The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-10-07
FROM A CUBAN CAMP
A Captain Of the Army Writes an
Interesting Letter.
WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING
He Tells How He Kills the Span
lards and Blows Up a Grand
Stand-A Nest OF 1000
Enemies.

Omaha, Neb., Oct. GA special to the
Bee from Sidney. Neb.. says; The fol-
lowing letter was received here a few
days ago by r. 8. Oberdorfer. II is the
first authentic and reliable Information
received from Cuban soil in this part
OF the country. Watson was formerly
a private in the Twenty-first United
States infantry. stationed at Fort Sid
ney, and is a very reliable man.
'In Camp, Santiago de Cuba. Sept.
16. 1s95.-R. s. oberfelder, Sidney. Neb..
U. s. A.: My Dear Slr-I got my COM
mission at Tampa, Fla. on March 1.
1895. for captaincy In the Cuban army
at 500 per month payable in gold land
/ get iD. The conditions were that I
was to take charge Of an independent
company and to have the pick Of my
own men. I went to New Orleans. and
as luck would have 1t, got Ave ex-
United States cavalrymen and a very
smart German. who graduated at Leip-
sic. Germany, In chemistry. and Is an
expert in making all kinds OF explo-
sives. We started from Tampa. Fla.
on a small steamer on March 12. 1895,
and landed without any trouble. near
Santiago de Cuba.
81 will describe the soldiers that were
sent from Spain. They are young lot
of boys, who are not acclimated. and
are dying like sheep. They have little
bedding and q small rubber cape to
cover their shoulders and all are armed
with Mansur rifles and machetes. My
commission gives me privilege to for
age on the enemy and destroy all prop
erty belonging to sympathizers Of the
government. Since my arrival here my
company has been In several engage
ments. sent out a scouting party In
charge of Lieutenant Hamilton, a for
mer private in the Seventh United
States cavalry. He returned In two
hours. reporting that he came across
% Spanish soldiers in camp, eating din
ner and with no guards out. He ap-
preached within 200 yards Of their
camp. / took Is men at once and ar
rived at the camp at 2:30 p. m, sur
rounding them and In 10 minutes after
our arrival, captured one offlcer. 10 men
and killed six, two getting away. We
have daily encountered small bands of
Spanish troops, annihilating them like
you would grouse on cold frosty morn
ings.
"Our first defeat was on July 5. Ser
geant Wilson, formerly private in the
Fourth United States cavalry, after
two days scout. returned and report
ed 75 Spanish soldiers coming tAis way
escorting three government officers. We
started with IS men. and instead Of
finding IS Spanish troops we ran into
a hornets nest OF 1000. We retreated
as best we could. but lost 12 men,
among them Sergeant Joseph l..
Rounds. formerly of the First United
States cavalry, whose folks live at St.
Louis. Mo. Our headquarters looks like
a large junk shop. We have every
thing from a pocket knife to a German
repeating cannon without any ammu-
milton. On Aug. 26 we moved our head
quarters 30 miles further north and the
following day sent Lieutenant Hamil-
ton with a detachment of 20 men to
scout the country. He reported 1900
Spanish troops encamped at small
town six miles south of us and that
they were holding a fair and festival
and were having horse races and bull
fights. They had erected a large grand
stand and farmers and soldiers were in
daily attendance. We held a council of
war and our chemist Herr Donzle-
mann, suggested we dress as farmers
10 of our men, and blow the grand
stand up with dynamite. They left
camp at 5 a. m. and arrived at camp
at 1880. The men mingled with the
soldiers until p. m. when they placed
under the amphitheater 12 pounds of
dynamite at four different locations.
and exploded II by electricity. Our
men escaned, but the explosion killed
two of the Spanish officers. 6s men and
wounded 11S. Yours truly.
(Signed) Edwin C. Watson"