The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-10-13

4
able bodied men left In camp, the
balance were In the hospital. Both
first and second captains were in
the yellow fever hospital, with
Capt. Leigh some better at last re-
port. There Is no telegraphing TO
do here, so have been hauling hay
and grain from the wharf. We
have about FIVE hundred miles of
telegraph line to construct imme-
diately so / do not expect to remain
in this camp. My address will be
the same. We slept on the ground
the first night, but / put in my ex-
ira time constructing a he'd off the
ground. 1t is almost impossible to
protect your health here. 1t rains
every day sometimes twice a day.
We are almost on the spot where
the wealthy New Yorker, Hamilton
Fish, was killed. / went outside of
my tent yesterday and in looking
through the Spanish trenches I
found the grave of Capt. Lenninger
of the 9Th Ohio. 1 can find plenty
of relics right here in my tent. The
trenches were used to bury the
dead. AS you walk through the
shrubbery, II you can stand the
odor, you will find feet and hands
sticking through the earth.
There are unburied horses here
on the field. The air is black with
buzzards feasting on dead bodies.
Are requested not to shoot buz
yards, and they are so tame that
they come right up around our
tents. Our tents are old and rotten.
1t is everybody for themselves
here. I heard one sick fellow in
his tent last night and / arose and
went to him; he said l did some
thing that none of his comrades
would do for him. / did all could
for him and this morning he is
thanking me for his better con-
dition. Our boys are getting sick
one at time, but l think it is
partly their own fault. Instead of
trying to protect themselves, they
just kick and do not try to live up
to the rules advised. This fruit is
very tempting, but 1 was advised
to let it alone. I am doing it but
they are not; was told to boil every
bit of water, and L am having it
boiled at very little expense. but
feel fine and l think am coming
out all right. This Is a beautiful
country and the sickness is some-
thing not well understood. In the
morning the clouds lay along the
ground and you can grab hands full
of clouds. Our clothing draws
dampness and is not fit for wear
until the sun comes out and the
steam is out of the ground. The
rainy season will end about Octo.
ber 10th, and will not permit my
self to get sick between now and
then. I keep in my tent out Of the
night air, and 1 have rented
lantern which use instead of
candle, and I notice there is not
much dampness in here. There
are but two CT us from Ohio and the
other fellow is not stuck on this,
"grave yard" as he calls it, and he
is going to Porto Rico through the
influence of some officer friend in
the 4th Ohio at that point. I will
be the only Ohioan here then, but
guess can stand it; will have to
now as 1 am here and can't get
away. have for my terminate a
Boston boy, and he is good. kind
hearted fellow, and he, like myself,
wants to fight it out, although dis
appointed at not finding any tele-
graphing to do here.
In regard to the city of Santiago,
1 cannot describe it to you. II you
would take a lot of brick and mud
and throw it together and put in a
lot of walking skeletons and naked
children, you might get some idea.
l went through town alone yester-
day, but was we'll armed, as one
American can bluff hundred
natives if armed. Some of the boys
have been held up and robbed by
Cubans who caught them out un-
armed. We expected trouble with
Cubans, but I understand they
have surrendered their arms. Prob
ably you know more of what goes
on around here than 1 do. We
have no Way of finding ont anV.