The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-27
of us and on the Santo Espiritu- -Tunas

that they are gathering heavy force
to crush us. had it from the gen.
erals lips yesterday that he looked
for battle to-day.
shall now set some things down
which will instify The State in its
constant contentious as to Cuban con-
ditions and will perhaps influence
some who have been unbelieving and
Indifferent to join with The State in
urging the continuance, without cessa-
tion or loss of time, of relief expcdi-
tions like our own. / have studied
the Cuban question very hard and
have tried to sift truth from untruth.
Theoretically have been we'll inform
ed, and nothing that sec here is sur
prising to me. But it requires the
SEEING to realize as one should the
greatness Of the needs, the enormity
Of the privations of these people, who
if ever men aud women have earned
liberty by sacrifice and suffering have
earned theirs.
have written of Gen. Gomez es-
Gotta or escort, numbering about $50,
and referred to the first half dozen
who rode by as being uniformed. But
the others! The tears came into my
eyes and felt strange thrill down
my spine when there passed these the
picked body guard of the commander
in-chief of the Cuban army, who
ought to be the best equipped in the
service. Here great guajiro Or
cracker" with beard like thicket,
barefooted and riding straw saddle.
Next little boy Of 12 or 13, naked to
| the waist, but with big rife on his
pommel and proud look in his eyes.
Then huge negro, stark naked except
for breech clout Of rags. Great God!
What g force with which to have baf-
fed Spain so long! Not one man in a
hundred with a whole suit Of clothes
all torn and worn, with stomachs
swollen from long subsistence on green
fruit; yet men and boys who could
ride forty miles after three days with
out food and go on picket duty imme-
diately after with the utmost alacrity
and cheerfulness.
And when the outlying brigades and
regiments began to come I'M Colon
els, lieutenant colonels and majors with
the remnants Of uniforms torn and
patched; young men with fine, open
faces, men of education and society,
doctors, lawyers, engineers, former
residents of cities, who with a smile
spoke Of their privations-how they
had lived on green mangoes-which
arc worse than green peaches and
taste of turpentine-palm nuts, hor-
ses, mules, donkeys, snakes! No
complaints. They joked about it,
felt in their pockets for little plea
dura, rolled it into cigarettes with the
inner leaf of the palm for paper,
shrugged their shoulders and smiled.
Many Of their horses had gone down
the throats Of these starving men be-
fore the green fruit came, and they
had left from one to seven cartridges
in their belts.
But there came the worst spectacle
of all, the remnant Of negro regi-
ment of infantry commanded once by
Jose Maceo. eighteen months dead.
These men were without hats or shoes
and many Of them had only rag
about their loins. They had made
forced march of 60 miles in obedience
to the summons, over fearful roads,
but with wonderful hardihood took up
their camp duties Immediately, with
out rest or food. Naked, but with
rifles and cartridge boxes. I noted
one whose rifle had worn great sore
on his shoulder and his cartridge box
another on his hip. Another, mu-
latto who had returned from New
York to tight at the beginning of the
war, had been TWO years without hat
or shoes. He had come all the way
from Habanna province: 400 miles, to
go on with the fighting.
Remember, that these were all men
to whom Spain had offered terms
amnesty, food, positions in her army
If they would content themselves
with autonomy, and give up their
struggle for independence. We at
home speak with pride Of Marion and
his men; let us not withhold our need
Of justice to the Cubans of all classes
who have undergone in the same cause
of liberty sufferings tenfold as great,
and continued in two wars, for thir-
teen years.
Oh. it was pleasant thing to see
them get q snuara meal out cf TIncIo