A rough rider described the feelings of his brigade when they saw the other regiments appear and retreat.  Finally this rough rider, a Southerner, heard a well-known yell.  And out of the distance moved a regiment as if on dress parade, faces set like steel, keeping step like a machine, their comrades falling here, there, everywhere, moving into the storm of invisible death without one faltering step, passing the rough riders, conquering up the hill, and never stopping until with the rough riders El-Caney was won.  This was the Twenty-fifth Regiment (colored), United States Infantry, now quartered at Fort Logan, Denver.  We have asked the chaplain, T.G.  Steward, to recite the events at El-Caney.  His modesty confines him to the barest recital of “semi-official” records.  But the charge of the Twenty-fifth is deserving of comparison with that of “the Light Brigade” in the Crimean War, or of Custer at the massacre of the Big Horn.

(Editorial in religious paper.)

[17] See Note C at the end of this chapter.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BATTLE OF EL CANEY.

     The Capture of the Stone Fort by the Twenty-fifth Infantry.

While the battle of Guasimas was going on, in which the Tenth Cavalry took so conspicuous a part, the Twenty-fourth Infantry still remained on board the City of Washington awaiting orders to land.  During the night of the 24th such orders were received by the authorities of the transport, and they were directed to land their troops, but the General Commanding, Brigadier-General Kent, did not hear of the matter until some time the next morning.  He relates the following circumstances in his official report of the debarkation: 

“At 9 a.m. of the 25th Lieutenant Cardin, of the Revenue Marine, came aboard with orders for me to proceed to and disembark at Altares (Siboney).  This officer also handed me a letter from the corps commander expressing his astonishment that I had remained away three days.”

General Kent also states in his report that his travel rations had been exhausted seven days before and that but one meal of field rations remained, and that the ship’s supply both of water and provisions was running low, and that in consequence of these facts as well as for higher considerations he was very anxious to get on shore.  The debarkation followed as rapidly as possible, and that afternoon General Kent reported in person to Major-General Wheeler, the troops bivouacking for the night near the landing.  The next day Colonel Pearson, who commanded the Second Brigade of Kent’s division, took the Second Infantry and reconnoitred along the railroad toward the Morro, going a distance of about six miles and returning in the evening, having found no enemy in that vicinity, although evidences were found that a force had recently retreated from a blockhouse situated on the railroad about two miles from Aguadores.