Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-07
THE FLAG.
THIS RAISING OF THE FIRST U. S. EN-
SIGN ON CUBAN SOIL.

One of tho Abarentla Crew Writes Home
Grnphic Description of the In.ier tnkinE
! Six Hundred Marines Carried the tx uip.
nent CpA Etil toa Captured Rinckhouse
William Woodland Roberts. u former
| employee of the Lake Shore passenger
| department. has written Il letter home
to his parents in New York from Guam,
! tananlo He is on board the U. S. S.
| Abareda. having offered his services
! to the government directly following
the Maine disaster. lie took part in
| hosting the first United States flag
raised on Cuban soil. and gives a
graphic description Of the undertaking.
| U. S. S. Abarenda, Guantanamo,
! June l3. lS9S.-Dear Father: am
we'll and hope you are all we'll ut home
| 1t is rather warm down here now, the
| thermometer III my room registering
| la1. believe the last time you heard
| from me ! was in Santiago De Cuba
but We left there on the Sth of June
and arrived here on the 9th Of June.
The Oregon came down With us aud
came alongside to coal up and left
that night to join the blockadins
fleet The Porter, Il torpedo boat was
! vi lte ppll slut. Dlll SIG also ltlI 70
join the fleet. Tho next day, June 10,
the Dolphin, Il dispatch boat. came up
on the starboard side and the Vixen, Il
scout boat. on the port side. About
noon the Vixen had to drop astcru to
make room for the Marblchcad Il gun
boat. to come alongside to coal and to
get oil.
All three left at night and came
alongside the next day, the Dolphin
moving out to make room for the
Texas, thus enabling her to coal.
On the 10th the Panther. IL troop
ship, came in. escorted by the Yose-
mite. an auxiliary cruiser, and landed
COO marines on the south side of the
harhor. where the fleet had driven the
Spuniards back into the hills away
from he cable station and blockhouSc
The marines carted the equipment up
the hill to the bnckhouse Cor rather
what was left of it, and pitched camp
They We're getting along nicely and had
just begun to eat supper when the out
posts We're fired upon, which was Just
at the time | landed in charge OF three
men With Il boat loaded with six big
hogshcads Of water for them and with
Capt. BeaufordS compliments to Col.
huntington. | was to turn the water
over TO him. had two men remain
by the boat. and taking the other with
me. started up the hill. When we
reached the top the lead wasawhistlng
all around us. ! asked Il picket where
the colonel could be found, and was
told that he had led three companies
to the spot from whence the firing had
come and was still coming Seeing
CAPT. Russell. the senior officer in the
camp. turned the water over to him.
lie was very pleasant and heartily
thanked us for the water and explain
ed to us that the attack had been made
on the southern end OF the camp. and
before he could say more the Spaniards
began lirlng on the east Of where we
We're standing looking south. and lie
was compelled TO lead a company OF
men to repulse them. l then started
down hill. as | could be of no use to
them having only side arms, the
other men having no arms OF any de-
scription. and went to the beach. We
left our boat with the casks in it an,;
put OH in the Marblehead's boat. which
had bean sent for us
The lighting was kept up all night
ana has been going ON ever since. the
Mafblehead helping by throwing s.
inch sheels and shrapnel above our men
into the Spaniards in the hills. The
next day. June II. again went ashore
with a message and was once more I'M
der fire without having an opportunitv
OF returning it. being uEarmed. I
!
mad it hot and heavy that night. we
having only 500 men. while they have
. about l.5o0. with the privilege Of draw
ing or the re-enforcements in the hills
and surrounding towns. They inst
poster the life ont of our boys. as they
have been under constant fire for forty
eight hours. The 18th OF June was the
proudest day OF my life In the morning
we procured one of our boat spars
tsma!l sailing bcaD and a jibboom and
made Flagstaff. rigging it up with hal
yards and stays: we then brought forth
.old Glory and put it in the boat and
made the tlagstafi fast astern for tow
Ing. Lieut.. Jenkins. Ensign Aims
worth Chief Quartermaster w. w.
Roberts, Chief Woman r. P. Tomlin-
son. Chief Boatswain's Mate n Garter
and First Glass Master at-Arms j A.
Allen then got into our gig, the last
named four each pulling an oar. and
took the boat ashore
Carter and Tomlinson carried the
pole up hill! jenkins the flag, Aims
worth the halyards and two stakes
Allen the forward stakes, and mvsell
two stakes and the other two STAYS.
We proceeded to the summit Of tbe
hi! and dug hole to step the stan
into. then stopped it while Carter
and 'fomlnson raised it, Allen. Tom.
linson and Roberts each had one 4,
the three stays and made them fast
Went to the south with mine, Tom.