Finally the 14th of June came.  While bells were ringing, whistles blowing and bands playing cheering strains of music the transports formed “in fleet in column of twos,” and under convoy of some of the best war craft of our navy, and while the thousands on shore waved us godspeed, moved slowly down the bay on its mission to avenge the death of the heroes of our gallant Maine and to free suffering Cuba.

The transports were scarcely out of sight of land when an order was issued by our Brigade Commander directing that the two regiments on board should not intermingle, and actually drawing the “color line” by assigning the white regiment to the port and the 25th Infantry to the starboard side of the vessel.  The men of the two regiments were on the best of terms, both having served together during mining troubles in Montana.  Still greater was the surprise of everyone when another order was issued from the same source directing that the white regiment should make coffee first, all the time, and detailing a guard to see that the order was carried out.  All of these things were done seemingly to humiliate us and without a word of protest from our officers.  We suffered without complaint.  God only knows how it was we lived through those fourteen days on that miserable vessel.  We lived through those days and were fortunate enough not to have a burial at sea.

OPERATIONS AGAINST SANTIAGO.

We landed in Cuba June 22, 1898.  Our past hardships were soon forgotten.  It was enough to stir the heart of any lover of liberty to witness that portion of Gomez’s ragged army, under command of General Castillo, lined up to welcome us to their beautiful island, and to guide and guard our way to the Spanish strongholds.  To call it a ragged army is by no means a misnomer.  The greater portion of those poor fellows were both coatless and shoeless, many of them being almost nude.  They were by no means careful about their uniform.  The thing every one seemed careful about was his munitions of war, for each man had his gun, ammunition and machete.  Be it remembered that this portion of the Cuban army was almost entirely composed of black Cubans.

After landing we halted long enough to ascertain that all the men of the regiment were “present or accounted for,” then marched into the jungle of Cuba, following an old unused trail.  General Shafter’s orders were to push forward without delay.  And the 25th Infantry has the honor of leading the march from the landing at Baiquiri or Daiquiri (both names being used in official reports) the first day the army of invasion entered the island.  I do not believe any newspaper has ever published this fact.

There was no time to be lost, and the advance of the American army of invasion in the direction of Santiago, the objective point, was rapid.  Each day, as one regiment would halt for a rest or reach a suitable camping ground, another would pass.  In this manner several regiments had succeeded in passing the 25th Infantry by the morning of June 24th.  At that time the 1st Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders) was leading the march.