Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-07-28
NEAR SANTIAGO, CUBA,
July Sth, 1898.

July Sth, 1898.
My DEAR NIECE:-I received a letter
from you to-day, that was written on
the 14th of June, but | was glad to
hear from you all the same. 1t was
the first letter ] received since the Sth
4sr June am glad to hear that all are
well, as | am the same.
Now / will give you a short story of
camp or war life. On the 10Th of April
we left Governors Island for Tampa,
Fla. It's the most sandy place in the
United States, the sand being about
eight inches deep. The place is called
White City, as the sand is white. We
arrived there on the 23d of April and
stayed until the Sth of June. There
were 1000 soldiers camped at Tampa
and the surrounding country was full
Of camps ofall kinds-a artillery, cavalry,
infantry and volunteers from all over
the United States. We were the first
regiment to arrive there and almost
the last to leave. On the morning of
camp was given and about eight
o'clock we left camp for the train and
arrived at Port Tampa at noon. In
the evening we boarded the good ship
Saratoga, of New York and lay tied up
for two days at the dock, or until we
were loaded, when we pulled out of
the bay and waited for the other ships
to get loaded. On the 18th we started
for Cuba and landed on the 25th, so
we lived on board of ship seventeen
days. There were about 1000 men on
our ship and it was pretty well crowded
for sleeping room. We were not par
ticular as to that; wherever there was
room to lie down there we were. We
had two bands with us, so there was
plenty of music. 1t seemed we were
going to some picnic rather than shed
our blood for the Cubans-they are a
dirty set of people and half naked at
that. But, it is so awful warm here
that little clothing is needed Our bill
of fare on ship was not changeable
For breakfast we had hardtack and
coffee; for dinner, coffee, hard tack and
some corned roast beef without salt
and once in a while we got canned
beans and tomatoes; for supper coffee
and tack. That's the way we lived all
the time we were on the ship. We
were out of sight of land for four days.
but we had fine weather. A couple of
nights we had severe Storms-lightning
struck our ship on the night of the
18th and tore away our top-mast, but
iOlIc iio OIiieI udilldSe. oUU6FWlSc we
had fine sail. We landed at Sibony
Of course the ships could not get close
to shore, SO we had to get into the
launches and be rowed there We
stayed two days at Sibony and then
started for the front. Early in the
morning of July 1st, after camping at
several places along the trail, we broke
camp and started for the battlefield
While we were going along the road
bullets and shells were flying and
bursting above our heads, killing men
right next to me. We pushed ahead
to the firing line OH it was awful!
The killed and dying and groans of
the wounded was something awful
One regiment broke and run and we
had to take their place and as soon as
we got on the line we made a charge
and drove the Spaniards out of their
trenches and we gained the hill and
now we have them completely sur
rounded. was under fire sixty hours
and it was pretty hot sometimes, but |
have escaped 50 far. | will close
now Excuse dirty paper--it was all
| could get.
Worm ITNCT L. I'm