68 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



I replied, "All right." 



I got the commanding officer of the ship to send me ashore and I spent 

 between two and three hours tramping in the sand and the sun, about 100 

 degrees, trying to find some one there who knew something about how T 

 was to get my regiment off the transport, but every one knew nothing, and 

 cared nothing about it. I could not find any commanding general or any 

 representative or any one else to tell me anything. So I went back to the 

 flag ship and said: "Unless the na\y comes to my rescue I cannot get my 

 regiment off." He said: "I will send you a couple of cutters with; 

 launches right after dinner." These launches are open row boats, they are 

 nothing more. After dinner I saw two cutters coming, each one with a 

 long tow line with row boats attached. 



The first boat was brought alongside the ship and the sea was very- 

 rough. The boys had to climb down, each one separately, a little rope 

 ladder and get into these open boats, and that was no easy task. Every 

 hoy, you must remember, carried his rifle, a cartridge belt with 100 car- 

 tridges, his blanket roll, part of his tent, his little hammock, and all the 

 clothing that was on his back. Every one carried three days rations and 

 a canteen. To get down a rope ladder with all this is no easy job and 

 nearly every one of the boys fell into the bottom of the boat, and we were 

 in mortal terror for fear some would fall outside, as they would go straight 

 to the bottom. It was a tedious process, but it was the best we had and it 

 took till noon of the next day to unload. Even a part of the rations, food 

 for our horses and our baggage was taken that way. I was the last maii 

 off. As I stepped a shore a messenger came to me and brought me a little 

 pencil written memoranda. An order by telephone from Gen. Shafter from 

 the front. "To move out from there as quickly as I could get my men in 

 shape, for the front." Thas was one of the curious things that struck me. 

 Everything was being done by telephone. 



About four o'clock we were ready and pulled out on the road over 

 which the Rough Riders a few days previous had their first taste of war- 

 fare. Then it commenced to rain. About an hour after it was still rain- 

 ing and it became very dark. If any of you remember a night march youi 



