Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1898-08-26
A LETTER FROM A HYDE
COUNTY BOY.

no idea how much pleasure
letter brings from home if only
a few words, it makes me fee
good for a week and duty don
seem so hard. There is NJ
news here now, everything /!
quiet but we are to leave here
in two days for the Isle Of Pine;
and probably we will have /
"hot" there tor awhile. W.
still do duty here just the same
as at first for its we'll to be OF
the alert. I would like to enjoy
fishing. bathing, etc, with yot
all. am glad the young peo|
pie of S. O. are enjoying them
selves. 1t is SO hot here l car
hardly breathe, l have relics t.
beat the baud. There is abou
$50 ships in harbor now, tht
Cubans have all left this camp
and taken possession Of Camen
aria (after we had shot the
Spaniards OUT. Well, In try
and describe the country to you
etc, The first battalion of y
S. marines left Brooklyn navy
yard on the 73rd of April anc
was transported to Key West by
the u. S. S. ship Panther and
there enjoyed few weeks ba~
thing and other pleasures o.
such a place. We broke camp
at Key West on the morning
of June 6. and again w as taken
on the transport Panther and
conveyed to the bay of Guam
tanamo Cuba by the auxiliary
cruiser Yosemite. We landed
at p. N. and were the frsI
body of soldiers to land on Gu
ban soil. We worked hard I'M
till dark pitching tents and
clearing ground. We all went
to our tents and slept we'll un~
till reville was sounded, had
breakfast and worked until
dinner then the 2nd platoon
under Lieut.. Shaw and the Ist
platoon under Lieut.. Neville
went out for picket duty about
? miles from camp and into a
valley. Lieut.. Shaw took his
picket about 1 mile from picket
No. I. after finding a desirable
spot for picket we posted SEN
tries about 200 yards from
main picket, formed a patrole
which was to visit picket No.
I every hours, our patrole re-
turned at 4 o'clock from Lieut.
Neville's picket and reported a
large force of Spaniards in the
hills. At that moment we heard
A dozen shots, followed quickly
by several volleys and then the
fun began, we called all sentries
in for an attack. In 5 minutes
the whole battalion was out to
reinforce us, the firing ceased
from 7 until 8 and then it be>
gan and lasted until 10 o'clock
next day, then we were told by
Lieut.. Lucas that We were be-
ing thanked and that in a few
moments we would be cut off
from camp unless we hurried
SO in less time than it takes to
tell it we were started for camp
and when about half way the
Spaniards shot at us at short
range of 20 or 80 feet volley
after vulley, but didr-'t touch us.
They hold the rifle at the hip
when firing and couldn't hit a
barn-Yard. Ii they were as
good shot as Uncle Sans boys
there wouldn't have been one
Of us left to tell the story. We
killed 3 or 4 or at least all that
was seen most of them were con
cealed, they pulled off their clio
thing before attacking us and
dressed in palm leaves from
head to foot so that we couldn'
detect them and so that their
clothing would not catch in the
bushes to make a noise, they
can move noiseiessly in the
;hiCkest brush. There was two
Of our boys killed from the first
shots that were fired by the
opaniards on the 18th and later
hat night one of our sergeants
Vas shot through the head aud
killed after we reached camp.
We were allowed to have breaks
asst while nauser bullets fell
hick and fast in our camp, but
he boys had no appetite, but
We tried to eat beans cooked
With salt water aud coffee made
If same. We put the automatic
apld firing guns in use, that
oours out $50 bullets per min
lite. We again lined up on the
lring line and heated the bar
els of our rifles fer awhile, la
er in the evening our Sergeant
MAJOR was killed and about 10
o'clock DR.. John &. Gibbs was
hot through the head causing
death. The firing
,ept up all night and only lost
me man on the out post. The
9Th was the same continuous
ire with no loss to our side on