142 The Rough Riders 



cers could usually carry on the fight by themselves 

 if they were once started, no matter whether their 

 officers were killed or not. 



At this particular time it was trying for the men, 

 as they were lying flat on their faces, very rarely re- 

 sponding to the bullets, shells, and shrapnel which 

 swept over the hill-top, and which occasionally killed 

 or wounded one of their number. Major Albert G. 

 Forse, of the First Cavalry, a noted Indian fighter, 

 was killed about this time. One of my best men, 

 Sergeant Greenly, of Arizona, who was lying be- 

 side me, suddenly said, "Beg pardon, Colonel; but 

 I've been hit in the leg." I asked, "Badly?" He 

 said, "Yes, Colonel; quite badly." After one of his 

 comrades had helped him fix up his leg with a first- 

 aid-to-the-injured bandage, he limped off to the 

 rear. . 



None of the white regulars or Rough Riders 

 showed the slightest sign of weakening; but under 

 the strain the colored infantrymen (who had none 

 of their officers) began to get a little uneasy and to 

 drift to the rear, either helping wounded men, or 

 saying that they wished to find their own regiments. 

 This I could not allow, as it was depleting my line, 

 so I jumped up, and walking a few yards to the 

 rear, drew my revolver, halted the retreating sol- 

 diers, and called out to them that I appreciated the 

 gallantry with which they had fought and would 



