The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-26

The following letter from n Richmond
boy now at Guantanamo was written TO
a relative in this city and is highly in
teresting:
Guatanama. cuba, juno 49, Ias
Dear --
I am afraid YOU are imagining all kinds
of things happening % me down here
while I'm reality I am 40 this minute as
cool and comfortable as a man can wish
10 be. much better OF than / should be
i'm Newport News. and having most
exciting time l am sitting on deck
with "a delightful breeze blowing. have
had a good lunch. and should DE per-
fectly satisfied If we had some ice.
We now have the Texas alongside. so
am I'm the midst Of my friends, and
the days get by i'm a hurry and so do
the nights. as these chaps ashore seem
to think il great fun 90 rTowl around
after dark. We came up here Thursday
night little dreaming that this would
lie the place 20 see the first real fight
1T IS FINE SPORT.
The next day the oregon was along
side us and I met many old friends
on her who had just come around. That
evening the Panther came in with six
hundred marines. and they immediately
landed set houses adre and started
10 get n camp in shape saturday after
noon l went ashore 90 see some OF ine
officers and TO take a look at the camp.
IL was right on TOP OF hin with vale
ley and higher hills beyond. and lne h7r-
Dor on this side. The brush around ls
so thick that nothing can be seem In
It, The SpaniGrds began TO gather
around us an day and about eleven
from the west side. I landed eleven shells
right I'm them from our rapid firing guns,
and hope some of them were knocked
out. IL is the finest sport / ever struck,
firing at them.
COVERED WITH LEAVES.
Just as we left the beach Saturday
evening the enemy suddenly attacked
the camp and made things so warm there
that II had % be abandoned yesterday
morning The marines have been fight
ing for sixty hours now and are tagged
out. IL keeps up all day and all night.
Last night the firing vas terrific. and
at three thirty in the morning things
looked blue. We threw an occasional
shell in the brush. but were afraid of
hitting our own men. Yesterday was
the liveliest Sunday / have ever seen.
We were busy here. I had several cracks
az the men ashore; then the Texas sent
| a six-inch shell up I'm the town five miles
away, and 1t seemed TO raise Cain. The
Spaniards cover themselves with leaves
and crawl I'm the brush so they can not
| be seen: and some timcs get within
| twenty yards before being seen.
BULLETS PRETTY THICK
I'd was ashore all last night. and
| said ne was pretty badly scared at times.
l had the mid-watch; but was up all
night In hopes ! could help the people
ashore with a shot occasionally The
/ bullets were pretty thick around us; but
nobody minds them. Tonight everything
| is as quiet as Il can be. Colonel Laborde
| Of the insurgents, is out with his men.
| lie told me this morning that he would
| let us have some rest tonight and ne IS
| doing a. Tomorrow we Will have three
| hundred insurgents with u.s. I am writ
! ing here IN hOt-weather clothes the Mar
blehead just called out for us to put out
our lights. so IL IS pretty warm In here
! with the port closed; but the New YORK
Herald came TO our rescue just now
Her boat IS alongside, and she has just
sent US some ice.
FOUR WEEKS LONGER.
The Solace came IN this afternoon. I
went on her TO see how things looked.
Think we will probably be here four
weeks longer. and then run North again.
The Herald IS going to send our mail
over 10 Jamaica tomorrow morning.
Write to Key West We will get our
mail sometime: but have no idea when.
forgot about getting films for my
camera. and. consequently am losing
some fine opportunities.
Must say good night. DO not worry
about me. as am feeling hrst-class ana
don't know when I have had better