The Cavalry at Santiago 141 



the defects of our artillery, but they were entirely 

 philosophic about it, not showing the least concern 

 at its failure. On the contrary, whenever they heard 

 our artillery open they would grin as they looked at 

 one another and remark, 'There go the guns again ; 

 wonder how soon they'll be shut up," and shut up 

 they were sure to be. The light battery of Hotch- 

 kiss one-pounders, under Lieutenant J. B. Hughes, 

 of the Tenth Cavalry, was handled with conspicu- 

 ous gallantry. 



On the hill-slope immediately around me I had a 

 mixed force composed of members of most of the 

 cavalry regiments, and a few infantrymen. There 

 were about fifty of my Rough Riders with Lieuten- 

 ants Goodrich and Carr. Among the rest were per- 

 haps a score of colored infantrymen, but, as it hap- 

 pened, at this particular point without any of their 

 officers. No troops could have behaved better than 

 the colored soldiers had behaved so far ; but they are, 

 of course, peculiarly dependent upon their white 

 officers. Occasionally they produce non-commis- 

 sioned officers who can take the initiative and accept 

 responsibility precisely like the best class of whites ; 

 but this can not be expected normally, nor is it fair 

 to expect it. With the colored troops there should 

 always be some of their own officers ; whereas, with 

 the white regulars, as with my own Rough Riders, 

 experience showed that the non-commissioned offi- 



