ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 69 



can imagine the pleasure we had wading streams and plunging through the 

 mud in the intense darkness. We had to constantly call back from the 

 head to the rear, in order not to lose a portion of the regiment. About 

 9:30 we struck a little table land and found one small detachment missing. 

 I asked a soldier how far it was to Gen. Shatter's. He said about a 

 quarter of a mile. 



I found him under a tent and I said: "Gen. Shatter, I am Col. Turner. 

 I report for duty with the First Illinois." 



"Where is your regiment?" 



I told. him and he directed me to leave them there that night, "but I 

 ivant you to move out very early in the morning. I expect to assault all along 

 the line tomorrow, and I want you in position early." 



"Very well, General.- At what hour?" 



"Five o'clock sharp I will have a staff officer to show you the way." 



And I went back very heavy-hearted, for you know I had 1250 men, a 

 great many of them sons of personal friends, and nearly every man I had 

 known personally for years and on the morrow I was to take them into a 

 hell of fire. At four o'clock next morning the reveille sounded. We had 

 our breakfasi, and at five o'clock were in line. Captain Brice (son of the 

 millionaire) came down from Gen. Schafter and said: 'Col. Turner are 

 you ready." And I said "Yes." So we moved out and began our inarch 

 to the front, about four miles away. 



We had marched for half an hour when our artillery on El Paso opened 

 •on the enemy, and very soon we heard the shells shrieking over us and 

 very soon came up to where we could see distinctly our line. 



I can tell you in a moment so you will understand the situation. This 

 is the way our line ran, from the sea to the east of the entrance on the 

 -crest of a range of hills pretty nearly around to the sea, on the west. 

 There was a gap on the right that was open, through which the Spanish 

 reinforcements had marched into Santiago, and through which our forces 

 feared they would escape. On our arrival the First Illinois and the First 

 District of Columbia, and six batteries of field artillery, which camo with 

 ns, were just sufficient to fill out the gap. Our trenches were on the crest 



