The Press., 1898-08-25
LETTER FROM SANTIAGO.
On the field before Santiago de Cuba,
Aug 8. 1873.

ender OF the city.
The formal surrender did not take place
Until Sunday, July 18th. Now this was
omething i wanted to see. So early on
sunday morning strOlled casually out
bf camp, with an axe on my shoulder, as
{ going for wood. / easily found place
10 get through the guard line, and, drop |
ping my axe, hustled for the city. was
entirely unarmed, but did not feel at all
timid, as several others had been into the
city the day before. got good look at
the Spanish outwOrks and their barbed
wire distractions. These were made so
thick and close together ii would have
been impossible to have assaulted their
although our artillery had
a fine range on most all of their works.
Crawling through these distractions,
found myself In the midst of thousands Of
Spanish soldiers, for the point l entered
was directly at their barracks. Twas not
greeted with single hostile glance, but
was at once taken into one of the officers
quarters and treated to rice, curry cakes
and wine. Although 1 could speak no
Spanish, yet a very friendly spirit was
manifested towards me. / soon tired OF
them, and started to explore the city. /
had entered the lower part, which was
very dirty and filthy, and was glad to
get up into the cleaner part Of the city.
The construction Of the city buildings
are almost entirely of sun-drled brick,
very little woodwork being seen except
in partitions. / found many fair-sized
stores open, mostly clothing and drug
stores. Grocery stores were nearly all
closed out. l saw also many places
throughout the town where our shells had
struck during the bombardment the Sum-
day previous. tried to get into the ca
thedral, but could not seem to find an en-
trance. then strOlled down to the water
front. Here there was q Spanish gun
boat which could not go out with Ger
vera's feet, and SO escaped destruction.
l then visited the bull ring, where by
using my Imagination could seem to see
how fight would be carried on. By this
time it was 10 o'clock, and as attempted
to get near enough to see the surrender
of the city was driven back by one of
our guards, and so did not see the cere-
mony after all. But saw the city just
the same. got by the guards all right,
and arrived safe In camp.
l wish could pass over the next three
weeks, but cannot. A few days later we
were surprised one day by an issue of
fresh beef. What God-send 1t seemed
to the boys, but they reckoned without
cost. This issue continued three days,
and then not man in camp would touch
it. After going without two months, the
reaction VAS too great. The boys began
to fall sick; not many from the beef, but
mostly from malarlal fever and dysentery.
Our camp is located In low, swampy
spot. The other regiments soon secured
their big tents and moved back on higher
ground, but were held off with the prom.
Use that we would soon be sent home.
Days passed, and the rumors kept flying
thick and fast, but no movement was
made. We even could not get our large
tents. Our hospital filed up with sick,
and the men began to die. Eighteen men
have died In the hospital, and haR OF
them from lack Of proper food and care.
Our surgeons seem unable to cope with
disease at all, and not until our transport
was unloaded about week ago have we
had hardly anything In the medicinal line
except quinine. Some of our big tents
have arrived and been put up Just about
the time that they commenced to send
some of the first division home.
It Is now stated that we will be sent
home within a week, but we don't take
any stock In such promises. The boys
feel that there has been gross misman-
agement in the regiment, and some
searching questions will be asked when
our people hear Of our treatment. SUI
fered four days and nights with severe
pains In my head, and when going to the
surgeon for relief was given two cathartic
pills. That is about the way we all get
treated. He refused to give me any NOR
phine to quiet me, so sent to town and
got it for myself, and in one night was so
much better that l did not have to go
near him again.
Since the arrival Of the Clara Barton
relief ship the sick have Jared much bet
ter, and have had nourishing soups and
food issued to them. / am living much
of the time now on matted milk cooked
over a candle flame In my tent. 1t rains
three or four times every day, and man
can't get a good fire more than once a
day. Wood Is very scarce. There are
no Virginia rail fences or forests here.
Barbed wire fences, put up on green
sticks which root and leaf out, making an
impregnable net work, Is what you find
My company has lost three men In two
weeks, and ten alone have died from Wor.
cester. Our loss from disease far out.
numbers those killed In battle, and a
great proportion of the former loss will
always reflect on the management of this
all i'll, but the officers get sent on board
of hospital ships at once, while the men
only as last opportunity. We have "a
in the regimental hospital to-day, and the
number increases every day. 1t would
not be surprising to me to find we have
left so brave boys here OH the island by
the time the powers that be- see lit tc
withdraw US from this disease-stricker
territory.
We are to have new suits throughout
when we leave, and all camp equipag'
will be left on the island. We are nov
supplied with q pound of fresh breaC
every day, and that Is putting new life In
to the men. Well, we can simply wal
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