Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-12

tie. and The troops were hurried forward
The advance was sharp and in good order
watched them climbing what is known as
| the crest road from Siboney. 1t is like
slanting ladder. General Hawkins afoot,
| was leading part of his brigade. The mid
day sun was beating down. A few min
utes' climb showed that for thing the
| American soldiers are outftted too heavily
for summer campaigning in this country.
Their uniforms are too warm and there is
| too much equipment. The Cuban soldiers
with shirt and ragged breeches and cocoa
| nut gourds for canteens are better off. In
| making this forced march many of the
| men threw away everything except their
canteens. The road for several miles was
strewn with blue wooden blankets and
other equipment. When it was found that
| their help was not needed and they re-
| turned to the base at Siboney for ratioDs
many of the men picked UP portions of
| their packs, yet it has been the rule not
| only on this hurried movement, but on the
entire line of march, to find the men light
| ening their burdens. The wiser ones keep
| shelter tent and rubber blanket and throw
away everything else. The heat is no
| worse than in the north. In the early
morning and again in the evening steady
dofdtlCeS dIe Elduc Will d lung rest III
| the middle of the day the troops are not
greatly fatigued.
However, the marching is practically over,
| for the bulk of the American forces are
| tonight encamped close to Santiago. The
ground is high and in case of prolonged
siege the health of the troops would not
be likely to suffer more than If they were
in camp n the United States There is
rothing for them to eat in all the country,
and they are entirely dependent on the
commssary department. The Cubaps find
some cocoanuts, but in several days / have
not seen a pineapple or banana. A few
lines are gathered and a plum-like fruit
called the mamalito which quenches thirst.
Manages are plentiful enough. The eau
ton of the doctors against eating this fruit
is dlsregarded with the indifference that is
usually shown to the warnings of the medi-
cal corps. 1t will be week or ten days
before the result of disregarding the warn
ings is known The water supply is plen-
tiful and good. The It'll, 18th and oath,
which have been in the front have par
taken of it abundantly in the absence of
regular rations.
Today the outpost Is probably far for
ward as the line will be advanced until a
general assault is made on the Spanish en-
trenchments. or until the Spanish troops
come out ard engage the Cubans who are
scouting in the vanguard, supported by
General Chaffee's brigade. The river Seco,
a creek with several other names, is be-
hind the combined forces. The converging
roads which lead toward Santiago are
strongly guarded. This morning 1 heard
the cry, Axes to the 'front.'" and saw the
| pioneer corps of sappers and miners NOV
iro.r Ino Thn artiI &c fa- hahi ,,I
but everything about it is still indefinite
just as everything about the Spanish guns
is indefinite. This is the kind of informa-
ton that can only be gained by the actual
test. From the high hills it Is easy to
| look down on the Santiago intrenchments,
even to count the barb wire fences which
General Linares has stretched in front of
the entertainments but the effectiveness
of all this and the defense the Spaniards
will make is yet to be determined. Per-
haps it will all be settled by the time these
lines are printed.
The Work of the Cubans.
The part the Cuhans are taking in the
| campaign against Santiago is not under
stood. General Shafter could not rely too
| much on the effectiveness of their coop
| GRAFTON, especially in assaulting fortifica-
| tons, yet they are doing better than was
| at first thought likely. The appearance of
| these Cuban soldiers-they are no, longer
called insurgents-has been a marvellous
exhibition to the American troops The
| day of the landing at Daiquiri CaStilos
regiment from Bayamo was coming
through. As 1t came down the hill the
men whose endurance has destroyed
Spain's power in Cuba were closely
scanned II was more than a ragged regi-
| ment, for the strings of cloth which
swered for shirts and other garments
could hardly be said to clothe the naked
ness of the men. Some were barefoot while
| others had kind of straw sandal which
| protected the sole of the foot. A few had
machetes alone, but the majority had guns
as well. These were old style Reming-
tons or discarded Springfelds.
The regiments of Gen. Calixto Garcia's
command, which were subsequently landed
at Siboney, were no better clad, though /
think there might have been a larger area
of ragged shifting, greater show of bare
ShankS to a given number of men. They
waded through the surf clutching their
guns possession infinitely more valu-
able than clothes. Nearly all of these
Cuban soldiers are black, for 1t is the San
tiago blacks who have been in continuous
rebellion against Spain. During the last
two or three days the supplies issued by
the quartermaster's and commissary de-
partments to them have improved the SOL
diers in this Cuban army. They are prodi-
gal of ammunition, for to have enough
cartridges is a luxury they have not here
tofore known. But their commanders have
asked the privilege of being in the front
ranks, and 1t has been accorded them. The
Cuban soldiers have the opportunity of
inscribing a chapter of their own in the
history yet to be written of how Santiago
was taken. 49, 80
CHARLES M. PEPPER.
LIONS SHARE FOR SAMPSON.