ILLINOIS STATE DA TRY MEN'S ASSOCIATION. 71 



Mausers. Every man knew it; had heard it discussed, and that the 

 regulars would not have volunteers on the same line with them because 

 their powder smoke drew the fire of the Spanish. Yet my men went up 

 there without a quiver. I say that that required just as great, if not greater 

 heroism then is necessary on the enthusiasm of a great charge. Three or 

 four days here we were taking pot shots at the Spanish, and we got a good 

 many bullets coming over us. We had an outpost which was within 200 

 yards of the Spanish line. We could pee them very distinctly, and during 

 the truces it was one of our pleasures to go as near as we could and watch 

 them. Then came the surrender and that ended the war practically, and 

 the exciting pan of the campaign was over. 



Then came the terrible trying part, the sickness and death, and the 

 waiting, and the guarding of prisoners, which tried the men a great deal 

 more than being on the line. We thought for a time that our regiment was 

 coming off pretty nearly «cot free. The regular army was nearly all sick. 

 Almost every man of them! No question about it, the regular army as 

 well as the volunteers were completely wrecked. 



A few days after that time our sickness commenced and our sick list 

 ran abouit thirty. But all of a sudden it began to jump up to 50, 150, 250, 

 350, 400, and the Ninth Massachusetts ran as high as 625 men unfit for duty, 

 and that did not count all. A great many men did not care to report, fo 

 stayed in their tents. This sickness came down on us like a whirlwind. 



There was blame, but notwithstanding that, no Northern army could 

 go down there with the best of (..are, in the rainy season, and not get down 

 on its back in a very short time. The condition is such that Northern men 

 can not stand it. The sun is terrific. The daily routine — 5 o'clock 

 re\eille, and from five to seven it would be very oppressive; from nine to 

 three it would be simply withering. The only sickness I personally had 

 was when I was sun struck by the fierceness of the heat. In the afternoon 

 almost as regularly as the day came, would come those terrific thunder 

 storms, and everything was drenched, and when it began to cool off we 

 would go to bed with everything wet and dripping and have a cool, fine 

 night. It is not strange that men became sick in a climate like that. And 

 the food was not such as is fitted for a hot climate. 



