The National tribune., 1898-08-11

Mansion. two-story frame structure of mod
ern American style and very common
building at that. We marched on beyond
the Governors house and halted. Soor
orders came for my company to take position
in grocery store near by for some purpose
/ never knew what. But while halted 1--WE
did not know what military discipline was
| we broke ranks and each struggled around fol
himself, but not far away.
/ went over to the Governors house. which
was about 100 yards from any other building,
and with some few others went in. and while
in the house Gen. Lopez came in and took a
knife, / think, and made some shavings,
broke the door down and into kindlimgs. and
asked for match, and with it set the house
on fire.
From this grocery we were ordered to 90 to
another place to guard or cut off retreat of
Spanish soldiers, and in going to this place
we had to pass on the sidewalk exposed to
and about 75 or 100 yards from the burning
building Governors house), and there were
some Spanish soldiers yet on the roof of the
house firing at us.
FIRST MAN LOST.
When about halfway to the corner of the
street, about 100 yards, as we turned north.
stray shot from the burning building killed
one OF my company, the second man behind
me. l, with another comrade, carried him
to the grocery we had just vacated. He lived
only short time after we left him.
L never knew if all the Spanish soldiers got
out of that burning building, but do know
that one Of them did. He came from the fire
running up to us, nearly scared to death.
never saw as perfect picture of fright in my
life. The Governors house burned down,
ard the town of Cardenas was properly sur
rendered to u.s.
We stacked arms, and I, with my Captain
and two or three others, got into she'll of a
brick honse, where we slept on a floor of
broken bricks for a bed 1t was hard sleep
ing on sharp corners of bricks, so did not
sleep long. got out, went on tour of in
spection and observation by myself, and with
ont any arms.
About the middle of the afternoon an
order came for a detail of men to 60 to the
boat and unload the freight / was one of
this detail, and on my way down to the boat
! saw two of our boys, one named Kelly, who
had thrown away their guns and declared
they would not do any more fighting against
the Spaniards.
| also saw a list Of so or 75~names of Cuban
volunteers who were ready TO do service in
their country's cause for freedom.
| helped to unload awhile, when another
order came to reload and 90 to some other
part of the island. While reloading a COM
pany of Spanish lancers from the country at
tackled our forces in the town, and it was
said by one of the boys that but one of them
lived to tell the story, and he was taken pris-
oner, but afterwards released
| was at the boat when this fighting was
going on, and although orders came for rs to
90 up town and reinforce, or help out the
fight, | thought it was little safer for me
just then to be loading freight, and had no
gun; SO, after the freight was all loaded, l
found very nice quarters and a safe place to
rest for the night. All got on board, except
two deserters, who got their deserts next day
from Spanish authority. We fired up, in
tending to 60 to some other part of the
island. The main reason why was that the
cholera had been bad in Havana, and the sol
dieTs, about a 900, had been sent to Matanzas
Tor their health, only 40 miles distant from
Cardenas. There was a railroad from Matan-
zas TO Cardenas, but we had sent detach-
ment of our forces and had destroyed the rail-
road, so Spanish soldiers could only get to
Cardenas by marching But we thought our
force-only about COO, with no cannon-was
hardly enough for 1900 well-drilled Span
iards; so, as | said before, we set out to 90 to
some other part of the island.
HARD AGROUND.
IT mnst have been 10 or II o'clock at night
when we started, but we had to run out of
the channel to avoid being met by Spanish
and in so doing ran aground
We tried every means known to the craft to
,et of, and as a last resort lightened up by
throwing overheard everything loose we
;ould find-guns, ammunition. provisions,
and even private property. We unlomed
some of our livestock on large rock close
oy, and just about daylight the boat drifted.