Captain Allen told his men to lie down and get their breath.  Then he called our attention to Captain McFarland, who was with some men about thirty yards to our right and up on the slope.  He was waving his hat and the shells were bursting around him.

Captain Allen called out to us:  “Look at Captain McFarland and E company!  Who of C company will go with me to the top of the hill in spite of danger?” We who were near him sprang to our feet and up we went.

MCFARLAND wounded.

But Captain McFarland had been wounded and his men were going down.  Our little group became too small for a further attack.  “Come back!  Come back!” was shouted from below.  Captain Allen stood alone for a minute and then we went back to the foot of the slope and waited until our battery stopped firing.  Then we all went forward again, and the Sixteenth infantry colors passed up to the works and were planted there.

Color-bearer shot.

The color-bearer was shot, but Corporal Van Horn took the flag and carried it forward.  Hundreds of officers and soldiers of other regiments came across the field while we were waiting, and they went up with us.  And now they all claim that they were in that charge.  We men and those five captains I have named know who were in it, and that our captains began it without orders, and we are entitled to all the credit.

The fight was led by captains, and no one else of higher rank had anything to do with it.  Our colonel and major now say that they did not see the charge, and therefore can make no recommendations for distinguished gallantry.  Well, it is proposed to fight it out and to have our claims heard.

A terrible fight.

The position we took was San Juan and was the key to the Spanish position.  We have heard that there were 3,000 Spaniards in the works.  I do not know what the loss was.  I know that as I jumped over their trench I noticed that it was level full of dead and dying Spanish soldiers.  It was a terrible sight.  We had more fighting that afternoon, and that night we moved forward, and the Sixteenth entrenched 475 yards from the main works.  We held this under heavy infantry fire and a terrible enfilade artillery fire all day of the 2d and 3d, while our right wing was swinging around to envelop the city.

Moved to the right.

On the 10th we were moved to the right wing and I think it was intended for us to make an assault on the city and wind up the business.  We could have done it in fine shape, and all were anxious for a chance.

Our artillery got into place on the 11th at 4 pm, and we opened up along the whole line and soon silenced every gun and rifle they had.

The Spanish weakened.

Next morning at daylight we resumed our work and the Spanish weakened.  They did not wait for the assault—­the jig was up.