The times., 1898-08-02
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT
Description Of Santiago Cam
paign by Sergf. Feree.
TELLS OF THE SURRENDER
Money, He Says, Is Almost Worth
less in Cuba-Refusees Gave jew
eiry and Gold for Pieces of Hard
Tack and Cigarettes Cost One Dol
lar n Package.

BY the courtesy of Newton Feree, chief
of division in the Treasury Department.
the following interesting correspondence
from his son, Newton II. Feree, now in
Santiago. is given publication. The
writer is third sergeant in Company X,
District of Columbia Volunteers. and
his brother Sheridan Feree, is first SER
geant in the same organization. Both
are well known in Washington:
I'm Front of Santiago de Cuba.
July II, 1898.
Dear Mother:
1--WE are at the front at last, but so far
have seen little or no actual fighting. but
a great deal of hardship. From the time
OF landing, Sunday night. until the pres
ent. we have been on the jump We made
the landing at about 10 O'Clock p. m,
using pontoon boats, or lighters, to trans
fer the men from the transpors, which
was ticklish work under the circum-
stances. as il is difficult undertaking TO
get from an ocean steamer to a small
boat, even in comparatively smooth waser
We made the change in heavy marching
order. the transfer being made without
accident
I'VE had cup of coffee ashore and
about midnight started on a march over
the mountains to a point four and one
half miles inland. picking our way. single
file. through the widest piece of road l
have yet seen. OF course, the effect was
heightened by the hour. place, and, most
of all, to most OF the boys, by the blood
curdiing stories of Spanish treachery and
ambush, detailed at our campfire previ-
Gus TO our departure by one of the Rough
Riders
''The muddy narrow road was hemmed
in on both sides by the dense tropical un-
dergrowth, and one has only to traverse
this road to realize the dangerous journey
our troops underwent while making their
first advance. This road about three and
one-half miles inland, was the scene of the
fatal skirmish the Rough Riders and
regulars had with the Spanish The scene
of the fight is an ideal one, in the Spanish
mind. of course, for an ambuscade. Dense
woods cover the steep sides of he gully
like road. and along the edge is a barbed
wire fence and heavy brush Nothing but
bravery and dash saved the boys, for had
they fiinched. they would have been
slaughtered.
"On the site of the fight they have made
a small clearing and there lie the bodies
of Hamilton Fish and his brave comrades.
As We passed along we would suddenly
| come onto some camp of Spanish refu-
| gees, huddled together 10 watch US pass,
/ in silent wonder, perhaps terror; yet
/ from what l can learn they are better
! outside than inside the city.
THE road over which we were march
| ing was frightful and we reached our
! camping ground about 2:30 a m. and
| made our first bivouac' on Cuban soil.
| We were pretty well exhausted and had
/ little time for reverie. We dropped our
packs and ourselves and made the best
/ of the next two or three hours in slum-
Z
| and after a cup of coffee and few crack
| ers started on forced march to the
| front. carrying with US only our rifles.
/ ammunition, canteen and haVersacks, the
! latter containing three days rations, or
/ what was supposed TO last three days,
but in fact only enough for about one day,
| as the bag was filed principally with am
munition (120 rounds). Everything else
was left behind in care of a guard. What
we supposed would be a short march
proved 10 be eleven or twelve miles. which
we covered in comparatively short order,
/ and were soon in position on the hill, on
the crest of which is located one of our
rife pits.
''All the road over which we passed
| had only a short week previous been
| fought over and was strewn with cart
ridges and shells. telling Of the almost
continuous fight over these miles of road,
| All through the woods the Spaniards had
| fences OF barbsd wire and kept slipping
from knoll to knoll. making slight stand
on one and then fleeing to another, never
| allowing the boys TO get a good 'whack
| at them. At one spot the cartridge shells
were almost knee deep. showing the po-
sition of one of our machine guns and
! making a small yet elegant monument
| TO the bravery of the colored cavalry
/ These boys We're. of course marching as
! infantry and We're here met with the ter
| rible fire from the enemy. and for several
moments they were helpless. as they could
| not locate the enemy. who was using
smokeless powder. Finally the Spaniarda
We're located and one big black seized
| the machine gun and fairly sent stream
of bullets into their ranks. The troop
! then charged and drove the enemy before
them like chaff. The rapid-fire gun was
| burned so badly in the barrels as to be
useless. and 1t can now be seen where ii
| was used. The brave gunner, strange 10
relate was unhUrt
''As we neared the hills surrounding
Santiago we could hear the crack of a
few batteries on the hills and the rattle
| of the rifles. The real spirit of the boys
showed itself, and I can vouch that II
| the District of Columbia boys ever get
| into action they will give good ac-
| count of themselves. We were marched
| around the hills surrounding Santiago
and were placed in position next to the
! Seventy-first New York. and in about
the center of a circle of the earthworks
.'The outer line of Spanish works is
/ around the suburbs of the city and we
from our position. can see little of San
tiago proper; in the suburbs the public
buildings are located and with the aid
of a field glass we can easily see the
/ typical badge Of a Spanish city, the
bull ring.
THE country around her is all up
! hill and down dale, and had our mer
occupied the once Spanish intrench
ments, now in rear of our lines, no army
on earth could have taken them. As il
is. we have driven the rats into thei,
| corner and have only to strike the Las