The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-29
INCIDENTS OF THE CAMPS.
Hardships of the Santiago Campaign
Starving Cuban Women.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
BEFORE SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July Is.
The American soldiers encamped on the
hillsides that fall away from our intrench-
ments have been waiting day after day tor
the result of the combined truces and con-
ferenceS between Spain and the United
States to be made known. They learned yes
terday that Santiago had capitulated This
news was sent along the lines to the right
and left from General Wheeler's headquar
tiers by Colonel John Jacob Aston, and with
it went instructions that our boys were 10
make no demonstrations of joy, in order
that the feelings of the Spaniards in the
trenches a few hundred yards away would
not be hurt by the echoing of victorious
cheers. So the news was received very
quietly. There was. however, some cheer
ing among the crowded tents when our men
learned that the object of three weeks
fighting, hunger and hardsh;ps had been at
tanned.
During the afternoon men climbed to the
trenches to look again at the city they had
taken. but were not allowed to enter. Some
were glad for peace and others called for
more fighting. The strain of the watching
and waiting was removed and soldering re-
fixed in the camp as the mud would per-
nit. At sunset yesterday. as the regimental
bands all along the line played national
airs, as is the camp custom, and as tired
soldier boy hummed the words of Star
spangled Banner" to the bands time he
chanted the victory he had not been per-
mitted to cheer.
1.-THE hardships of this campaign. let
a he Grt1A; !,
of comrades side by side with the tents of
the living, have been splendidly sustained
by our men. Now that the heavy rains of
the first of this week have ceased, condi-
tons are better. but clouds cover the sky
every day and any hour may sec knee-deep
rivers sweeping through clumps of tents and
II may be next to impossible to start fires
to cook food. Then, food has been scarce;
the roads from here TO Si5oney have been
almost impossible during the rains, and at
all times they have been rough, and team
ing has been heavy. When men put up with
three pieces of hard tack and half a cup Of
cofee a day the question of nutriment is
serious, and when unseasoned soldiers go
seventy-two hours without sleep it can be
truly said they endure hardship. But they
nave borne it all with fine courage and
With the courage and detern,ina alton of
our men one notes the excellent physical
t tto OF our mules and horses after
SAINT labor. All day long and far into the
night pack trains and provision wagons toll
up TO the front and the Red Cross ambu-
Iances prlng back the sick and wounded
POOR cuban women, foot sore, starving and
weary, drag themselves along the muddy
ROADS rG'a. from Saney IN a search for food. and
Our men and ambulances pick them up and
succor them. At Ell Caney the food is in
sumclent. Weak women and children get
none and starvation there is growing
Cuban woman from Ell Caney staggered
INTO camp this morning. She was pale and
plncned ana the ragged silk dress that half
covered her attenuated body spoke of past
luxury and refinement more than did her
features and her despair and utter exhaus-
VOL vlori s ne dld net ask for food, but for
tent Tor half a day in return for food and
sat down to the welcome army fare with
labor. At dusk she turned YEARLY back to-
ward Ell Caney, six miles away, the richer
by one meal.
The camps have up to this dav been
pitched where bad conditions existed and
their locations have seldom been good from
the the point Of comfort and health. Now that
moved into locations where these points are
considered. The country affords good sites
and when once the evacuation conditions
are settled and the capitulation properly
confirmed changes will be made
An unsettled feeling pervades the line and
men gather together personal belongings
and are looking over old battleflelds for
mementoes of the three days fight and the
ten days weary waiting. A farmers boy
from Michigan will secure the horn-handled
pocket Knife of a dead peasant from the
AsturiaS as souvenir to the American lad
OF the days heefought to free Cuba And If
the Michigan man ever grew enthusiastic
and generous back in Michigan over the
idea of fighting to help the struggling Gu
bans gain the same liberty from Spain that
ms ms Ioretathers won for him from England,
these same ideas have been pretty thorough
ly knocked out of him by actual contact
with the Cubans. The Cuban does not
stand high in the opinion of the United
States army. Expressed in different ways
the opinion prevails that 1--WE will
soon be back in Cuba to thrash the
Cubans." Our men have no praise for their
alleged ally as a fighter. He is always
more ready to eat American provisions than
help American soldiers, and instances of
Cuban greed inhumanity and cowardice are
common talk among the army. These opin-
ions or our men are known among the Gu
bans and will undoubtedly result in grow
ing antagoniSm on the part of the men we
are fighting for, an antagonism that will re-
suit in their being in the future less reliable
and less worthy of trust by the United