" Shortly after crossing the
road an officer passed us, his horse pushed to his utmost, telling us
to take all the ammunition that we possibly could on the firing line.
About that instant, the pack train came thundering by, which we
relieved of a few thousand rounds in short order. I was much amused at
one of the men who innocently asked, "Where are we to get axes to
burst these strong boxes?" The job was speedily accomplished before
the boxes were on the ground good, and most certainly in less time
than it would have taken to explain matters to the inexperienced. We
were soon off again, tramping all over the country, through darkness,
running into wire entanglements, outposts and pickets, and within
fifty yards of the enemy (subsequently ascertained).
About 11.00 P.M. found Colonel Roosevelt a few hundred yards from the
Spanish lines with some of my regiment, the First Cavalry, and Rough
Riders, at work on trenches, where we reported. All seemed glad to
have my little reinforcement, about 65 men, and ammunition. I never
felt so relieved at anything as I did to get that herculean task off
my hands, a job as hard as working a problem in the third book of
Euclid. The men were so tired that they would lie down at every stop
to find the right road or the way out of the wire entanglements
constantly encountered.
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