Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-08-23
A trough RIDER"
J. S. Black Moves Out Of the Trenches
and Writes a Letter.
SOME INTERESTING POINTERS.

j.. s. Black, formerly connected With
the mechanical department OF THE CTTG
zEN, in a letter from Camp wikoff. Long
Island, under date OF August IS, says:
I'VE got here on the transport Miami
yesterday morning after a rather tedious
voyage OF seven days. The men are all
In a very poor condition. In + troop
there we're only thirteen men OF for duty
on our arrival here, and some Of the thir-
teen, including myself, were not feeling
In the best OF condition. Out Of the troop
Of seventy mon, with which we landed on
the island, only about three escaped the
bullets and fever, although some OF the
fever cases we're OF a mild type.
"Garheld Hughes wa In the hospital
with a rather sever attack OF II when we
left Santiago. but IL now recovering and
will be all right In a day or 20.
"Charles Hopping is quite sick just
now but with that exception all Che Al
buqusrque boys are In fair health. al
though all Of them except Thomas Dow.
ney Fennsssy. Eugene BOhlinger and my
self, had a more or less severe attacks OF
the popular malay.
"Guy Endsley went to the hospital suf-
fering from fever about an hour after we
had commenced our anal attack on sau.
tiago and a couple OF days later IL WAS
announced 10 the troops by the FIRST ser
geant that he had died OF the yellow
fever At the division hospital.
ave had a much better trip home on
the Miami than we had going down on
the Yucatan. partly for the reason that
there wa not 20 many OF us, but mainly
for the reason that we we're better treated
by the crew. The Miami Ia a cattle boat
and the crew were accustomed TO hand
ling cattle, aud rs q result they treated
US just about a. they would cattle, which
was a vast improvement over the treat
ment accorded us by the set OF brutes
who manned the good ship Yucstan. OF
the Ward line.
1--WE had rather q hard time in Cuba
for awhile when we were lying In the
trenches before Santisgo-had very little
to eat and we're kept on duty nearly all
the time. Most Of the boys did not have
their shoes and leggings of for fifteen
days.
"0n the mornings OF July l and 2 we
had Spanish shrapnel for r%eyeille, and
while that is q very sure way Of arousing
men from their slumbers, 1t Is not 10 be
recommended on account OF the wear
and tear II causes on the nerves, and
then II Ia more or less fatal. IL any u
tells you that Spanish gunners cannot
shoot Just tell them for me that they are
mistaken. The way they had OF silencing
our batteries the first couple OF days
was no trouble TO them, but they
could not stand our small arm
and Gatling gun work. They did
not understand u system OF rushing
them out OF their trenches. and when on
the last day before the final flag Of truce
the dynamite gun commenced working
on them they got discouraged and gave
us the game by q score OF 8 TO 0.
tom. Fennessy ia now first sergeant,
and | have assembled the ladder Of fame
until I have reached the dizzy heights OF
the rank, pay, honor and emoluments Of
q corporal.
"Bill MattOx Ia still able TO eat twice
as much as any other two men in the
troop.
ION the way up from Cuba we passed
the island where Chr stopher Columbus
landed on his first visit TO this continent.
II is q bleak. barren looking spot, which
don't seem to have improved much since
discovered by MIR. Columbus.
II will be very glad when | can GET
back TO the land Of sunshine. This cOun.
try around here il all right, but there IL
a miserable east wind which blows all
day and has set the boys to shiyerlng."