The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-03
:XAS SOLDIER in CUBA
|restine Description Of Caimanera, Guam.
tanamo, Santiago and Other Cities.
lTILF COUNTRY SEEN AROUND JAMAICA
ny Places of Interest viewed MT
enntingo dc Cubn-Nativcs VIII
Make Poor citizens.
he Editor of Tho Post.

ptCu " ItSiutuI OIL TOiL btDu equity
as, and great admirer and constant
Ter of your valuable paper, thought
be you would not be averse TO re-
ing and publishing a letter from one
he boys now in the trenches in TIE
nity of Santiago de Cuba. My regi-
II. the Second United States volunteer
ntry. landed here in July, after the
OF the city and surrender of General
H. but the smoke from the American
had hardly lifted from the valley at
foot OF San Juan hill. On every hand
d be seen sick and wounded Ameri-
and starved and dispirited Spanish
berry. Whenever the true history Of
short campaign, so full OF cruel and
ecessary suffering to the privates in
ranks of the United States army, be-
es fully known, then a howl OF indig-
Dn as deep and mighty as the roar
he endless ocean will sweep over the
kricam continent from the cold rocky
les of Maine ON the east to the sunny
es of California on the west. And
o4 to the man or political party found
onsible for this now untold misery and
14yering!
( 3pt as my letter was intended more as
descriptive one than otherwise, | will
Ito confine myself more closely TO the
43ect in question. Two or three days
HI landing in Santiago my company III
"a another ID were ordered 10 proceed to
II &ntanamo to receive the surrender of
troops located in that district
IN trip had to be made by water. and on
Gof the prize ships--the San Juan We
ed at the town of Caimanera on Guam
mo bay This place tCaimanera) will
Remembered in the annals of the late
as the point where the first Ameri-
marines were landed. In entering the
We passed through SIMPSONS entire
M and in stones throw OF the New
IA. Brooklyn, Oregon, Indiana, Iowa,
Is. and many other smaller but very
sidable ships These vessels were laZ-
&Bput proudly swinging at anchor and
&ptir craft slowly ploughed alongside each
~ us a rouslng and hearty cheer which
returned by us in the same spirit
~ was grand inspiring and never to
scene ANA one calculated TO
s5lse TO the highest pitch the patriotic
p<husiasm predominant in every true
nQerican soldiers breast. After seeing
- imposing and formidable array of
lies hips one ceases TO wonder ait their
1l1ul destructiveness, consequently we
e<3 prepared to see thousands of armed
33eNtard5 covering in abject terror amid
m fallen and destroyed forts and block
ji59es.
AK this place (Caimanera) were left
l44ty men in charge of Lieutenant Stat
zQs OF company l.. The rest OF the COM
aH was loaded on rickety cars, ana
TED for the town or city proper OF
g4ntanano. fifteen miles in the interior
Ae4most of this journey was made
4qgh an impenetnable jungle of small
~ and immense bushes weeds, vines,
l4zgrasses. The grass actually had to be
ped from lite car windows as we
ed, but no matter how dense and lux
u the vegetation grew beside thd
~ every mile of the way a space was
re, a rifle pit dug and block house
led. No wonder Spain's once full treas
8FEas depleted TO keep up these print
~ and almost useless defenses. Upon
= arrival at Guantanamo we found it
- OF twelve or fifteen thousand in
lb4tants, and garrisoned by about 5000
anish troops who were yet in possession
their arms and equipments. Guanta-
mo, like all the Spanish towns l have
ens has style of architecture peculiarly
q Ereseryedly its own. Houses low and
milling. tile roofing, yellow or blue
~, deep alcove windows, always iron
RED and so constructed that the whole |
49e can be made almost alright when !
Eliminates retire of am evening.
More the Cuban insurrection this town |
~ have been a place of considerable |
lportance and wealth, as Ill is surrounl- |
by very rich fertile lands. THE sur
wiling country, so ] am informed, was
~ In high and efficient state OF Gull |
|Aaon, producing corn, sugar cane cof- |
es# pineapples, cocoanuts, oranges, ba- |
ms and many other tropical fruits in
l,ndance. My personal knowledge OF |
lan tanamo and its immediate vicinity is |
Every comprehensive, because the rest |
my company, about sixty men, were |
red early tlh'e next morning to proceed |
TN miles further into the interior with |
48quartens in the town of jamaica This
Hpey was accomplished by rail, and |
ugh the. most beautiful and picturesque
lx0try l ever beasld. This town, too, was |
dc possession of Spanish troops. about
)Dstrong, and at one time was the head
Miners of General Toral.
1arly the next day these troops were
"a UP and started on what must have |
~ to them sad and dreary march to
lptanamo and the sea; there to lay |
N forever tire arms borne so long in de-
~ Of Spanish honor and Spanish rights
1Rrdly, indeed was tire American SOL
~ Nuo COutu NduUOuiy Htdp lhulSnlty
1nsult upon these poor fellows in their
humiliation and suffering. Yet such
4ione, but am proud to state that none
be boys in the ranks Were guilty OF
cowarily and ungentlemanly conduct. |
Jamaica our company was divided into
DIS OF ten or twelve and distributed up
20 different sugar estates In the Vi
= N. this proprietors sending carts with
ln drivers to convey them TO their
fal destinations. This move | under
a, was made from the fact that por-
d OF Garcia's army was encampei In |
fearful OF pillage. But during the
Eng of the sort occurred, and these
erty owners were as Nndisturbed in I
rights as any Texas planter could |
~ been. In TIE town of Jamaica were |
<3fiftcen men, including the writer, who |
"a expected TO do polsce duty and TO
orce the squads on the plantations II |
ssary. This town Of possibly 1000 PEG
N Is located on a level plateau at The |
OF one OF tho most beautiful and fer
valleys / ever saw. From this emil
e could be seen some OF the largest |
y estates in the world, interspsrsed by |
les. while corn, potatoes. pumpkins, |
>ns, pineappleg, lemons, plantains AMI
e grew in profusion, without attention |
uftiuation. Corn natures here every |
nty or eighty days and can be found in
stare at ana time OF the year. while
will prodlfse this year from forty TO
tons to the acre that has not had any |
walton whatsoever in five years. What
n no he vfa1d ~ THE soil ~ slhfh ~ ed