been
established and all work was stopped. This gave all a
much-needed rest, though it proved to be of short duration,
caused by a false alarm by Major Webb, the inspector of the
division staff.

During the afternoon the regiment was moved to the foot of
the ridge, leaving only the pickets on the crest. About 8.30
P.M. we were ordered to the picket line and began
intrenching. The tall grass was wet from a drenching rain a
few hours before. The ground, though wet, was hard, and slow
progress was made, having only their bayonets for picks and
their bare hands for shovels. All night this work went on.
The men were tired, and hungry (as rations had not come up
that day), but worked faithfully. During this, and I will
add, throughout the campaign, I never heard a murmur nor a
complaint; even when almost all the men of the regiment were
down with fever and bowel trouble they were cheerful and
ready to do any duty they were called on for.

The morning of July 3d Cervera's fleet sailed down the bay.
An officer rode by our part of the line about half-past 9
and informed us of it. A few minutes later we heard the roar
of the big guns, though at the time I little thought of what
was going on. In the afternoon we heard cheering on our line
way to the left, and as the good news came along it was
taken up, and soon the whole line was shouting.

On the morning of July 5th the non-combatants left Santiago
by two roads, one passing through our line. It was a pitiful
sight. During the forenoon of the 5th we moved about a mile
to the right and began intrenching. This position was very
near the Spanish line, and quite elaborate works were
constructed. We remained in this position until the morning
of the 11th, when the regiment was ordered to the right of
the line, about three miles. Here we intrenched. About 1
P.M. a truce was announced.

At 9.15 P.M. a staff officer came to the regimental
commander's tent and informed him that the regiment was to
be on the line at 12 o'clock midnight, and as soon as the
moon rose to advance through the jungle until fired on, when
the line was to halt and intrench. The night was stormy and
any moon there might have been was obscured by the clouds.
We were up, however, standing until daylight in a drenc