The times., 1898-09-10
WHERE HEROES LIE.
The Cemetery and Some Scenes N
the Montauk Camp.

the Montauk Camp.
New York, Sept. Sat Camp Wikoff
the Brooklyn Eagle has established
headquarters to aid the soldiers and to
assist relatives in finding the soldiers
they seek. It's staff correspondent tells
of some things that are touching and in
teresting. 1t says:
"On the hill where the field flowers
and the golden rod grow thickest, just
beyond the stone wall running to the
sound. is the tiny graveyard that some
day will be fenced in. planted with ever
greens. and be visited by strangers as a
hallowed spot where heroes lie. Not very
pretentious is this little cemetery on the
hill. The graves are of loose dirt, mound
ed high and roughly hewn boards with
cross pieces carry the names of those
who lie beneath. That is some do, but
there are those who do not. and beneath
them lie the boys for whom fond mothers
weep in the agony of uncertainty or
wives seek for in vain. Touched by the
rude lack of sentiment in these homely
piles of dirt some one has planted wee
punches of wild flowers there, while
others have marked in white stones some
soldiers resting place. OF course, the
wild flowers have died and added TO the
pathetic air of neglect. but the sentiment
or the faded flowers is there, feebly pro-
testing against the coarse jests of the
| laborers who dig the graves as they
would dig drain trench.
There's an energetic little woman here
who is having her own way since the
President struck the camp. Just now she
| Is wrought UP over a story told to her
| by private, which, If true, should lead
| 10 a court-martial. She tells it this way
| ON Saturday night, l believe, it happen
| ed and / can find the boy, poor lad, who
| told me. A soldier had died. He had
| breathed an agoniZed sigh in the arms
/ of one of those dear, sweet sisters and
| whispered name she could not catch.
1.-TWO officers and one or two privates came
/ and bore him away while his body was
| almost warm, and in the moonlight car
| ried his poor, emaciated form to the GEM
| etery up there. One two, threei a body
| dropping with a thud on the hard earth,
| a shovel hastily piied-and q brave boy
! had won the reward of suffering and pa
| triotism. No word of prayer, no bugle
| sound TO mark the lingering notes of taps,
| no coffin-just a toss. Oh, | would shoot
| the men whose souls have shrunk so
| small. The grave is probably marked,
| Unknown
| 1T was in this cemetery, where lie over
| one hundred of the boys who marched so
| proudly TO the front TO fight in the cause
of country. Cuba, and humanity. that the
| writer noticed board which read, TN
known, brought here by an Italian. Spec
| ulation as TO the figure the Italian played
| in this sad carelessness was interrupted
! by the approach of man who did not
keep step to the lively notes of the cav
alrv bugles in the camp below.
My son Harry, sir. is reported among
| the missing, he said, rather absent
| mindedly. as he gazed around at the
| mounds of dirt. L thought perhaps he
might be here among these poor boys.
They kind of answered queer-like down
there. as if they thought the shock
| might be too much for me. But / could
stand anything but this uncertainty, for
| it's something to have boy among these
| heroes. even If he was resting here-and-
| say. how warm it is. His handkerchief
| passed across his eyes. Brought here by
| an Italian; unknown He read aloud
| and then he sank down by the side of tbs
cross and murmured 'Perhaps-but no
they said he was missing. He was strong
and-great God sir. why do they Ie
| Italians take these men?'
"a party of soldiers crossed tn,
grounds and looked casually at the ole
him. That man was a German. there.
he said. The old man was delighted ant
shook the young soldiers hand warmly
Do you know of a Harry CO he said
eagerly. Indeed l do. He was my chum
He's in the hospital at Santiago and viii
| be uD here soon, / know: for here is
! letter from him
Wen. hang the lads Indifference to hi
family, half laughed. half cried. the ol,
man, and he wound his arm around ht
soldier friend as he walked away, utterI,
Indifferent TO the inquisitive remarks o
the unfortunate newspaper man, who hai
half swallowed a cigar in the happines
of novel come true.
There is a darky in the Tenth Cavalr
who can give better idea Of the charg
on San Juan Hill than any other ma
in camp His name is Payne. Not onI
is the crawling through the grass tn
sight Of the enemy. the flash OF the gun
minutely and graphically pictured bu
Private Payne initiates the sound of III
shells. the popping of the volleys and II
whirr of ;he bullets. Gun flashes nea
the block houses, he says with eye
wide open; 'Pow-wow! here she come.
pur-r-r. Zimzimmer-zim- -zim-Zin, power-l
r-r boom! Bow chuch, Then the vol
J ley popper-pop-pop-pop br-r-r-r-r whee
ee-e-e- iZ-thuck A hard kick in the sid
and over you go. while a million bee
buzz and fire flashes everywhere. Fee
like running back! Well, I guess MOI
That's where the bullets are plowing tn
grass up like a pack of buzz saws 1
front is the only place, and as near tn
old dagoes as you can get You're crawl
, ing yet Mans head peeps up Puck
goes a rifle near you. 'Umphi says tn
Spaniard. AT EN-, boys" shouts capr
Away you go and, and two seconds late
you're drinking a barrel O. wine the Graz
devils left behind