers, but a number of Rough Riders; for in a 



