I was joined on June 25th by Capt. Henry Marcotte, 17th Infantry, retired, regularly authorized correspondent of the Army and Navy Journal, who has been with me ever since, enduring all the vicissitudes of the season with Spartan fortitude, although equally destitute of cover as myself and 60 years of age. I desire to express here officially and fully, my sincere gratitude for the kindness which permitted him to accompany my command, and the great appreciation of the valuable advice and assistance which he has given continually. His large experience of war, his clear head and good judgment have always been at hand to aid, and his cool example to myself and my men under fire did much to steady us and keep us up to our work when we were first called on to face that ordeal.

All of the detachments, who had not previously joined me, did so on June 26th, on which day I reached the extreme front and reported to Gen. Wheeler. The guns were posted in a position to sweep the neighboring hills toward the enemy, and I went into camp, remaining there until the morning of July 1st.

Summing up the organization, it should be stated here that the detachment was organized at the first, and has ever since remained an independent command, receiving its orders directly from the corps commander. It has had its own records, returns, rolls, etc., and has been rationed separately all the time, and is composed of men selected by myself from various regiments.

2. The Battery in Action.—On the morning of July 1st, I broke camp at 4:30 a.m., and pursuant to instructions from Gen. Shafter, proceeded to El Poso, placing my battery, as I shall henceforth call it, in support behind the position taken by a battery of artillery. I took this position about 6 a.m., and soon after the artillery arrived, went on to battery and opened fire at Santiago, the range being 2,600 yards. After some time the enemy replied with a well-directed fire, the second shell bursting directly over my battery in rear of artillery. Neither my men nor mules showed any signs of disturbance, and we remained in our perilous position nearly twenty minutes, the enemy’s shells bursting all around us, until ordered to the rear by the chief-of-staff. The battery went to the rear under fire quietly until out of range, and remained there until the artillery fire ceased, at about 9 a.m. Private Hoft, Company D, 13th Infantry, a member of the detachment who had been detailed to guard the camp equipage at El Poso, remained at his post during the whole of the artillery fight, and deserves great credit therefor, his battery having been ordered to the rear. At 9 a.m. I returned to El Poso, and there received the following instructions from Col. McClernand, A. A. G., 5th Corps: “Find the 71st N. Y. V. and go on with them, if you can. If this is not practical, find the best position you can, and use your guns to the best advantage.” Pursuant to these instructions, I went forward about a half-mile and found the 71st N. Y. V. halting to learn what their instructions were. I could get no clear idea of what they were going to do, but waited about fifteen minutes in their rear to find out. Meantime troops continually passed us toward the front. Then, about 10:15, firing began in front. I rode forward alone along the rode, which was a narrow defile through the jungle, and found that about a half-mile in front was a creek, upon the crossing of which the enemy’s fire seemed concentrated. In front of this crossing seemed to be a level plain of about 400 to 800 yards, beyond which was a semi-circular ridge crowned with Spanish trenches from which the Spanish fire seemed to come. Men were being hit continually at this place (the ford), but it seemed to me to be a good place to work my battery effectively.

I rode back, finding the Seventy-first still lying beside the road without any apparent intention of moving. I determined to leave them and go into action. Taking a gallop I moved the battery forward nearly to the ford (about 150 yards), where I met Col. Derby of Gen. Shafter’s staff, who informed me that the troops were not yet sufficiently deployed to take advantage of my fire, and advised me to wait. The bullets were cutting through all around, and, as we learned afterward, the enemy’s sharpshooters were actually in the woods near us, up in tall trees, picking off officers and men. It should be stated here that the sudden increase of the enemy’s fire at this time was caused by a wild cheering set up by the 71st N. Y. V., as the battery passed them on its way to the front. The cheering located our position for the enemy and drew his fire. Many a brave soldier who had gone to the front was put forever beyond the possibility of cheering by this outburst of ignorant enthusiasm.

I acted on Col. Derby’s advice, and he promised to send me word when the moment for proper action came. This was necessary, as I knew only part of the plan of battle and might have jeopardized other parts of prematurely exposing our strength at this point. The gun crews lay down under their guns and steadily remained at this posts. The fire finally grew so hot that I moved about 100 yards back. This was about 12, noon. At 1 p. m., or about that time, I received a message sent by Col. Derby, I think, as follows: “Gen. Shafter directs that you give one of your guns to Lieut. Miley, take the others forward beyond the ford where the dynamite gun is, and go into action at the best point you can find.” I obeyed the order, giving Lieut. Miley Sergeant Weigle’s gun and crew and moving the rest forward at a gallop to the point beyond the ford, which I had already selected as a good place. The battery opened with three guns simultaneously at ranges of 600 to 800 yards at 1:15 p. m. The enemy at first concentrated his fire upon us, but soon weakened and in five minutes was clambering from his trenches and running to the rear. We fired as rapidly as possible upon the groups thus presented until I saw a white handkerchief waved by some one of my own regiment, the 13th Infantry, and at the same moment Capt. Landis, 1st Cavalry, who had voluntarily assisted me throughout, said: “Better stop; our own men are climbing up the ridge.” I ordered the fire to cease at 1:23 1/2 p.m., and a moment later saw our own troops occupy the crest of the hill. The firing had been, continued by the battery until our own troops were within 150 yards of the enemy’s trench, a fact made possible by the steep slope of the hill upon which the enemy had been.

At the time when my battery went into action I had no support, and the position I took was at least 100 yards in front of any of our troops along this part of the line. About the time I ceased firing Lieut.-Col. Baldwin, 10th Cavalry, put two troops in support of my battery.

I have advanced in a letter to the Adjutant General from Fort Leavenworth, dated January 1st, 1898, the theory that such guns as these can be used offensively. The conditions of this assault were favorable, the morale of my men superb, and the use made of the guns followed the theory therein set forth with the exactness of a mathematical demonstration. The infantry and cavalry had been pounding away for two hours on these positions; in eight and one-half minutes after the Gatlings opened the works were ours. Inspired by the friendly rattle of the machine guns, our own troops rose to the charge; while the enemy amazed by our sudden and tremendous increase of fire, first diverted his fire to my battery, and then, unable to withstand the hail of bullets, augmented by the moral effect of our battery fire and the charging line, broke madly from his safe trenches and was mercilessly cut by fire from these guns during his flight.

I at once limbered up and took stock of my losses. One man was killed, one badly wounded, one mule hit twice, but not much injured, and several men were missing.

Suddenly the fire was resumed at the front. I moved my three pieces forward again at a gallop, and went into action on the skirmish line on top of the captured position, with two pieces to the right and one to the left of the main road from El Poso to Santiago. I was compelled to make the skirmishers give way to the right and left in order to get room for my guns on the firing-line, and to impress stragglers to carry ammunition. Capt. Ayres, 10th Cavalry, gave me a detail of one sergeant and two privates, all of whom did fine service. It seemed to me that the enemy was trying to retake the position. About 4 to 4:14 p. m. I saw a body, apparently about 400, of the enemy to the right front of my position, apparently in front of the position occupied by Lieut.-Col. Roosevelt with the 1st Volunteer Cavalry. I turned a Gatling gun on them, using 600-yard range, and they disappeared. Soon after the firing sensibly slackened.