Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-12-31
A NOVEL CHRISTMAS.
summer Heat and blooming Flowers
Feature OF the Day to Northern
Soldiers in Cuba.

soldiers In CubH.
Havana, Dec. 26.-Christmas at Camp
Quemados was as lively as the troops
could make it with slender materials.
Turkeys at seven dollars apiece were
scarce and everybody said that with the
heat at summer temperature and the
hedgerows brilliant with flowers the
day did not seem much like Christmas
All the company messes of the Forty.
ninth Iowa, the First North Carolina,
the Fourth Virginia, the Second 1lli-
nois and the One Hundred and Sixty
first Indiana regiments had extra
spreads" out of company funds, with
gifts from well-to-do members. The
army ration was supplemented by fruit,
canned goods, sweet potatoes and
sometimes chicken. The Sixth Mis-.
souri, regiment, the last to arrive, had
no chance to prepare an extra dinner;
so the men dined on fresh beef, rice and
beans. One battalion reached camp
Saturday, the other two marching Sul-
day distance of eight miles over n
dusty road. All the regimental bands
played and the men were granted leave
within mile radius of the camp. Com
rany + of the One Hundred and Sixty.
first Indiana regiment had a cactus
tree with present for everybody stuck
on the points, as for instance, hard
tack, beans, salt pork and candles. The
officers of the One Hundred and Sixty
first Indiana INDUCED after dinner in
songs and speechmaking, with several
solo dances. At El Vedado the Eighth
and Tenth regular infantry regiments
dined well at the expense of the COM
pany funds.
Maj. Gen. Lee and his staff partook
of modest dinner. Gen. Lee had a
number of live turkeys available, but
as the birds are very lean, he decided
to keep them on the chance of improve
ment for the New Years feast after the
flag raising. Gen. Lee spent most of
the day OH horseback, studying the best
route for the New Year day parade
The streets are too narrow to allow the
troops to march past the palace, so
that the route will probably be through
the prado and central park, to Cerro,
the Havana suburb. Gen. Lee expects
" nave ll,OOO lhSludihB thS
Cubans, in the military procession.
Christmas day was ushered in in Ha-
yana by the cracking of revolvers and
rafting volleys from Mauser rifles in
or affray which occurred near the CEN
ter of the city early Sunday morning
between the Spanish troops garrison
| ing the city and the Cuban residents.
| One Cuban was fatally wounded, two
others were badly injured and Span
ish soldier was stabbed. The affair was
| brought on by the Cubans, who fired
| from housetop on company of SOL
| diers asleep in the Hotel Roma. The
soldiers sprang to their feet and at
| once returned the fire.
Santiago de Cuba, Dec. 26.-Christ-
mas has passed without local disorder.
There were few private dinners given
| to celebrate the day among the Aneri-
cans, as most of them prefer TO hold
| their festivities to-day. Saturday even
! ing three companies of United States
troops guarded the city as precaution
| against possible disturbances, some of
| the Cuban negroes having made threats
against Spaniards and Spanish prop
| erty. But the night went by quietly.
Savannah, Ga, Dec. 26-Christmas in
the camp of the Seventh army corps
came as near to being civilian ccle-
bration as is possible in military life.
Practically all army restraints were
suspended except morning and after
noon calls and the men were left to en-
10Y themselves in their own fashion.
| The Third Nebraska, Col. William j.
Bryans OLD regiment, had fund of
| $1,000 sent from home for Il Christmas
dinner. This was apportioned among
the companies. The Second Louisiana
also had $1,000 for Christmas dinner
but this regiment spent Christmas at
sea, having sailed Saturday at the same
time as the First Texas. Several officers
and men took dinner in the city with
citizens, though there was no concerted
movement for a spread for the troops
as on Thanksgiving day.