e division was under fire, and the battle on the
Spanish side was in actual progress. True our men were hidden away in
the jungle that bordered the creek, but their position was known to
the Spaniards, and leaves and boughs are no cover from shot and shell.
They were receiving the fire of the enemy and making no reply
whatever, save by the few ineffective shots from the far away battery
on El Poso Hill.

Directly in front of the cavalry division was a little hill occupied
by a Spanish force. This hill is called in General Wood's report East
Hill, but in the literature of the battle it is usually mentioned as
Kettle Hill. The fire in part was coming from here. Colonel Wood gives
another report of the morning's experience in which he says: "The
brigade moved down the road toward Santiago in rear of the First
Brigade, with instructions to deploy to the right after crossing the
San Juan, and continue to extend to the right, reaching out toward
General Lawton's left and holding ourselves in rear of the First
Brigade as a support. On reaching the stream the First Volunteer
Cavalry, which was in the lead, crossed the stream with comparatively
slight loss and deployed to the right in good order, but at this time
a captive balloon was led down the road in which the troops were
massed, and finally anchored at the crossing of the stream. The
approach and anchoring of this balloon served to indicate the line of
approach of the troops and to locate the ford, and the result was a
terrific converging of artillery and rifle fire on the ford, which
resulted in severe loss of men. Under this fire the First United
States Cavalry and the Tenth United States Cavalry crossed the stream
and deployed to the right where they were placed in position in rear
of the First Brigade. Two regiments of the Second Brigade, to wit.,
the First and the Tenth Regular Cavalry, were located in the rear of
the First Brigade. The First Regular Cavalry had begun its day's work
as support of Grimes' battery, but had later come forward and taken
its place in the brigade time enough to join in the action that
followed.

"After completing the deployment," says Sumner, "the command was so
much committed to battle that it became necessary either to advance or
else retreat under fire." The troops were already in battle, but were
not fighting, and could not do so in their present position, simply
because they could not see the enemy. "Lieutenant Miley, representing
G