Evening star., 1898-08-10
BEFORE SANTIAGO. CUBA.

It is grand. We are right up in the hills,
and all around in the distance are tall
green mountains. The slope is even and
smooth, and the different shades on them
make them very beautiful Sometimes
they are topped with clouds
IAN approaching rain can be seen great
distance. 1t gradually creeps all over the
mountains, and finally hides them from
view. About that time we feel 1t and
generally hide also.
II don't think much of the Cubans from
what have seen of them. They are very
shiftless and spend their time in eating
when they can get food, and doing the
nothing act The Spaniards are the same
also, believe. They are small and dirty
looking.
1--WE have every cause to be proud of
our army. Just think Of It. We have
done what neither England or France could
do-that is, take these hills from the Span
iards Looking at the great hills it seems
almost impossible to have accomplished
the feat, yet there are the Spaniards coop
ed up in the town and the United States
army all around them and they must sur
render soon and that will virtually end
the war. We are all well. Our captain
Is going through the same as the men, and
he is all right.
Stars and Stripes Hoisted.
July 17-At last the stars and stripes
float peacefully over the governors palace
in the city of Santiago. The actual sur
render of the city took place Thursday, the
14th, but the formal ceremony occurred to-
day, Sunday, at II o'clock m. Well, it was
a great thing. OF course, we could not see
the ceremony, but We had the great honor
of being at the front at the time. General
Shafter and the officers and lot OF troops
marched into the city. The rest of US were
posted along the hill tops and the lines
reached for miles all around the city. At
II o'clock the first gun of the national sa-
lutte was fired. 1t was from the battery on
our hill Then we were brought to present
arms. and our band played the Star
Spangled Banner AS soon as it stopped
Colonel Harries called out, Are you
ready" and then cheer after cheer broke
loose.
Meanwhile the other troops were cheer
ing, and it was grand; the whole hills broke
loose. The event was over and Santiago
was in American possession.
Now, don't worry about me- Just con-
slider the difficulties of the mail service
and, when you don't hear often don't think
that l am sick. but know that l am all
right. There is lots of talk about sending
us back to the states. You will know all
about it later. Cuba is a very beautiful
place, but old Washington, D. c., is better
"Wednesday, July 2O-I wish you could
have seen our camp on the hills We were
name for 1t. A lot of us fellows from Com
pany G had our houses built in what we
called the Heights and 1t was the aris-
trOcra tic neighborhood of the camp. We
to u.s. In the morning 1t was case of
Slide for the dew made the ground as
slippery as ice. We had to lie at an angle
of forty-five degrees feet downward of
to keep in ones bed. Yesterday we changed
camp, and are now on top of one of the
hills up which one Of the charges was
made.
Each His Own Cook.
'Later-I have just finished dinner and
has tn do
now Our little, neat pans are all right to
cook in. We use the half with the handle
as a skillet and put the cooked stuff in
the other half. The menu most in vogue
now is fried hardtack and it is fine. 1t
can be done in SO many different ways.
The way l do most of the time is to soak
the hardtack in water until it gets good
and soft. and then put It in the hot bacon
grease. When done they are brown and
crisp and taste like bread cakes. When l
come home 1 shall cook you a sample
camp dinner. We also make meat cakes
with the tacks' The recipe is as fol-
lows: Break your hardtack in fine pieces
and soak for ten minutes, then mix in
your canned roast beef, chopped fine, add
onions, salt and pepper, if you have them;
mold into cakes to fit the mess pan, cook
over a wood fire, which you have previous
ly made, and when done-if somebody has
not swiped it-eat.
Last night for supper I had hardtack
hash. l stewed some bacon in my skillet
and then mixed in the soaked hardtack. 1t
was real good, and with some stewed to-
matoes and coffee made an excellent meal.
There is no cause for uneasiness about
eating, for we get it all right now. The
exercise of cooking adds stimulus to
ones appetite.
There is brook at the foot of the hill;
we battle there in the evening and wash
our clothes. The rules regarding cleanH-
ness are very strict now and everything is
70 v,ply tt.fr hoo tL,ya T1ny,
are going to keep US away from all other
people for four or five days, and then
send us back to the states. l am feeling
fine. All of our boys are we'll; the yellow
real cases and they are mild. The rest are
ordinary fevers. We don't get the mail
often. l guess it is held up.
MT Mercier, our Star correspondent,
cabled to the paper last night that the Dis
trlct of Columbia boys were all well. I
hope you have seen It.
Package From Home.
Yesterday one of our fellows received a
package from home Think of it! "A box
1t was the only thing in the mail for us.
He thought of the good things inside, and
opened 1t amid an admring and expectant
crowd. 1t was package Of fireworks that
had been sent to him at Tampa for the
Fourth of July.
Everything is quiet and we await orders.
ic IiSHtS are cOCf anu piedSdul Ae1S, pot
the days are warm.
JOSEPH F. HODGSON,
Business High School, '9S."
March by Moonlight.
Another letter. written during the same
period. contains the following additional
particulars. commencing with the arrival
off the coast of Cuba:
IAN Of the regiment except Company q
left the boat Sunday morning and marched
to camp, three miles from the landing
place Siboney is the name of the place.
1t is the base of supplies for the United
States army in Cuba, and is quite settle
ment. The transports were all unloaded
there, and 1t is there the Rough Riders"
had their firstsskirmish. Our company was
left on board to unIoadathe boat next morn
,ng; Ihat night, however, we. were hus-
tied out at II o'clock and landed to join the
regiment We came ashore in large, fat
bcttomed boat rowed by our own men. We
had moonlight march through the ene-
my,s country Sunday night. The way led
right along the road where the Rough
RIDERS had been attacked, but the circuu-
stances were quite differant, the Spaniards
were far away and we were In no danger
We reached the regiment about O'clock
am, and after a rest Of about half an
hour started on the move for the main
army around Santiago. We reached them
next morning, and took our place. From