I have not attempted to give any account of General Young's fight on
our right, which was equally desperate, and, owing to the courage of
the colored troops of the Tenth in storming a ridge, equally worthy
of praise. But it has seemed better not to try and tell of anything
I did not see, but to limit myself to the work of the Rough Riders,
to whom, after all, the victory was due, as it was owing to Colonel
Wood's charge, which took the Spaniards in flank, that General
Wheeler and General Young were able to advance, their own stubborn
attack in front having failed to dislodge the enemy from his rifle-
pits.

According to the statement of the enemy, who had every reason not to
exaggerate the size of his own force, 4,000 Spaniards were engaged in
this action. The Rough Riders numbered 534, and General Young's
force numbered 464. The American troops accordingly attacked a force
over four times their own number intrenched behind rifle-pits and
bushes in a mountain pass. In spite of the smokeless powder used by
the Spaniards, which hid their position, the Rough Riders routed them
out of it, and drove them back from three different barricades until
they made their last stand in the ruined distillery, whence they
finally drove them by assault. The eager spirit in which this was
accomplished is best described in the Spanish soldier's answer to the
inquiring civilian, "They tried to catch us with their hands." The
Rough Riders should adopt it as their motto.



II--THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL