The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-06

were very tired when it ended, as we
had marched all day when IT. com
menced and lasted about three hours.
The Spaniards fought good till we got
our gattling guns into use. and the
| artillery which they couldn't stand,
and they broke and ran like white
heads. You can better believe that 1t
made us feel good to see them run.
We marched over a bridge that was
| charged with dynamite, but it failed
| to explode as we marched over II. l
received three and a half Spanish dol
| lars for two-dollar bill, and gave one
| of them to Ziba Kinds and still have
| one dollar and twenty cents left. We
| are now encamped on hill where the
| mud is six inches deep, and l can tell
| you it Is no fun to lie down in this
| mud to sleep, and with a stone for a
| pillow. We haven't had any work to
| do since the battle, except to get wood
| and water and do guard duty. / was
| on guard yesterday from la. m. to 1
a. m. Was guarding seven mules. one
| horse, two OK carts and a wagon. 1
| was relieved at intervals of two hours,
| but there was not much chance to
| sleep or rest, as there were six in the
tent that night and it was so crowded
that one could hardly get your head
inside the tent, not saying anything
| about lying down. Today l went down
to draw a pair of shoes and the first
| thing heard was: III company, get
| your mail" The first letter was for
me, and YOU bet it did not take me
long to get it. l sat down by the side
of the road and devoured every bit of
| its contents, even to the backs of the
| items that you enclosed.
| We have plenty of thunder storms
here as it rains everyday and is muddy
all the time. You can better believe
when we are discharged from service
| / will be home where l can sleep in
| good, clean bed once more, and be in
troduced to a pair of springs once
again. Porto Rico may be rich, etc.
| but 1t is no place for me. You have
| to nearly subsist upon the fruit, and
| it all gives me the cramps and 1 can
not eat it, much to my regret as it is
| very nice, consisting of bananas,
oranges, lemons and mangoes (the lat
ter being something like an orange).
| The principal thing they raise here is
| coffee. Wherever one looks you can
see coffee trees. Talk about Cuba for
poor people, it is not as bad, / don't
think, as Porto Rico. When we are
eating here there are two beggars to
every soldier. They all have a tomato
can or a tin can of some kind and
will stand in front of one till they get
what is left Gf any. There was one
old looking man with a straw hat on
| with no crown in it and his trousers
rolled up to his knees that stood in
front of our tent one day and looked
so wishful that we divided up with
him and it was a sight to see him eat
He went into it with his hands and
acted as If he was nearly starved to
death. There is also a very few peo-
pie here that are educated to some ex-
tent and know enough to salute you
whenever they see you and can con-
verse with you.
Private John Reynolds and I went
across the country about two miles
| yesterday to get some sugar to eat on
our hard-tack. We secured some sugar
but lost our dinner by the trip. The
sugar here is very brown and is not
refined, tastes like molasses. We
stopped on our way after the sugar at
farmers and asked for drink
which he gave us along with some
|
eat the fish, but we met a boy with
| bananas which he sold US three for
a cent. We purchased ten cents
worth, and they were good and which
made our dinner, but / longed for a
little of Pennsylvania's good milk to
eat on them. You asked me the name
of our captain, it is Mansfield. There
were only two men killed in the battle
| hn1 n,,
was right to the front, but our cap
tain was very cool-headed. We lay
under a hill just at one side of our
big guns, and when they went off they
scared us more than it would to have
been hit. Not man in our company
was hit. I enclose you a piece of the
Spanish flag and 1 wish you would give
Frank Warren a piece of it. think
from reports that will be home to
eat Turkey with you on THANKSGIVING
Day, at least I hope so. They say
that If we are discharged here on the
island we will have to pay our own
fare home, which will be pretty hard
to do. l think I can do it if do not
owe the government too much for
clothes. 1t is necessary for us to be
in the service six months to get forty
eight dollars worth of clothing. We
have only been in two months and
have twenty-four dollars charged up
against us, and the Lord only knows
what they will compel one to buy next.
We expect to move camp into a near
town about eight or nine miles from
here soon. and then we will lie in the
barracks. where 1t will be much bet
ter as we will all have hunks to sleep
on.
l haven't seen Ziba Kinds since the
battle but have heard from him. He.
as well as the rest of the BOYS from
Factoryville, are all well, and 1 am
feeling better than of late. / was
down to the doctors twice and got
some army pills, but they did not help
me any, but can eat now again and
guess VIII tough it through this time,
ana II l ever get home again and get
my discharge you can bet war and |
viii have a farewell. for you can bet
1 have had enough.
Trusting this will find you all we'll
1 remain as ever your loving son,
Samuel G. Reynolds,
company III, Eleventh infantry Fourth
Army corps, Porto Rico.