The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-24
rHr>rANi>ncoNScrirr, FoRcunA
The SOLDIERS who 20 10 Cnbn to be Killed On
bv the NoniiTo.


C'd; to,reponience n ne London Times
These Cuhur volunteers embarking nj
Cadiz are. FIRST. " lunteers T. ." conscripts
newly dr.wI VINO elect to 20 To- serve In cuba;
secondly. Cdrii>ts woo have applied for pardon
thirdly. ft..ul Z sOlliCr- VINO are weary OF the
VIZ 3D. The North. Or have got into debt foutin-
~, prisoners VINO de-irc to serve in the Cuban
army. For the s>sicm of recruiting Tor the
ARMY ~ Clht L. u- follows Each volunteer IL
crives ON enlistment so he enlisting for one or
two years service If ~ he eni OF on' year he
like, to engage fDr mother, hc receives anutIrr
sj0. When the lad IN hil-hi tadn civ receives
TINS sum, knowing that ne IA to cmh1rk within
fortnight, ana having no care. 10 definite love
of home and larcnis. he goes to the bad Tor
narrow streets of tadiz. and 10. i've Cuban vol
unteeis peasant ials OF i years are rs occu-
pants you enter wine shop and half dozen
uf these bows come IN aud Dub their tumtlcr OF
Montila or sherry. In three days they have
spent, what with cabs, wine, women, and
sweets. every siXpcnce Of their $50.
They are amazingly proud, even before they
are habite! As soldiers. ! saw four OF them
boys Of eighteen or twenty sitting on Cauiz
wharf the other daN. gray-haired, courtiy
spanish gentleman passed. and SAID. " Are YOU
c0nscriptsf Z" NO" said the Spokesman. who
had a soldiers cap. 1--WE are mitiidrts." OF the
foul, one was barefuuicd; one only lad milf
tary budgc-a b.ue, rec-tassellcd cap. These
lads are, almost without exception, from the ~
terror ct Andtlusia. ihtN Cannot Get wort so
l. "A heaven upon eath they have no iuea ~hHt
Cuban lie f.: they volunteer, -, and only - ~
every 10 return al the end Of tue two years.
The rest die 81 vowito nd fever. II one comes
back m nus - leg or arm ho must beg for his
liyeliho .d. for pensions there re none. save for
III 81 WHO have served fUr twenty four wears.
The Government pays so for the piss ge and
food Of each uiNate -N ldlcr and the boats gen
orally carry ~ meu each. and make the Passage
10 Cuba In sixteen or twenty days. ON board
ilcN are not tudiN treated. Two days In ca h
week they have bacon or pork, and during the
rest Iuurhu-l o.. luttage Of leans, rice. ana
dried ciIck prt-. They sleep m the hold on a
iYug row II slul ing blanks. each man having a
rug aud q hard pillow. At A. NJ hll are sun
mOurd up u deck. At SHUTDOWN all are ordered
below. ana AZ 4. NJ. the order Is passed along
tine Il rk aud rechng mold. "silence-not d
word"
1t is wrong 10 y that the Cuban volunteer IL
ill-trehted. The treatment Is not tad. These
fellows are well fed. and receive sd per daN IN
coin. II isthe climate which Kills them. Among
the ranks OF these men are found faces and men
| Of the worst and lowest criminal type-meu VINO
| have enlisted simply because they do not care
| a curse whether they live OF die, because they
| elieye neither IN God nor in love. tut only IL
| the 4" ATTY dollars: - men who, tine moment they
| can get into the hold OF some vessel bound fol
| New Orleans, escape to free State. But tn,
mass. the majority, OF the Cuban volunteers, ar,
| idle or unfortunate peasant lads, who, spurfet
| on by the scarcity OF work and tempted 10y the
promising bait OF $50 down, years service, anC
| at tho end Of that so more gratuty II thel
| choose TO rtNulist, or free passage home, give
! M their name. and 20 to Cuba, to be turned int
| inhuman and wicked trutCs t. be hardened o.
| gaZlng upon tuTtures and horrors which woul,
! make their mothers blood cufdle and thcu
without any help VI God or man, t. 20 into III
| tecuing, swdup-bc,ct milit ~ hospital and die