The times., 1898-09-10
HE kept UP His DIARY
The Actual Life of a Soldier
in the Field in Cuba.
FIGHTING AND WRITING
The Daily Record of a Man I'm the
Trenches - Almost No Sleep or
Rest for Our Brave Men - The
Eternal Rains and Mud and the
WearisOme Marches.

| The following notes from a diary afford
| an insight into the actual life of a SOL
! dier. 1t was lent to the Chicago News
| by its owner, who is a commissioned Off
| Ger in one of the regular infantry regi-
ments comprised in Gen. Kent,s brigade.
| The notes begin to be of special interest
! with the landing of the troops at Bal
| quiri, and the quotations are taken from
| that date on: ~
June A-Began disembarking the regi-
ment at Baiquiri, Cuba, early this morn
ing, and before noon the entire COM
mand was on shore. We brought our
shelter tents and three days rations, and
tonight we are bivouacked along the road
leading eastward to Siboney. To have es-
capped alive from that transport seems to
me like a release from prison. The days
labor of bringing off the men in small
boats has been immense and / am nearly
exhausted Still 1 am delighted to set
foot again on land To have been cooped
up for two weeks on a transport in this
climate is nothing less tnan torture If
We had been able TO sleep in our state
| rooms we might not have had so great
cause for complaint. But they were most
ly below decks, and we were lucky to find
a dry place on the hard upper deck where
we could lie down in our blankets. The
men have had to sleep in hunks three
tiers deep between decks, and / wonder
that they have not all been made sick.
June 25-Marched off with the regi-
ment to Siboney. hard tramp, over a
rough road. We are encamped tonight on
h. .-s-1 So H. LII T. T.
| filthy spot; but the water is good. Sibo-
ney is only group of single-story frame
| houses, but II is the terminal of the Ju-
ragua railroad, that brings ore from Ju-
ragua, five miles IN the interior There is
roundhOuse and one or two machine
shops and lumber mills. ] hear that
| Wheeler's division has had a lively skir-
mish up the road and drove the enemy
back.
June 2e-Marched twelve miles over
bad trail from Siboney. Suffered intensely
from the heat. Regiment halted repeat
edly but arrived here in bad condition.
Rations low and no more in sight. Have
eaten the last of my bacon and had TO
borrow a hardtack from the sergeant Re
gret i was not with Wheeler. Rough
Riders seem to have been hard hit. Poor
Caproni Too bad he fell so soon.
June 2S-Two days encamped In this
{
and approached very near to the enemys
outposts on the range of hills running
parallel to the valley through which we
are marching. Came back soaked to the
skin; but / was able to take none of my
baggage off the transport and will have
to wear these wet clothes until they are
dry. 1t was a hard nights duty. After
stationing two and three men together at
| intervals in the manner of Cossack pick
cts had to visit them from time to time.
Could not get through the brush with
out great noise, except by craving, and
my legs and face and hands today are
are raw with scratches. Thicket almost
impenetrable In the daytime. Repeatedly
caught glimpses OF enemy, but did not
rouse them; only observed their move
ments
July 2e-Soaked again. Camp is like a
mudpuddle. Some of the men have built
cots out Of bamboo poles to keep them off
the wet ground. l awoke this morning TO
find myself surrounded by water my blan-
ket wet and not dry spot In sight. This
afternoon the sun shone for a few min
utes; but the rising vapor made US only
more wretched. Got a ration of white
beans today, and had one good meal
Don't eat mangoes either raw or stewed.'
is the advice of a man who has expert
mented and feels the consequences
"June 30.-There's trouble ahead to-
morrow. Broke camp suddenly this aft
ernoon and have been marching forward
along the main trail leading TO Santiago
ever since, and 1t is midnight now Am
told that the enemy's outposts are only
a few hundred yards ahead of US, at FL
Poso, though ] believe they will not
make a stand there, and we shall easily
drive them into the city. A more difficult
march 1 have never heard Of We We're
told to come along the main trail, and
ever since we started we have been jam
med first on one flank and then on the
other by regiments pushing into the trail
and trying to advance at the same time
Road muddy and confusion frightful
sratched a few minutes to write this,
because can't tell what may happen to-
morrow. We rest here, getting what
sleep we can on the bare ground, for two
hours. At 8 o'clock we take up our ad-
vance, expecting to engage the enemy at
daybreak.
July IA day of awful fighting 1
write this while / watch a detail of men
throw up intrenchments on the hill we
took this afternoon, though we are more
than decimated. / am the only commits
stoned officer left in my company-think
of 1t; but three weeks away from the