his works, marked by
three houses about half a mile from one another. The enemy was
strongly entrenched in front of these houses. The line, consisting of
the cavalry division, under direction of Brigadier-General Sumner,
moved forward in double time, under a terrific fire of the enemy. We
had a very heavy jungle to march through, beside the river (San Juan)
to cross, and during our progress many men were killed and wounded.
The troops became separated from one another, though the general line
was pretty well preserved. The works of the enemy were carried in
succession by the troops; and the Spaniards were steadily driven back
toward the town to their last ditches. We now found ourselves about
half a mile from the city, but the troops being by this time nearly
exhausted, here intrenched themselves for the night under a heavy
fire. By dark this line was occupied by all the troops engaged during
the day."

The official reports of the troop commanders of the Tenth Cavalry
bring out a few more particulars which serve to give us a more vivid
conception of this moving line. The entire cavalry division advanced
together, and notwithstanding the roughness of the ground, Major
Norvell assures us the line was pretty well preserved. Troops A, B, E
and I were in the First Squadron, which was in the lead; Troops C, F
and G were in the second line; Troop D made its advance with the
infantry off to the left. We have now a fair knowledge of the general
movement of the whole regiment. Let us follow the fortunes of some of
the Troops, and by that means get nearer to the work done by the
individual soldier.

Troop A was on the right of the leading squadron as the regiment took
its place in line on the left of the First Cavalry and moved against
the Spanish blockhouses in the face of a heavy fire, making a rush
forward without intermission. A portion of the right platoon, under
Lieutenant Livermore, became separated in one of the thickets, and
under instructions received personally from the brigade commander, who
seems to have been everywhere where he was needed, continued up the
slope toward his right and toward the first blockhouse. The remainder
of the troop, commanded by Captain Beck and Lieutenant McCoy, moved in
the same direction at first, but observing that on account of the
shorter distance to the slope from that end of the line, a large
number of troops were arriving there, Captain Beck swung his troop to
the left and reached