to Siboney.  General Wheeler’s troops—­one brigade—­were encamped on the open ground near the landing, the remainder of his division being still on the transports.  The Twenty-fifth Infantry was with Lawton; the Tenth Cavalry was ashore with Wheeler’s troops.  A detachment of the Twenty-fifth was put on outpost duty on that night of their landing, and five miles within Cuban territory they tramped their solitary beats, establishing and guarding the majestic authority of the United States.

Lawton’s orders were to seize and hold the town of Siboney at which place Kent’s Division, containing the Twenty-fourth, was to land.  It was then intended that the whole army should advance as rapidly as would be consistent with supplying the men with rations toward Santiago.  Siboney was to be the base of supplies, and from this point ammunition and food were to be conveyed to the front by wagons and pack trains.  General Shafter also intended that Lawton with his division should lead the advance upon Santiago, but circumstances beyond his control brought about a different result.  On the morning of the 23rd Lawton’s division was in motion early, and before half-past ten o’clock he was able to report that the Spaniards had evacuated Siboney and were in full retreat, pursued by a body of Cubans under direction of General Castillo; that the town was in his hands, and he had also captured one locomotive and nearly one hundred cars loaded with coal.

General Young’s brigade of General Wheeler’s cavalry division, got on shore on the afternoon of the 23rd and after landing received verbal orders to move out with three days’ rations “to a good camping place between Juraguacito and Siboney, on the road leading to Santiago de Cuba.”  In obedience to these orders, at 4.30 in the afternoon Young with the Rough Riders and a squadron from each of the First and Tenth Regular Cavalry moved from the bivouack near the landing and arrived at Siboney at about 7 o’clock.  When General Young arrived at Siboney he had with him the Rough Riders, the other troops having been delayed by the crowded condition of the trail and the difficulty of following after nightfall.  Although these troops are always spoken of as cavalry, the reader must not forget that they were dismounted and in marching and fighting were the same as infantry.

General Young on arriving at Siboney reported to General Wheeler, who had preceded him to the same place.  The statements of the several commanders here appear somewhat conflicting, although not inexplicable.  General Lawton says:  “Yesterday afternoon, late, General Wheeler and staff arrived and established his headquarters within the limits of my command.  Saw him after dark.  Late last night Colonel Wood’s regiment of dismounted cavalry (Rough Riders) passed through my camp at Division Headquarters, and later General Young, with some of the dismounted Cavalry, and early this morning others of the dismounted cavalry.”  Wheeler says that “in obedience to instructions