The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-21
OUR SpEcIAL WAR
CORRESPONDENCE.
Maj. Romeyn's Observations Of
Life at the Front.

SrsosEY, CUBA, ti2 miles by land, eight
miles by water from Santiago, juno
rs, 1898.
This town is a long single street, run
ming parallel with the beach, and backed
except at the eastern end, by a line OK
hills about 200 feet high, on which are
perched two of the small defensive works
OF the Spaniards which stud Sd thickiy tho
hilltops all through this region. One OF
these is on sharp peak Just long enough
TO hold it, reached by fight OF steps, ana
is absolutely impregnable TO an infantry at
tack. AT the east end OF the town rs a low
bottom, narrow at the mouth, but opening
out to beautiful valley, thickiy overgrown
with lungie, above which towers thickiy
the graceful cocoanut palm. On the OPP
posite side OF the valley, and 50 situated
as To- command the landing and adjacent
coast along the town front Is an old stone
work with embrasures Tor a dozen or more
gunS-a work not later than the 1Ith
| century, and worse than nothing now.
High above 1t is u light work Tor IN
! fantry, overlooking the town and landing,
| and easily commanding both. The water
| Is very deep in front of the landing. which
is on q crescent-shaped beach, the only
draw back being the surf when The Wind
l blows on shore.
| Gen. Garcias headquarters are here at
this writing. 1 saw Garcia passing along
the street on horseback last evening. n
good sized. dignItied- looking man vi about
%, l should Judge, clad m linen, ana
| wearing broad -brimmed Panama hat,
one only had to see him among the sur
iIoundings TO know that he was leader-
lie stopped a moment IN front ot a build
ing used as a bauack by the CubdnS,
next To- the one occupied by the CORE
spondents, and | noticed that all the men
rose and stood unc0vered while he was
| speaking.
| One scarcely knows what to say OF tho
Cuban soldiers. Ragged-worse than
that, hall naked-haii- starved, many OF
| them barefoOted, OF all coiofs from puTo
Castiliian to pure black. Of all classes ot
social standing. or total want Ut 1t, An tho
iisiand. they are a most motley gathering.
One sees all sorts Oi arms, from the cap
tuIed MauoeT. model Of 1884, down TO tho
old muzzie-lodder Of halt a century ago
Captains of companies are frequeatIy as
black as the ace Of spades, and p:Ivatcs
pure white. Occasionally | see men ia
the crowd whom 1 know are not natives.
but seem 10 be in subordinate positions.
There are some Spanish deserteIs thefe.
also.
have just witnessed a scene In 'front.'
OF the building where write this which
reminded me vi what had read an STAN
Ileys works on Africa a detachment
has been IN from the front to draw sations-
| 1t had none other than human tsanspor-
tatIon. Sides of bacon. sacks vi -four lio0
pounds eachJ. boxes of hard btsad teO
u,
heads Of the men, and these weights must
be carried out about nine miles 10 their
camp at the front
There has been aswonderfui amount OF
chatter, and some did not relish the work.
Ii saw a colOred "non-com., gun IN hand,
Icrawi under our porch after a SkulseT, who
came out as II someone more pote5,t than
man was after him, and took his box Of
hardtack on his head and tTotted of after
the crowd
All seem very slight In build. snd do
&nOt think have seen man IN thsS ranks
fwho would weigh $50 pounds.
have spoken OF the impOSsi3ality OF
igetting mounts. and that leads naturally
to thoughts OF cavalry and that of sCuban
cavalry. There are some mountt men
kept about their headquarters. for orderly
lduty, THEFT mounts the ordinary strubby
ip0ny OF the country. often not mos than
is hands high, thin, and sore back I'd, IN
shod (but none lame), and all gifted
not square trotter among them. Their
forage consists principally Of young cane.
carried in in bundles, frequently c.fyerin2
| the animal completely from ears TO fail.
Their saddles are such as they Gan OBJ
Itain-nOt the slightest uniformits. Fos
| saddle blankets many use a thick GsIitIne
of straw or coarse grass, and thiSk mat
of same material is used in piac? of an
l"arapeiO' or of a pack saddle fos pack
animals. The latter are 1.-The sorrtest OF
1.-THE sorry" With raw, liberated backs
and shoulders, they stagger along under
heavy loads which are more thsdn our
Iwell-fed, gOOd-sized animals are nNde to
carry, the contrast too sharp TO b.s over
looked, even by the most careleas OBJ
server.
Every Cuban foot soldier carries sS pack
of greater Or less dimensions. IL h4s not
the shape of knapsack or of ps3iler s
pack; it is of any shape that the coBients,
Ii. e., what constitutes his ration. and What
ever else he may be possessed of3 may
give it. He hangs it over his shoulders
by any sort of cord or strap he caIs get;
frequently q rope made OF barks and
which one would think must weas his
armpits raw in an hour. If anything in il
| is greasy, what does that matter HA has
other greasy things on him-One more
does not add much to the load.
HENRY ROMEYN.
Brevet Major, U. s. A, Retired.