People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-08-11
From Santiago.

army:
BRO. FRED; l wrote you couple
OF postal cards after we had our fight
July the first. We have, as you
know long since, won the city and
province with but little loss. Since
the first day Of July, as soon as we got
entertainments, we were in compar-
atively safe position. The surrender
has given US an easy time, We moved
our camp to this place one week ago,
Monday July Is, and we have as pretty
and healthful camp as can be found
in eastern Cuba and l suppose in the
entire island. We are encamped on
the crest of hills we'll covered with
grass and some very fine shade trees,
close to a good stream. Wood is hard
to obtain. We have to carry it about
a mile. We get it from Spanish
houses, which are being torn down.
Our supplies are coming in since the
surrender. Our transports have gone
into Santiago harbOr and unlOaded at
the wharf, and we now have our tent
ing and some of our missing property,
enabling US to keep dry and to cook
for the entire troop, insuring the
health Of the command. When all
had to cook for themselves a great
many failed to properly cock their
food, and sickness was the result. In
this troop alone we had as high as
fourteen on the sick list one day. The
sickness is malarial fever, We dug a
great line of entertainments and the
fresh ground has peculiar and, some
say, Sickly smell about it. Since COM
ing here we have nothing like that,
We have now eight men on the sick
report; no case bad, although two are
in the hospital. We are now getting
fresh beef shipped from the United
States and bread baked here. We also
get potatoes and oni9ns, and if moth
ing happens We will be able to buy
supplies, and if we do we will be able
to live much better.
In the matter Of clothing we are a
little short, but there is any quantity
OF clothing here and we expect to re-
ceive new uniforms this week. They
are going to issueus canvas suits, bet.
ter suited to this climate than the
blue we have been wearing. 1t rains
here every day at about the same
time, 8 o'clock, and cools the atmos-
phere off nicely, but it does get hot
aud no mistake, from about s am. till
3 pm. IL has Just raiued and is very
pleasant and looks rs if we void have
another shower. | have not been
down TO the city, which Is about three
miles on an air line from our camp,
but may 90 tomorrow To try and yet
some OF oul property which is still
there aud falls TO come UP. The
chaplain said he would hire a cart and
try 10 get it if possible. If he sends
| will 20. l saw the refugees who LETT
the city before the bOmbardment, and
a sOrrier looking lot Of human beings
l never set eyes on. They were re-
turning to the city when we marched
over the road and met them. | thought
they were the worst Of the lot, but
men who saw them two days travelling
through our lines, said they all looked
alike. The happiest people I've seer
on the island were the Spaniards after
the surrender. They stormed around
our lines and laughed and tried to
talk to US and traded a bottle of wine
or rum for little something to eat.
Lots Of the men traded with them.
They seemed mighty glad the thing
was over and ! don't blame them very
much, for we had them in position
that was almost sure death fer them
to continue aud they could get no
show at US ct all. Our trenches.
counting all that were dug, were six.
teen miles long, and on top were cap
ped with sacks filled with sand laid on
with room to shoot between the lower
sacks. We also built bomb proofs to
protect men not In the trenches from
their shrapnel. Speaking of shrapnel
that is what knocked our men out on
the first of Jelly. The Spanish had
the distances down and could explode
their shells right among us. The
effect was disastrous. Another thing.
they fire by yollsy. Even if only one
man is In sight they would send a vol.
ley at him, and his chances of getting
hit were mighty good, and l am salts.
fed the troops in town fired over their
advance line at US, as lots of
the bullets seemed TO be spent when
they reached our lines. Considering
everything, l think we got through
with the job mighty cheap, consider
ing the amount Of ammunition fired
at US and they knowing the exact
location of our advancing line and we