This Day In Norwood History-August 26, 1898-Norwood In Battle

A letter from Harold H. Fales of Co. A, 6th Mass. Vol. Tells How the Advance was made on San Juan.

Ponce, Puerto Rico, Aug. 2, 1898.

A few days after I last wrote to you we sailed from Guantanamo Bay near Santiago, for Puerto Rico and four days afterward (July 25) we reached Guanica Bay about 30 miles west from here. Our coming was a complete surprise and there was no military force there except one hundred civil guards (military police) who made some little show of resistance, but a few shells from the gunboat Gloucester sent them scrambling for the hills in a hurry. We landed and took possession of the village; the inhabitants of the place had nearly all fled to the hills on our approach, but as soon as they found that they were not going to be hurt they began coming back from all directions. They seem to be a simple, kindly race, and as soon as their fear wore away, seemed delighted that we had come and driven away the hated “Espagnolia.” “Vive Americanos” was heard on every side.

We made our camp in some fields in the village. Two companies were sent three miles out on a road towards the neighboring village ofYanco to act as an outpost and prevent a surprise. We had all been cooped up on board the Yale for seventeen days and were very tired, and when night came we laid down for a good night’s rest. But alas 1 it was not so to be. About 3 a. m. five companies including our own were routed out and ordered to fall in. The Spaniards had been shooting al our outposts all night from the roads and hills and they had sent for reinforcements. We went blundering along on the rough roads and through the dark for three miles and arrived at the outpost just at daylight. We threw off our packs and the march was resumed.

Our company was sent forward as an advance guard. We had not gone more than a quarter of a mile before we ran into an ambush. We were passing through a beautiful valley with a hill about 400 feet high on our left while on our right was a stretch of level ground covered with grass, corn and rows of banana trees. Each side of the road was closed with a strong barbed wire fence. We had just gotten abreast of this hill when he were greeted with a volley from its crest, and how they managed to shoot without hitting a lot of us at the first volley is more than I can understand, for we were in plain view and only 300 yards away.

The ambush was a complete surprise for the boys and was quite a shock to their nerves I assure you, but it was right here that the Anglo Saxon blood and the admirable discipline of our men asserted itself. Instead of bolting down the road in a panic every man instantly sprang into the ditches on either side of the read and soon the rattling sputter of the Mausers was punctuated with the crashing roar of the Springfields. Their firing was fast and furious and wild while ours was very slow and deliberate. You would have thought our men were simply indulging in target practice. Their use of smokeless powder, however, made it extremely difficult to locate them in the thick underbrush of the hill, but we banged away at them as nearly as we could. This kind of work continued for about five minutes when we were met by a second surprise. Off on the right of the road from behind a row of banana trees, burst a heavy volley followed by fast and furious firing. The fire came nearly at right angles to the first fire and raked our trenches from end to end.

Of course our position in the ditches was rendered untenable so we got out under a heavy fire from both directions, struggling through the barbed wire fence, for we had no wire cutters, and formed a line facing the second attack behind a row of bananas and commenced banging away lying on our bellies and hugging the ground closely. Just then the first company from the main body arrived to our assistance and together we charged across the open space between the bananas, each man yelling like a fiend. They had no stomach to come to close quarters with the muscular “Americanos,” as they went to the rear through a corn field as though the devil was after them.

Meanwhile other companies had formed to attack the hill from the flank and the Spaniards there got out on the further side of the hill and retreated in line parallel to the other body. A general line was then formed on both sides of the road and cleared the Dons for about a mile towards the town of Yanco, five miles away, to which place they retreated. As regards casualties we were remarkably fortunate, only three men were shot, two of them slightly, while Capt, Gibon of our company was shot in the lip early in the engagement, but pluckily stuck to his post until the end. The Dons left four men on the field, three of whom were dead or died soon after. We also found an officer’s haversack covered with blood and a bullet hole through it.

After the battle three companies of us took possession of the hill from which the first fire came and remained on out-post duty until the night of the next day. It was an anxious night for we fully expected an attack in force but none came. The next morning all the natives from Yanco came down to our outpost happy as children to tell us that 800 Spanish soldiers had retreated from their village that morning. They also told us that a dozen or more soldiers were wounded.

The day after the skirmish a second expedition landed here at Ponce, which is the largest city in the island, having a population of over 35,000. The Spaniards fled from here in terror and our men took possession almost without firing a shot. For the past few days we have been plugging over the roads from Guanica arriving here last night more dead than alive. Personally I am in splendid health although very weary and footsore. All along the line we were received as liberators.

There are some 7000 men encamped here now and another large batch is disembarking today. I presume the plan is to march us overland to attack San Juan in the rear while the fleet attack from the sea. I do not think there will be much fighting, but I do dread the long march, as the sun is terribly hot in the middle of the day, although there is always a splendid sea breeze blowing. Puerto Rico is one of the Paradise spots in the world, the climate, barring the heat in midday, is delightful.

Harold H. Fales.