Evening star., 1897-03-26
LIFE AMONG THE INSURGENTS.
Fred Funston Writes an ln,ere,tiu.
Letter From Within Cuban Lines

Correspondence cf Tie Evening Star
INDEPENDENCE. Kan. March -. 1897
Inc following letter from Fred Funston
son of eX-RepresentatiNe Funston the Kan
sas lad who is lighting with the insurgents
for the freedom of Cuba has been received.
The letter Is dated In camp about fifty
miles north of the city of ManzaneIlo. Gu
ba. March 3. 1891, and reads as follows:
Il have written home every TWO or three
weeks. as often l had tn. oppor:uniry
but have no idea how many a. nv letters
nave gotten through the Spanish Ines So
lar l have not received a single letter from
home or from any of my fri,.ls thoEuh /
am sure some have been written to me
they are proba bly, y ing about some of the
military camps, or have been lost. Nh Tbs.
news We Americans ha.e received from
home is thai Mckinley WAS elected and
that came in a very roundabout way which
accounts for rs being so Gar behind TIE,
times. We held big celt bra ;ioa in nonor
OF the event. howe, er.
y on must nos have any faar REGARDING
my safe return. l am satisfied that ne
war is nearly over. and that there y i'll d.,
bat little more lighting. Some tune ago 1
was promoted to "aptlln or major. and am
now chief of :he artillery in The department
OF the orient. w.ti.l: comprises al 1ha east
ern half of the island.
The greatest thing here is the number
OF opportunities TO make money that 1 have
seen. The island of Cuba is rich all ost
beyond belief. bat has never advanced
much on account OF the WretchGG Spanish
rule and heavy taxes. As soon as the war
is over and the island is free. there Viii b,.
wof derful boom, and no one will stand a
better chance of making money than ;he
Americans who helped to free ito col,l-;.;-
Il have made good friends OF people. in
nigh position-the president, the ma,ab-rs
of his cabinet, and the leading generals
and have talked with them about business
matters after the war. and they have g.ven
me much encouragement
Altogether | think my prcsDan;s are
bright enough now. though j surely have
run some terrible risks aud have corne
mighty near Being killed several tines.
DID l write you that in The battle cf Des-
mayo L had my horse killed under me-
But there is no use In a letter 10 tell ,-ou
the lncidentS oil the war. shall 10 that
when l come home in the spring.
There are number of lis American ofIi-
GERS here, and We always camp ioeat;lr,.
and have many pleasant times They ale
al young men of good education. and are
all captains or lieutenants in the t'Hoan
army. Usually we have plenty 20 eat lut
Just now we are in a country where pro-
visions are scarce. About the only tiing
We can get is boiled beef.
But. ! said before ! did mighty
good thing when l came here as YOU wiil
see in the end. The hardsilps If the life
here are not as great as | expacted. es-
peclaliy since the rainy season is over I
have Two servants furnished me by The
government, one 10 cook ana he other TO
look after my horse. bIIt 4 am ragged for
II is almost impossible to get any clothes
but then one does not need murh clothing
here, as the weather is very mild. | have
never had better health than here in Cuba"