New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-24

al
From FL Caney to the headquarters Is six miles
and the road is horrible in stretches. The seven
or eight miles from headquarters into Siooney
are not quite as hard to cover
In a walk this morning from the Guiana
River near which are the Fifth Army corps
headquarters. to FL Caney. hundreds ol 'he
people who had left Santiago were encountered
They came in families and In parties of twenty
to fifty Seldom there a clear space De-
tween the groups of more than one hundred OF
two hundred yards Men were few. except the
aged. All who strong enough to 40 :"
bore bundles or household articles. Some or the
children had brought their toys one old wom-
an had green parrot perched on her shoul-
der. Negroes were in the majority. Some OF
the kindly old gray haired men would have
made excellent Uncle Toms.
SOME WOMEN WORE JEWELS
Just at the Guiana River was n party Of we'll
TODD people who had halted to rest. II was
not yet s o'clock so they must have made an
early start from FL Cancy The women were
we'll dressed and wore Jewels. one OF them.
wrinkled with age. sat astrde n horse in front
Of a man Her eyes stared in blind vacancy.
second horse was overloaded with goods.
wrapped in bed linen. The road runs along
the river for mile and Is deeply shaded Al
though there has been only one shower. ana
that a slight one for three days. the way Is
deep in mud-literaly more than ankle-deep.
The marching thousands have sought to make
footpath along the side Of the wagon-way.
This sometimes runs precarlously along the
slantng side Of tho road; its spperncss causes
the unwary to fall. In places it runs on the TOP
Of the bank. through leaning cactus and thorn
trees. II you feel yourself falling and grasp at
the underbrush, like not your hands are
cruelty pricked. For two or three miles further
the road Is nearly hut not quite so bad
WIFE sHoULDERED THE Gun.
II was along this way that the weary women
and children came staggering and slipping un
der their burdens. one Of the few men was n
Cuban soldier. lie carried a baby and a
bundle his wife shouldered his rifle. Nearly
all the women wore white gowns. often Of the
pattern known in the United states as Mother
Hubbard" wrappers The skirts stiff with
mud TO the knee in spite Of efforts TO raise
them. Under the load OF n baby and n parcel
Of garments the dress could not always he
looked after Many were barefootcd. carrying
shoes and stockings I'm hand TO save them from
the sticky mud
II was curious to SEQ the little evidences ~
feminine nature that occasionally cropped out
a few women were plainly powdered one or
two. seeing stranger. struck up mincing gait
that had doubtless been effective In Santiago.
but Was CHASTITY in the surroundings Some
,raed their skirts In the mud I'm modesty until
he passed At the fords all waded. the adults
carrying the children. Some OF these tots wer"
crying with fatigue and hunger Others danced
Gayy along as II they were In a May PARTY.
The progress Of some If the aged snail
like 1t must have taken over an hour TO 20 a
mile. Apparently every step was a great effort
ANTLsPANIsH sYMPATinFs
The men who were spoken TO said there was
great distress in Santiago. \ German steamer
managed to land 5000 bags - rice. and
this the main food II may bav"
been because % tho knowledge - being
within the American lines and the hope
OF getting American food. but tho refugees
seemed to be chiefly " anti-S Spanish sympathi"s.
Many greeted tho soldiers with good morning"
or good night" one said "Ameri,anos much
good" Apparently the Spanish soldiers had not
endeared themselves t. the populace. one li'ue
girl. seeing an American coming along. shrunk
20 her mothers side and asked. looking at The
stranger
"Espanol9"
He answered "Americano" and her mother
assured her he was not Spaniard. she smiled
in "A pleased fashion. II she knew that the
Americans were friends
From the procession came many requests FOR
food and water one man said:
Me four pIckaninny. 50 eat two DAYS"
one woman. who had i've rings on her IN
hand. offered one for food. i few u tn" arts
tocracy rode in rude wagons. and brought chick
ems with them. Onq family drove some goats.
q child carrying KID that was no bigger than
cat Many carried parcels OF maneoes. Some
had slept by the roadside In Tho dew. which - as
heavy as a rain. II was procession that Sink
ingly told one chapter Of the history Il a war.