File:Springfield in the Spanish American war (1899) (14779665434).jpg

Identifier: springfieldinspa00wardwal (find matches)
Title: Springfield in the Spanish American war
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Ward, Walter W
Subjects: Massachusetts Infantry. 2d Regt Massachusetts Naval Brigade. Co. H Spanish-American War, 1898
Publisher: Easthampton, Mass., Press of Enterprise Printing Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
toShafters invitation to come out and surrender and the arri-val of Gen. Miles having stiffened up the latter gentlemansbackbone, some more trouble was looked for. Our brigadewas, as usual, on the extreme right of the American line andthe 8th regiment lay directly opposite the head of the harbor,the 22d next and then ours. Right in front of our centerand less than 500 yards away was the bull ring of Santiago,a circular wooden building filled with Spanish soldiers, whilein front of that we could see the trenches with the soldiers.loungiDg about, and with a glass could discern the barbedwire fencing and entanglements in front of the trenches.Our position was an exposed one, for from their position theenemy could have raked us front and flank, so at the trench-es we went under the direction of Major Whipple. By this time our regiment had been supplied with a fairlydecent number of intrenching tools and the boys, appreciat-ing the necessity for trenches, went at the work with but lit- 112
Text Appearing After Image:
tie grumbling. The trenches were dug on three sides of asquare, one in front of each battalion, the work being doneby each company in relays. Major Whipples battahon nowhad the right, Major Fairbanks the center and ours the left,so that it was in the rear of the other two. The work wascontinued to a late hour that night, and all the next daj^,and finished on the morning of the l-ith. The trencheswere even better than those dug on Misery hill andwere complimented bj Gen. Ludlow, who was a colonel ofengineers before he became a general of volunteers. Not tobe behind hand the non-commissioned staff of the regimentand the headquarters attaches dug a trench for themselvesand the regiment was ready for the next move. Twelve oclock at noon of the 24th was the hour set forthe ending of the truce, and at 11.30 A. M. we were orderedinto the trenches. Everyone felt there was going to be ahard fight this time, for it was considered certain that theenemy would make a determined resistance and our

Note About Images