As there are some matters of dispute concerning the events which I am now going to relate, I will present a soldier’s statement before I go to the official records.  The soldier in writing to me after the battle says:  “I was left-guide of Company G (25th Infantry), and I received orders from Lieutenant McCorkle to guide on Fourth Infantry, which held the left flank.  ’Forward, march!  Guide left.  Don’t fire until you see somebody; then fire to hit!’ came the orders.  Tramp! tramp!  Crash! crash!  On we walked and stopped.  We fired into the underbrush for safety; then in another moment we were under Spanish fire.  Balls flew like bees, humming as they went.  Soon we found ourselves up against a network of Spanish trickery.  Barbed-wire fences, ditches and creeks, too numerous to think of.  The only thing left was to go ahead or die; or else retreat like cowards.  We preferred to go ahead.  At this first fence Lieutenant McCorkle was taken to earth by a Spanish bullet.  Lieutenant Moss spoke out, ‘Come ahead!  Let’s get at these Spaniards!’ A few moments more and he, too, was almost dead with exertion, loud speaking, running and jumping, as onward we swept toward the Spanish stronghold.  The sun was exceedingly hot, as on the slope of a little mound we rested for a few moments.  We lay here about five minutes, looking into the Spanish fort or blockhouse; we measured the distance by our eyesight, then with our rifles; we began to cheer and storm, and in a moment more, up the hill like a bevy of blue birds did the Twenty-fifth fly.  G and H Companies were the first to reach the summit and to make the Spaniards fly into the city of El Caney, which lay just behind the hill.  When we reached the summit others soon began to mount our ladder.  We fired down into the city until nearly dusk.”

The brigade made its advance under fire almost from the beginning.  The commander says it was continuously under fire from 12.30 to 4.30 p.m.  “The attack was begun by two companies in each regiment on the firing line, strengthened by supports and reserves from the remaining companies until the brigade had but two companies in reserve.  At one time in this hotly engaged contest the commanding officer of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry sent me word that he needed troops on his right.  I then sent forward 40 Cubans, under command of Captains Jose’ Varges and Avelens Bravo, with Lieutenants Nicholas Franco and Tomas Repelao, to form on the right of the Twenty-fifth, which was also the right of the brigade.  With these Cubans I ordered Private Henry Downey, Company H, First Infantry, on duty as interpreter at the headquarters.  These men advanced on the stone fort with our line, fighting gallantly, during which Lieutenant Nicholas Franco was mortally wounded and died soon afterwards.” (Col.  Miles’ report.)