The herald., 1898-12-25

| this advent, l was told it was quite little
| Cuban town, but when | saw it, backed by
its unbroken chain of low mountains Punta
| Alegra consisted only of dozen or so rude
shacks, unspeakably dirty, built from palm
| bark and leaves with rude poles for propes.
Also the remains OF couple of Spanish forts.
| General Gonzales camp was situated
about a mile down the road from this gath
ering of huts, and was scattered for nearly
another mile along the base of the hills
already mentioned. 1t did not present a
we'll ordered array of white tents formed
! into company streets, with a row OF otti-
GERS tents facing them.
The approach to the camp was very mar
row footpath leading from wood that ran
along the seashore. This footpath had
many windings; so many, in fact that with
! the tall Cuban grass and growth that rose
on each side of and all about it, on going
over the path for the first time one eX-
pected it to terminate every ten feet. 1t
was so narrow that if You happened to meet
anyone coming from the opposite direction
it was necessary to step into the tall grass
to allow the other to pass.
All along the side of this path-which
soon began to run parallel with the sea-at
about an average distance Of fifteen feet,
the Cuban officers and soldiers had built
their campfres. Those fortunate enough to
posses them had swung their hammocks,
and some, more industrious than their fell
lows, built shacks, very much like those in
Punta Alegra proper. And all so deeply
among the bushes and shrubs and tail grass
on the hillsides that if the campfres were
not lighted one might walk along the shore
road not more than thirty feet away, and
not know there was a human being around.
The idea of celebrating Christmas in such
place and under such conditions suggest
ed stories of Robin Hood and his merry
men.
One of our American regulars, who was
with me when | visited General Gonzales
camp, said at the time that ii there We're
only few cur dogs about to howl 1t would
have been for all the world like an Ameri-
can Indian camp. And sure enough, every
here and there, squatting over camp fires,
were men crouching. Indian fashion, with
with blankets with holes TO put their heads
through hanging loosely over them.
They were not a wel-kept lot, but they
were cheerful enough. Some had construct
ed some manner OF apparel for themselves
out OF gunny sacks, and one tall negro boy
in particular wore nothing but cartridge
belt about his loins. but he carried his gun
with him always. Comparatively few had
hats, but whatever arms they owned-and
these formed quite an assortment, nearly
everything but the blunderbuss being pres
ent-they never failed to carry with them.
There were about three hundred men in
General Gonzales camp, comprising both
cavalry and infantry. and every man acted
as his own quartermaslter and his own com
missary. If a soldier felt he wanted some
thing to eat, he went out and rustled for
it; and ii an officer happened to feel the
same way he did the same, or else he went
hungry. Sometimes few dubbed together
and took turns at rustling, but only when
they looked out for themselves were they
looked out for. What they managed to find
chiefly at Punta Alegra were sweet potatoes,
which Were planted some place on the other
side OF the hills, while some who We're
more fortunate had managed to rake up
some ta>aio somewhere dried beef that
is pulled into shreds before being eaten,
and is sometimes called 'jerked beef.
When they go rustlng for Christmas fare
there will be some interesting times in the
neighborhood of that camp.
As compared with that of General Con
zales, the camp OF Major General Camille,
the second onel visited, was shining exam
pie OF neatness, and yet had Colonel Waring
visited the place l. have no doubt he would
have found plenty OF room for suggestions.