The San Francisco call. [volume], May 29, 1898, Page 19, Image 19

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
WITH THE ROUGH RIDERS IN CAMP AT TAMPA, FLORIDA
THE great city of tents at Tampa
has been growing so rapidly dur
ing the past two weeks that it
is now Impossible to see It all in
a day, if one hopes to devote any
time In the various camps. The
Bleepy little town, which for a cen
tury has sweltered in the sun and sand,
kas experienced such an awakening as
its staid inhabitants never dreamed
possible and has done more business in
the last two months than ever before
in its history.
On all sides of it, and down the long
neck of sand which stretches to the
Gulf, and ends at Port Tampa, the
white tents of the cavalry, Infantry and
artillery dot the landscape, or glimmer
like clouds, amid the dark green fol
iage of the pine trees. The population
of this tented city is more than fifteen
thousand. There are scenes of inter
est in every camp, arid in every "com
pany street" things are seen that
are very much out of the or
dinary to the civilian. The lit
tle homes of the soldiers, each with
Its well ordered row of personal prop
erty placed before it and witiiin its
•walls; the camp kitchens, the picket
HERE IS THE STORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT THAT
EVER SAILED FROM THE UNITED STATES
TO A FOREIGN LAND.
It Came to California, Then Under Mexican Rule, Around Cape Horn in 1846. The Soldiers Were Six Months on Sailing Vessels,
and They Settled Here After the War
THE Stevenson regiment of vol
unteera that sailed from New
York in 1846, bound for Han
iTrancisco, was the first army
ever sent by the United States
to .subjugate and occupy a foreign ter
ritory, it had never occurred before
in the history of the world that a de
tafiiTiient/of soldiers had been sent so
far to reach th<- country of the enemy.
Then the American Government
reached westerly across the continent
to seize a. province that had been a
Spanish possession.
In 1898, fr.,m the same port that was
entered by the invading troops in 1846,
the second American army sails, as
the first did, to the wc-st to occupy re
mote territory. The span of the two
expeditions will reach half around the
globe in a direct line, but when dis
tance is considered there must be add
ed the circuitous route around Cape
Horn that was traversed by the army
of 1846— a trip of over 1T., 000 miles, oc
cupying six months by the sailing yes-
Bels that were employed as transports.
With fleet and comfortable steam
ships to traverse less tempestuous seas,
•his trip to the Philippines will be an
excursion of pleasure compared with
THREE POSITIONS OF 0 MORSE GOING DOWN.
(From a Photograph Specially Taken for The Call at Tampa, Fla.)
lines for horses, the quartermaster's
quarters, the more elaborate canvas
homes of the officers and regimental
commsfeders — all these have interest for
the sightseer.
nut to the west of the town, however,
where the new cavalry camps have
been established, and even farther In
the Bame direction, toward the encamp
ment of the Cuban volunteers, he who
goes out early in the morning before
the heat of the sun puts an end to
daily drills, will see some things that
will strike him as unique and abso
lutely original. In a beautiful grove
<>f [lines, whose boughs are fancifully
festooned with Spanish moss, screened
from the sight of casual passersby, arc
a body of hardy, rough riders, all of
whom are American or European born,
but who have enlisted to fight for Cuba
Libre.
Their leader is a man with a history.
He has led expeditions into Central Af
rica, has fought against savage tribes
there for years: has explored remote
and hitherto unknown regions in the
most inaccessible portion of the Dark
Continent: has hunted tigers In Tndia
for the fun of the thing, and has done
all sorts of unusual things, simply foi
adventure. He is rich and has equipped
the Journey of the argonautic soldiers
of IX4C.
When the war broke out between the
United States and Mexico, California
w;is an outlying province of the latter
country- Its resources were undevel
oped. The" little that was known of the
fertility of Its soil was within the
knowledge of the padres who con
ducted the missions. If they had
suspicion of its mineral wealth
the secret was carefully guard
ed. Its export commerce was
CoYiflned to hides and tallow that
collected at a frw seaport towns
and bartered to trading vessels owned
by merchants in Boston.
In the cvint of war there was an un
dprstandir.p between Mexico and Eng
land that the province would be seized
by the latter country, and a British
warship, under the command of Ad
miral Seymour, was stationed at Maz
atlan prepared to make the seizure at
the first intimation of hostilities.
But the 'iovernment at Washington
prepared for a checkmate, and the
capture of Monterey by Commodore
Sloat was the beginning of the end of
the American conquest of California.
The country was then held by our na
val forces, supporter in the\ interior by
the few volunteers under Fremont and
later on reinforced by the regular
troops that were .iarched overland by
THE SAST FRANCISCO CALL, STJKDAY, MAT 29, 1893.
this force of men in order that he may
do a little Cuban campaigning and see
some excitement. His name is William
Ast<>r ( 'hanler.
Mr. Chanler's chief officer Is Grover
Flint, who. through an experience of
several years' campaigning in Cuba
with General Gomez, Is ably fitted to
direct such an expedition as Mr. Chan
!>r has organized.
I visited their camp a few days ago
with my camera and found the trip
well worth the trouble. The detach
ment of men under Mr. Chanler's com
mand are all of herculean build, and
every man is an athlete. Not only
that, but every one of them has seen
service in pome army or another, ir»
various parts of the world, and not ona
of them knows what physical fear
means. The Impedimenta is re
duced to a minimum and Is the exact
counterpart of that used by the Cu
bans on the island.
A hammock of strong canvas, slung
between two trees, forms the bed. Over
this, supported by a lariat, a yard
above the hammock, is spread a
"poncho" or storm blanket of stout
canvas, waterproofed. This forms their
only tent. The ponchos are a pro
tection against both rain and sun, and
way of New Mexico under the com
mand of General Kearny.
It was early in the spring of 1840 that
President Polk directed the organiza
tion of a volunteer regiment in the
State of New York for duty in Cali
fornia — a body to be selected with
great cart* and with the design that
tin- volunteers should be discharged in
this country ut 'ie close of the war
and form the nucleus of its American
colonization.
The regulations provided that all re
cruits should be surgically examined,
and BO strict were the examining sur
geons that out of 800 men who were at
first presented 150 were rejected, but
within two days over 500 applications
were- made for the vacancies. When
completed very few members of the
regiment were over 21 years of age,
and no married men excepting those
whose wives accompanied the regiment
as laundresses were accepted. The au
thority to raise the regiment and its
command was given to Colonel Jona
than D. Stevenson.
Tin' transport fleet consisted of the
ships Thomas H. Perkins. Loo Choo,
Susan Drew, Brutus, Isabella and
Sweden. The regiment contained, offi
cers and ali, P44 men. The fleet was
convoyed by the sloop of war Preble.
Continued on Pace Twenty.
the hammocks, suspended above the
ground, keep them from malarial In
fluences of the wet soil. Another lariat
stretched between two trees near by
and about two feet from the ground
supports all the carbines and rifles of
the command. Another poncho, spread
very close to the ground and kept wei,
covers the cases of provisions and keeps
them fresh and sweet for an indefinite
time.
The same tree upon which the owner
fixes his belongings also serves as a
tether-pin for his horse, which, at
tached to the end of a long lariat,
browses off the leaves of the ground
palmetto or the sweet bunch grass that
prevails here.
Over at one corner of the grove, and
invariably on that side farthest from
the direction of the coast, is the camp
kitchen. Its smoke always blows away
from the camp— a .little trick the Cuban <
campaigners are*expert at perfecting —
and there, gathered about the fire, when
I visited 1 the camp, were half a dozen
bronzed, brawny men preparing food
for the evening meal.
Mr. Chanler and his officers were en
tertaining some ladies who had come
to see the camp, and for their delecta
tion and my own amusement agreed
to assemble his troop and show us
some rough riding. No- bugle Is used In
this command. A sharp command ut
tered in not much more than a natural
tone was instantly taJien up by a
trooper seated against a tree half a
dozen yards away. He passed It along,
and in less than a minute men had
sprung from hammocks, horses were
untied, saddles thrown on and cinched,
and the lithe, active men were mounted
nnd formed.
At the command of "Forward" the
horses leaped out at a gallop and fairly
charged to a point within half a score
of yards from Mr. : Chanler's position,
when the line halted a.s suddenly as if
it had encountered a stone wall. With
a grace that can come only from long
practice, the commander vaulted into
the saddle and with a quiet command,
which was instantly obeyed, the column
swung off at a gallop, forming twos as
they went.
Another command, and with a wheel
as sudden as it was unexpected, the.
line chai'ged fairly at the ladies, who
were seated among the trees at head
quarters. The broad, heavy blades of
the machetes flashed , from their
sheaths and circled the air with a thrill
ing swish that was really dramatic.
The ladies screamed, and were about
to take to flight when the plunging
steeds reined up with a jerk at their
very feet, the rough riders saluted with
their machetes, and gracefully bowing
turned like a flash and were off like the
wind. v?. ; ; '
Through the trees they went, forming
into two squadrons as they rode. One
bore off toward the south and the other
toward the north. They were too far
away to hear the command, but turned
suddenly and dashed at each other,
riding like centaurs. The machetes
leaped out as the lines closed in. and
when they came together there was a
clash of steel that was positively fierce.
It was real, too, for the men wore no
masks or other protection, and one of
them had the end of his nose split as
neatly as a surgeon could have done it.
The wounded member was plastered
up by skilled hands, and the incident
was dropped with Mr. Flint's remark:
•'He should have j remembered his I in
structions about guarding and he
wouldn't have been touched. He won't
be again."
Wheeling, circling, yelling and riding
with a positive' abandon that can be
seen nowhere else, the men showed
how practically impossible it would be
for a foot soldier to defend himself
from a machete charge. No one who
has never seen it can form any idea <'t
its impetuous . dash and irresistible i
fierceness.
The fatal machete blow is delivered
downward, at an angle of about 45 de
grees, and usually lands on the side
and back of the victim's neck. He may
be a superb fencer with rapier or saber,
but he knows no guard that will avail
against this blow.
"It is a remarkable fact," said Mr.
Flint, who has seen many a Spaniard
after the machete has done its work,
"that almost every one struck at all is
struck on } the side and back of the ,
neck. The blow almost severs the head
from the body." .' .
I had little regard for the machete
as a soldier's [ weapon until I saw | it
used by these \ men. Army officers who
have seen it have, to a considerable
number, armed, themselves: privately
with the murderous cornknife of the
Cubans. Strange t6 say, the machete
is not made in Cuba or Spain, but in
Hartford, • Conn. Aside ; from these
weapons, this force is armed with-six
shooters and either 45 caliber carbines,
Winchester 1 30-40 1 rifles t or i the - Mauser
rifle. They are all crack shots and ex- : -]
Derts -with" the pistol. i
GETTING LICKED INTO SHAPE.
The Sixth United States Cavalry is
encamped in a pine woods about a mile
from Chanler's camp. This regiment
includes among its troopers those mar
velous Cossack riders who electrified
New York audiences some months ago
at Madison Square Garden at the mili
tary tournament. A Troop, in com
mand of Captain H. P. Kingsbury,
ably seconded by Lieutenant W. C.
Short, is famous throughout the army
for the daring of its riders. F Troop of
the Third Cavalry, encamped in an ad
joining grove. Captain G. A. Dodd, is
another equally noted troop of cossack
riders; so the rivalry between them is
marked to a degree.
• Lieutenant Short kindly ordered out *
several of his men' to show what could
be ;\; \ done ; in : the way of 'cossack rid
ing In rough ground, where underbrush 1
and palmetto sprouts made it more dif
flriiilt t>ian in o »onharkfid a.ri>na, ■ .
OPENING SUPPLIES WITH fl MACHETE IN THE
CAMP OF THE ROUGH RIDERS.
{From * Photograph Specially Taken for The Call at Tampa, FH.)
UNSOLDIERLIKE CONDUCT IN PICKET LINE.
Such little trifles as picking up blt»
of paper from the ground from a run
ning horse, leaping high obstacles.
mounting and dismounting at a charge.
vaulting entirely over a running horse,
or vaulting from the ground, alighting
on the horse's back and facing to the
rear, wheeling on fore feet.' wheeling on
hind feet, etc., were rapidly executed
by these men, and they appeared to eiw
joy it.
The drill, when completed by a troops
or, gives him entire and absolute com
mand of his mount. The horses are
trained to do everything and the entire
troop will move sidewise at a trot — an
almost improbable thing to imagine,
yet it is true. The entire troop will
charge over fences, ditches or hurdles,
with the men standing upriedH in the
saddles. Every horse will lie down in
stantly at word of command and thus
a force of cavalry in the woods can be
concealed until an enemy approaches
within a few yards.
One of the most difficult feats, one
well worth illustrating, was performed
by one of the men riding at a gallop
over very rough ground. He handled
two horses, both spirited steeds, and
rode bolt upright, standing fairly in
the saddles, one foot on each animal.
Another pretty effect, which shows
the perfect control of the riders over
their mounts, is shown in the picture
presenting the three stages of the horse
roiug down. The intelligent animals
will all go to their knees and remain
there, with the cavalrymen mounted,
until told to lie down.
Another pretty picture was afforded
by a trooper holding the head of his
pet, which reclined comfortably on the
ground while the photograph was
made. Some of the men in A Troop
will vault entirely over three horses
running abreast, from the ground.
Every man in the troop is an athlete,
and every one an expert with saber,
revolver and carbine. Captain Kings
bury certainly has a troop to be proud
of. W. J. ROUSE.
19