Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-11

py MISS Mamle Marshall of Winthrop
street, from her brother who is a marine
on the Panther, and who participated r
the fight at Guantanamo, will be of in
| terest to readers:
Guantanamo, Cuba, July |. 1898.
| Dear SISTER, will answer your knt
and welcome letter that / received thi.
| morning. | was glad to hear from HON,
and all the people. | suppose it is al
war in Augusta by this time. l will tel
you how | am here. You see. after
sent to report to the snip Panther FOL
| duty. You don't seem to understand
what a marines duty is. 1t is to act Il.
guard aboard a man-of-war or in {
| navy yard. and after they lombard
place, they land marines to mold 1t
| There are 600 here, and we had 10 high
| TO hold il.
We landed here. the 9th of June. w,
| put up our tents that day. but the enemy
| did not do anything to us that day bu
| the next day our company. ID, had to dc
outpost duty. In the afternoon we went
out. six squads of us. Lieut.. Neville ir
command of the one | was in, Shaw in
command OF the others. Shaw went tC
the artillery road. ana Neville to the
cross road: I was sent down to what
they call the wharf on picket duty.
McColgan and Dumphey, the fellows
who were killed. were put on a path lead
ing to a hill. We We're on post an hour
before the firing began, and it was firing,
tell you. In this fire the two fellows
were killed. We chased the Spaniards
back up the hill. brought in our dead, and
went on post again. Neville and Shaw
got together and went around big hill.
BY this time the whole camp was up in
arms and the war hal begun. and if |
must say it, it was the first time that |
realized that war was really going on.
We stood in their way without finchns.
Every man was eager to do his duty.
There is where you can see true Ameri-
can blood. Well, the Spaniards got all
around us and we were in i tight box.
but We fought like tigers. At the camp
they did not know whether we would
ever get back alive or not. They had all
they could do to hold their own, SO could
not come to help us. We were reporte |
as lost, but we fought for Is hours with
out water or fool. In the morning we
had to make a break for our lives so We
all got together and started for the camp
and they were firing right into us. They
were poor shots, thank God, and we got
into camp with the loss of only one man.
Well. | tell you, you ought to have heard
those men cheer when we got into camp.
This fight kept up for three days. We
had time for nothing only to fight. Three
of our companies went down to the Span
iards position and routed them. and that
ended the fight. They haven't the back
bone to stand up and meet us like men.
They are a set of bushwhaCkerS.
You know the ships helped us, and 50
did the Cubans. Without them ! don /
see what we should do. as they know the
country and are good guldcS. as we'll as
good fighters. AS near as | can under
stand there are ,0o0 of our troops at
Santiago. and they are within three miles
of the city. We expect al every moment
To hear that they have, taken the city.
We have repaired the cable that we cut.
and have connected with the United
States by the way of St. Nicholas Mole.
We can crow that we are the first to
plant the American flag on Cuban soil.
and hold it there, The army Is slow.
When they are at Tampa, we are in Cuba
fighting.
July AT the time I am writing this
letter there are many mothers who are
willows, and many parents who have lost
their sons. Many children are without
fathers. The army was engaged, yester-
day at Santiago. They fought all day
and renewed the att1e. in the morning,
as near as | can learn by 4 '.4spatch boat
with reporters that came here to send
ca Diagrams to their respective papers in
tie United States. There were 400 killed
and wounded. 1t WAS bloody battle,
and cost what it may cuba must be free.
Last night at l. O'Clock. they had cap
tured a railroad station aud a train ami
had brought 29o If their wounded into the
city but of course we cannot tell Just
how it is, for three or four days. | would
like to have been there to have seen 1t.
The paymaster was over here from the
ship. yesterday. and he said If any of US
wanted To send money homo he would
give us check for months pay. ana as
cannot use money here, | directed him
to send mine home to YOU. 1t woul1 not
matter if | had $1,000 here. | could not
spend d cent. This is the place | have
often heard of. where the rich and the
poor are alike. Write soon.
Love to all. j. ii. NJ.