This was the foundation for Sergeant Harris'
reply when on another occasion seeing the manifest kind feelings of
this regiment to the Twenty-fifth, I remarked: "Those men think you
are soldiers." "They know we are soldiers," replied the sergeant. The
regiment bivouacked in the main road leading from El Caney to
Santiago, but sleep was out of the question. What with the passing of
packtrains and artillery, and the issuing of rations and ammunition,
the first half of the night gave no time for rest; and shortly after
12 o'clock, apprehensions of a Spanish attack put every one on the
alert. At 3.30 the march to the rear was commenced and the entire
division passed around by El Poso and advanced to the front by the
Aguadores road, finally reaching a position on Wheeler's right about
noon, July 2.
Subsequently the line of investment was extended to the right, the
Cuban forces under General Garcia holding the extreme right
connecting with the water front on that side of the city. Next to them
came Ludlow's McKibben's and Chaffee's forces. In McKibben's brigade
was the Twenty-fifth, which dug its last trench on Cuban soil on July
14th, on the railroad running out from Santiago to the northwest. This
intrenchment was the nearest to the city made by any American
organization, and in this the regiment remained until the surrender.
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