Evening star., 1898-11-16
THE TROOPS IN CUBA.
District Soldiers at Manzanillo Well
Fed and Well Chartered.

letter received recently by Capt. 7. P.
DuHy from his son, Sergt. John J. Duffy
OF Company H, 18th United States VoIun-
teer infantry. one of the immune regi-
ments now stationed at Manzanllo, Cuba
ana In which there are a number of Dis
trict boys. shows that Uncle Sans boys in
blue are not suffering on account of a lack
OF food and comfortable quarters, at least
In that section of the island. The letter
giving an account of the regiment from the
time 1t left Jacksonville, reads as follows:
we left Jacksonville the 10th of the
month, and arrived at Fernandina in the
afternoon of that day The men were inn
mediateiy put on board the transport and
made as comfortable as possible. We We're
three days In loading the vessel with pro-
visions, lumber. tents, etc the deck hands
working night and day to complete the lob
as soon as possible. We left Fernandina
the 18th instant. and were not far out be-
lore We passed a drowned man floating on
top of the water. There was no wreck in
sight. and the body had evidently come out
from the shore. 1t was a grewsome sight
and inclined to make some of the men feel
blue.
The men were all very we'll on the way
over, the majority of them being fixed as
comfortably as they could expect. When
we sighted the Island of Cuba one of the
flrst objects to meet our view was Moro
Castle at the entrance of Santiago harbor
noticed that the fort was not as badly
damaged as one would suppose under the
terrific fire of the American fleet Just un-
der Morro Castle were the remains of the
Merrimac, lying just where 1t was sunk by
Hobson and his men. We all agreed that
Hohson deserved all the credit that he has
received.
"Strewn along the coast were the Spanish
men-of-war as they were SUCCESSFULLY sunk
by the American ships Although we
passed within mile of the shore. the
wrecks could hardly be distinguished
nothing remaining out of the water but a
Few masts or portion of hulk. The rest
of the voyage was uneventful. We arrived
at Manzanillo the 18th instant, and were
Immediately landed.
I'VE found Col Ray and a battalion of
his regiment there to meet us. but they
have now gone and left the city in our
hands. Col. Rays battalion was headed
for Santiago when 1t left.
I'VE are well quartered and very well
fed here. We are quartered in barracks
formerly occupied by the Spanish troops
They are fine, one-story buildings with
plastered walls and large windows. There
are two comRqnies quartered in each build
il G, and there is plenty of room for moro.
We have over q hundred head of Texas
steers, and SO are well provided with fresh
meat. We have biscuits. wheat bread.
corn bread, rice cakes. fiapjacks AM such
things, in addition to our regular army ra-
tionS, 50 that you sec we are pretty
well provided for both in the matter Of
Irovcnder and quarters. Altogether we arc
faring better than we have at any time
since we joined the service.
"ManZaniilo is not a very large city. but
is we'll populated The population is com
posed mostly of half-castes They are of
a yelcwish complexion, and they all ha are
foxy look about the eyes. They have
however, and they will do most anything
one asks of them"