nding, 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: