The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-08-26
Santiago de Cuba, Aug. s, 1898

Santiago de Cuba, Aug. s, 1898.
received letter from home last Fri
day and one yesterday, and they filled
me with JOY for there is nothing like
letter from home. l am perfectly we'll
now and have been all the while. We
will leave the island of Cuba inside of
week and by the time you get this letter
/ am quite sure we will be back in the
United States. Lately we have not had
much to eat, but at present we are getting
more. The worst thing is the water,
which is hard to get.
You want to know about the uniform
of the Spanish soldier. 1t is of cloth
something like linen, white in color with
blue stripes, and is about as cheap con-
Germ as ever saw, but it is just the prop
err thing for this country. The hats are
large white straw with high crowns and
wide rims. They wear slipper that is
made of canvas and the soles are made Of
a kind Of rope, Many of our boys wear
these shoes and underwear for their uni
forms and then sweat themselves to death.
The pay roll was made out yesterday,
and we are going to get our pay as we go
on the boat 1t was glad news for the
boys to hear that peace had been declar-
ed. Well, I'll be home for Thanksgiving
dinner, so be sure to lay in stock that
will fill me up, and remember l have a
great appetite.
think from here we will 60 to Long
Island to camp for awhile, and then we
60 home.
enjoyed hearing fine sermon last
night, and it was the first service we have
had since we have been on the island for
the regiment has been 80 broken up.
suppose there will be high old time
in 0wosso when you have the street fair.
l want you to 60 over and tell Peter
that send my best love and would like
dish of his beans and good Limburger
sandwich. Give all the boys around
there my best regards and tell them l am
tougher than knot.
want to tell you l have seen all kinds
of hardships and have worked steady, 1
haven't laid off day since 1 came to
work. We have been in this camp over
two weeks and have not had thing to do
until this morning when the boys drilled
in the manual of arms for half an hour.
1t was simply for exercise.
The month of August in Cuba is bad
one, for we have tornadoes, wind-storms,
and hurricanes, 80 that we can either see
them or be in them ourselves. There
has not been day that we have not
been in a rain storm or would see one
very close by, but it is not like Michiga n,
for we do not know what cool day is.
Every day is getting hotter but we are
getting more used to the weather.
We have had new uniforms issued to
us of light duck, brown in color, that are
much better than those heavy wooden
blue clothes that were killing us by inch
es. We are the only company in the reg
iment that has not lost man as yet but
we have some in the hospital, but think
they will pull through all right.
All that we are going to take with us is
the clothes we wear and our guns, haver-
sacks and canteens, all the rest is going
to be burned to prevent taking any yell
low fever to the United States with us.
The boys are in high spirits to think that
we are going to the states again, and l
feel about as good as any them, but am
not at all homesick, but you know just
how it is.
have not been in the city of Santiago
yet, and don't believe that l will get a
chance to go, for no one is allowed to go
there because there is so much sickness
among the Spanish soldiers.