136 The Rough Riders 



men of the various regiments which were already on 

 the hill came with a rush, and we started across the 

 wide valley which lay between us and the Spanish 

 intrenchments. Captain Dimmick, now in com- 

 mand of the Ninth, was bringing it forward; Cap- 

 tain McBlain had a number of Rough Riders mixed 

 in with his troop, and led them all together; Cap- 

 tain Taylor had been severely wounded. The long- 

 legged men like Greenway, Goodrich, sharpshooter 

 Proffit, and others, outstripped the rest of us, as we 

 had a considerable distance to go. Long before we 

 got near them the Spaniards ran, save a few here 

 and there, who either surrendered or were shot 

 down. When we reached the trenches we found 

 them filled with dead bodies in the light blue and 

 white uniform of the Spanish regular army. There 

 were very few wounded. Most of the fallen had 

 little holes in their heads from which their brains 

 were oozing; for they were covered from the neck 

 down by the trenches. 



It was at this place that Major Wessels, of the 

 Third Cavalry, was shot in the back of the head. 

 It was a severe wound, but after having it bound up 

 he again came to the front in command of his regi- 

 ment. Among the men who were foremost was 

 Lieutenant Milton F. Davis, of the First Cavalry. 

 He had been joined by three men of the Seventy- 

 first New York, who ran up, and, saluting, said, 



