The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-15
LETTER FROM y,
THE FRONT,
Corporal Brown Tells His
Smyrna Parents of
Duty in Cuba

Corporal Perkins d. Brown, of Battery
o. Seventh Regular Light Artillery, now
located at Ponce, Porto Rice, In e letter
dated September 1st, and received yestsr.
day by his parents. Mr.. and Mrs. George
+. Brown, at Smyrna, says he has not
been sick a day since he loft Tampa, Fla.
This Is good news to his friends, as he
has not been heard from for long time
and several men of his battery and Bat
terry M. which is located in his camp, nrs
sick with fever in the Philadelphia hosp.
tails, long list of the names of tho sick
soldiers from Porto Rico TINT were
brought to Philadelphia on the Steamer
Relief, being published
| Corporal Brown says
ave have had lots of fever in camp and
the sick men from our battery and Bat.
terry M were sent to New York on the Re-
lief to day. The boys are getting used to
the climate here and don't think we will
have much more sickness.
You have heard about rains and floods
in this country, butyau have no idea what
we passed through last Saturday night
and Sunday morning. There Is q small
stream between our camp and that OF the
Nineteenth United States Infantry and
tho Fifth and Second Cavalry. 1t was
turned into river in less than five min.
utes.
The water came down the mountains
and we could see 1t coming miles away be.
fore it reached us. The pack train (mules)
wagon train and Second Cavalry were
picked up like straws and carried nearly
half mile away.
There were lots Of excitement all night
and we stood by our horses ready to move
at a moments notice for the water was
within one foot Of our camp when the big
iron bridge gave way and the stream quiet-
ed down Natives came tearing down the
military road shouting Ague, muchee
mlta, which in English means, Water
very bad. For while 1t looked as If the
whole city would go.
General Miles loft for homo to-day and
Gonoral Brook has taken command He 10
fine soldier and a good fighter.
Ihave not had letter or paper since I
left Tampa, SO write soon, as get q little
home sick some times
That fight that took place short dis
tance from here was short and sweet aud
the whole Spanish force would have been
wiped out in three more hours had not
General Miles stopped US. We were sew.
eral miles from the other troops with tho
Nineteenth Infantry and Second Cavalry
when we were ordered out.
We started over tho mountains at a fast
pace, our horses being in a run and kept it
up until overtaken by scout. who told
us tho war was over and we returned to
Ponce IT was pretty sight to see Bat
teries and NJ going at breakneck speed
over a small mountain road.
Two horses Of Battery NJ foil over cliff
aud were killed and two horses of the same
battery rolled ever Lieutenant Benton bu4
strange to say he was not hurt at all.
We go out every morning for horse OK
crciss through the mountains aud ovea
the plains.
Several morning ago as we were rouad.
ing a sharp turn in cane field we neae1v
ran over about seventy-fvs Spanish
cavalrymen. We only numbered one hun
dred men, but they evidently thought we
wore whole regiment of cavalry and tore
up tho road as II Old Nick was after
them. We had nothing but revolvers and
they were soon out Of sight in the sugar
cane field. ~
We oil had a good laugh over them. We
have no room here TO drill with guns anl
go as cavalry every day. l don't know
when wo will leave here for II the regulars
were taken away the natives would kill ell
the Spanish people. They have burned
two small towns near here during the past
week.
Letters and papers have been forwarded
every week to Corporal Brown and now
that the mail steamers arc plying between
New York and Ponce the soldier boys
will no doubt receive their mail regularly.