The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-31
UBAN-AMERICAN
SOLDIERS OUTFIT
THE SMALL SAHARAE-HAISED PONY
's5gs AND TIE CANVAS UNIFORM.
With General MN rs MN at Tnmp. M ~
II 10 Combined With RooEcvel,s Rough
Riders nnd Spnt Over ut Once.
ft' An Interesting Letter.
('Ihe State.)

. y
Tampa, May 25.-The conditions
of Cuban guerrilla warfare are so
different from those under which the
regular army will do It's fighting that
the equipment required for it may
have the interest Of novelty.
To begin with, there's the horse.
The Cubans raise their eyebrows and
shrug their shoulders when they
refer to tho policy of the United
States army in buying big and un-
acclimated northern horses for ser
vice on the island. Be it known to
your Uncle Sam, according to some
ancient peace regulation about us
suitable to the present case as the
heavy blue uniform is to tropic
summer, will not buy horse under
10 hands in height, and these he
gets in Kentucky, Tennessee and the
west. The Cuban of campaign ex-
perience rejects big horse and a
stall fed horse He seeks toughnesr,
witness, above every thing else; tho
ability to do hard work on grass
alone. The Cuban horse never gets
grain or hay on a campaign. He is
tethered out at night and must find
his food for tho next "a hours within
tho range of his ropo. The grasses
arc abundant on the island, SO with
radius Of 25 feet to grazo on tho
pony manages very we'll
After consideration Of all the ne
cc'sities Of the service l find myself
tho possessor of a Florida stockman's
pony, littlo over ii hands high, tough
surefooted, quick, ready to go any
where, with fox.tro for On ordi-
nary gait and q tendency--which
would be astonishing but for his
raising in this Saharan land---to break
into canter whenever he strikes sand
Il foot deep. He wasn't bought for
. ornament, but nevertheless he is n
very seemly fellow, with flowing
mane aud a tail that touches the
ground, and puts on stylo enough
when on parade to attract attention
IN this protcmpore cavalry town. !
am much obliged TO tho government
for rejecting him on account Of size.
Weight doscn't soem to make any
difference to him and he keeps up
that fox trot OF his for hours on
stretch without the spur. I had an.
other OF these rancher's ponies in
view, q fellow that could stop in
run within his own longth and double
on his tracks like u flash, but one of
these newspaper Croesuses snapped
him up on five minutes acquaint-
ance before I could give him final
trial. These are the horses needed
for guerrilla work in Cuba, and if
the United States cavalry does much
work on the island it will cry for
something better adapted to the SER
vice than its heavy parade mounts.
With the pony for Cuban service
goes an army saddle, bride with
detachable bit, permitting its use for
haltering also, and Q long grass.rope
halter, with snap catch to one end
of it, ready to make a quick tether
Then there are the saddle-bags
The Cnbans will have no wagon train
for bagga" "A few pack mules car
rying rations and ammunition exclu.
sively-and the saddle bags must
suffice foi all luggage. This is ne
cessarily restricted to one change
of clothing and few essentials of
small bulk
Mado into roll and strapped in
front of the saddle are hammock, and
hammock cover, and mackintosh-
all obligatory ia season Of rain and
service exclusively in the woojs and
4telds. Tho hammock, as I mon.
toned in former letter, is made of
canvas as q protection against mos
tanitoes, and tho cover is OF rubberor
; u. .