The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-06-25

Fred Funston came to G.. s. Gleed. OF
Topeka, and was printed in yester-
days X. G. Journal. 1t was as
follows:
Headquarters Dept. of the Orient,
Comic River, Cuba, March 5.
MY DEAR GLEED:-This has been the greatest
day since 1 struck Cuba, for have just received
my first mail in nearly seven long months
your letter of February 8, one from my mother.
and Dale Plumb wedding cards. Lord. Lord,
old man. I've just been cOltish all day hope
now that my mail will continue to come through
without delay. 1t has been fairly sickening
when knew that letters were being written to
me to know. or think, they were being gobbled
by the Spanish.
There is not much to say about myself except
that the wheels in my head continue to buzz in
several directions, as they have been doing for
several years. l am in superb health, fat and
rugged. Washington at Valley Forge was in
church social regalia compared to the way this
aggregation of Cuban patriots are toggel out
! have neither a shirt nor any manner of under
garmentS-a state of affairs that jars on my
| sense of the prOprieties Suppose ] should try
to stop Spanish shell and be thus rudely
yanked up before the bar of judgment and
have to spend an hour proving that l was
neither POpulist or d Bowery tough, but a
high minded young Cuban patriot
And then the matter of eats is another pain
full subject, Whenever l get my mind onto
some really ethereal subject find it wandering
into the realms of cherry pie. The other day
the commanding general invited me, in my
capacity of chief of artillery to council of war;
and while there, surrounded by an aggregation
of military geniuses, kept thinking of how
could knock the spots off Holland House
dinner. What in the devil is the matter with
the United States, anyway that it does not
recognize our independence The Spsnish
are shut up in their fortified towns, and never
venture out except in strong force and then
have to fight every foot of the way The
government of Spain is wiped out except with |
in the walls of the fortified towns, and no |
pretense is made of enforcing it elsewhere |
The Cuban civil government is in full operation |
and exercises over nineteen-twentieths of the |
soil of Cuba all the functions of government |
Cleveland, in his ludicrous message, said that
it was government on paper only He also
suggested autonomy" Great God! but that
makes our blood boil Is that for what these
Cubans have turned the country into slaugh-
ter pen, burned their own homes and faced the
spaniards on 200 battle fields? Let me tell you,
know these people awful well, and know that
they will not lay down their arms until the
hated red and yellow flag has been driven from
the island forever Nothing is so, hopeless as
spain's struggle to impose her unjust govern
ment on these people, whom she has robbed
and plundered for generation They will fight
her twenty years if necessary.
We are pamnod on tho COOtO riv in To
Cuba, with 1900 men. preparing to attack the
town of Jignani, days march from here
The place is very strong and is defended by
twenty-five forts. The most of the work will
fall on the artillery, of which I am in command
the Kansas funny business" that took Gui-
marc If the war is not over by May shall ask .
leave to come hsme for tn summer, but we all
have strong hopes that the dons will come to
their senses before then and accept the newt.
able. And oh, won't be glad to get back to
Kansas and New York and see dozens of people?
Later, March live had our fight attacked
the Jignani forts on the 18th and got licked.
Oh. Lord. it was awful! My artillery battered
our forts into a cooked hat. It took 121 shells
% bring one of them down. Then ammunition
AN short and General Garcia ordered an assault
IN the remaining forts. The Cubans went at
[ handsomely, but were moved down and re-
reated. never want to see the like again
During the bombardment an i'll hammered
spanish she'll exploded near me. and frag-
nent knocked me down. am going to bring
t home as a relic of the war.
Be sure to write me again. You can't imagine
What comfort it is to me to hear from friends.
Address "Comdte Frederick Funston, care T.
Estrada Palma, 80 New street, New York city"
COMMON SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT
The Common School Commencement
# Allen county will be held in the
opera House at lola on June 29th at
is p. M.
All friends of education should at