The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-25
PLAYED esMY MARYLAND. .
Ensign Marley Writes of Incidents of
War From Santiago.

Junction City, July 25.-Ensgn Rufus
Manley. who is the Harvard, writing
from Santiago, says Of the landing of the
troops:
I'VE worked hard all day getting 1900
troops ashore. L had charge of a boat
and carried seven loads. The sea was
rough and the boat would be rocking up
and down alongside the gangway and the
soldiers, who of course were not used to
water, made hard work getting ashore,
and also of getting into the boat. More
than one big man jumped on me, one
knocked my cap into the water and we
were unable to rescue it.
My first boat load was composed of the
Michigan regiment band, and as they left
the ship the struck up My Maryland, My
Maryland This is the crack tune, and
as soon as they began it the men on
board ship set up a tremendous cheer.
In the afternoon 1 got a chance to go
into the little village and talk Spanish to
the Cubans. I find my Spanish serves me
right well on this occasion. The Cubans
are awful lot of peopIe-at least those
that I saw were. They are ignorant and
dirty. The children under six years old
run around without a stitch their back.
Every Cuban man 1 saw carried a ma
chete, and 1 tried to buy one for relic,
but I couldn't. While I was on shore a
man came down the mountain on mule
with a lot of mangoes. He was giving
them away, and when offered him money
he did not want it. His clothes were rag
ged, and still when 1 asked him what he
wanted he sid NADIA, nothing.
The next day, Saturday, was the day
of the big fight between Shafter and the
Spaniards. The wounded were being
brought in constantly from the front. I
volunteered to go with the steam launch
to carry the wounded to the hospital
ships. I worked all night except one
IA 7 7 To
such sights again. Men were shot through
their heads, arms, legs, body and every
imaginable place.
After Cervera's fleet was destroyed we
went near shore as possible and sent
boats to bring the prisoners on board.
We found over 600 hundred in charge of
naval officer and a few marines, who
were compelled to fire the Cubans to
keep them from butchering the Spaniards.
Well, we took six-shOoters and swords
and started to bring the whole lot aboard.
Before We got half way we saw six or
seven men hanging to a line in the stern
of the Oquendo, and we put for them with
all speed When we came near they al
most went wild, praying and pleading to
take them away. The ship was so hot it
was burning them all the time, and one
poor man was just holding on by his
hands to a rope, with most of his body in
the water; a few more minutes would
have found him where four others who
had been before him had gone, and whose
bodies were floating around the boat. The
Spaniards fully expected to be murdered,
for they would get down in the bottom of
the boat and beg and pray for their lives.
After our first load we went for those on
shore, many of whom hadn't even a fig
leaf on, and brought them by boat loads
of thirty to the ship. When we were
bringing prisoners from the shore past the
Infanta Maria her forward magazine ex-
ploded. Ny! how things flew when that
magazine exploded.
Just after I had gone to bed we had a
little insurrection among the prisoners, in
which six were killed and eight wounded
1 was one of the first out, besides the
guard, but did not think it necessary to
fire a revolver, as could stop them with
out. They are so small, most of them,
that I did not hesitate to grab one and
march him back