The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-18
Trooper Newman A. Page Writes
An Interesting Letter.
FATAL SECOND SECTION
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH
OF TWELVE VOLUNTEERS.
The Rough Riders Experiencing
Many Unnecessary Hardships at
Camp Cuba Libre. Jacksonville
Short Rations, Poor In Kind, Wet
Blankets and Water-soaked Tents

Leonard Bertsch of the Walker
House is in receipt of an interesting
Letter from Trooper Newman a. Page,
who was among the Salt Lake boys to
enlist in Torrey's regiment of rough
riders The letter was written on the
18th inst, at Camp Cuba Libre, jack
sonville, Fla, and reads:
I'VE left Fort Russell, Wyo., on June
%. and arrived here June IS. Our train
was in four sections of IS cars each.
The second section killed zlree men In
St. Joe, one in St. Louis, one in Tennes-
see and seven at Tupola, Miss. None
of the killed were Utah boys. II we had
kept that section going long enough II
would have done what the Spaniards
have failed TO do.
I'VE are camped three or four miles
from Jacksonville, which place IS our
postoffice. There are II regiments OF
infantry here. but ours is the only ca
valry regiment. Our camp is in low,
fiat place among scattering pine TIM
Der. In fact, this spot is characters
tic of any and all parts OF klorloa-
There are more kinds of bugs here
than you ever heard of. including the
festive tarantula- 1t rains here every
day. The only doubt is whether IT Will
rain all day or only part.
.'On July our cavalry regiment was
to have been in a parade with the IL
fantrymen through Jacksonville. we
were out till o'clock, in the rain, and
the parade was postponed till the otn'
when it came off in an all days RAIN
We were soaking wet to begin with,
and have been wet ever since When
we got back to camp ar O'clock on
the evening OF the 9Th II was still RAIN
ing. The only supper for each OF US
was a pint of weak coffee and haro
tack. Then we got into our wet blan-
kets. These conditions describe most
other days, but instead OF parade IL is
drill. drill. drill.
yesterday being Sunday, we had no
drill. and Jack Sproat, wno, with my
self and Archie Mckay tent togetner'
went on an excursion to ST. Augustine
We had a great time, but, OF course.
it rained Sc hard that we were not dry
when we got back to camp, neither
outside nor in Ny horse got lost ana
l had a hard time finding him. Our
troop % has all black horses Each
troop has horses of one color.
1T is now Monday afternoon, but,
for q wonder. we have no drill today
We get very poor grub and mighty ut
tie OF it. While such is the fact as 70
rations. we have plenty OF drill Al
that don't mean to complain wou,9
re-enlist today if 1 thought we would
get into action at the front But thsse
hard knocks were not unexpected.
When it is not raining here 1t is As not
as he'll. Probably 1 use this word 100
frequently, but everything tends 10 re
mind one OF that place
we don't know whether we are 10
90 to Cuba or Porto Rico, or when, out
we are ready. and if we don't get there
il is not our fault.
our line of tents 600 is in row,
four men to the tent, and there are Y
rows for the troopers. besides the OF
fcers's tents. The tents leak and the
water can't be kept from under the
sides. Our horses are tied TO rope
stretched in front of our line of tents,
where they stand, when not under the
saddle. with their backs bumped up TO
the rain
The natives look upon the cowboy
regiment with much suspicion and are
in mortal dread of a payday, for rear
we shall shoot out the lights ana XII
or otherwise mutilate the whites ana
the blacks.
please give my regards to all the
folks 1 know and tell them ! would ike
to get a letter from each one. This
tent is now so full of troopers that L
can't hear myself think, so l Will nave
TO close. They seem to have come in
TO talk over the matter of rations. We
agree on the subject better than the
subject agrees with US. 1t is raining
harder and harder, and the tent is
leaking more and more. so I viii stop.