The record-union., 1898-05-27
CAMPAIGNING IN CUBA.
THE INSURGENT ARMY DIVID-
ED INTO SMALL BANDS.
The Forces of Santiago de Cuba
Are Mostly Uneducated but
Intelligent Blacks.

Emory w. Fem, late Major in the
Cuban army, has written an article for
the June Century entitled, Ten
Months With the Cuban Insurgents .
Mr.. Fem says:
Our operations were confined to the
province of Santiago de Cuba, large
proportion of the inhabitants of which
are blacks, descendants of native Afri-
cans, imported in the days Of slavery.
Most of the men are of medium stat
ure, with broad shoulders and Well-de-
veloped muscles. They are peaceful
III disposition, seldom, if ever, quarrel
ing among themselves, and are brave
and fearless in battle. AS no attention
has been given by the Spanish authori-
ties to their education, less than one
quarter Of the country people in this
province are able to read and write;
but they are gifted by nature with a
large amount of intelligence. Their
homes are hardly more than roofs. The
families are large, often numbering
from sixteen to eighteen. Children
under years seldom wear clothing.
Lamps are almost unknown, candles
being generally used.
Vegetables are plentiful, and meat is
now furnished to the families by the
prefect, an officer of the Civil Govern
ment appointed for each township to
protect and care for the families, also
to furnish horses, vegetables, and other
articles necessary for the troops in his
vicinity. AS the Cuban soldier relies
mainly upon vegetables, and when
the enemy is not near at hand. often
camps in the same place for weeks at
a time, it is necessary, in order not to
exhaust the supply to divide the forces
into small bands of from fifty to five
hundred men, according to circum-
stances. The vegetables chiefly used
are green plantains Ca banana, but not
the variety sold in this markeD, green
bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and
the nutritious yucca. These vegetables
are either boiled or roasted on the
Goals.
The camp is usually chosen in an
opening near a road, where fresh water
may be had and grass found for the
horses, the officers and assistants
being. as a rule, mounted. If the camp
is for a short time only, no huts are
built; but if it is expected to remain
for several days, the soldiers erect
small shelters. A majority of the Off
GERS are provided with a large piece
of canvas, which is stretched as a roof
over their hammocks. The hammocks
are hung to trees or to posts driven
into the ground Each soldier does his
own cooking, but each officer is at
tended by an assistant. Fires are
started with flint and steel, no matches
being used, except, perhaps, for a short
1t1A.
principal fire wood is cedar.
AS soon as a camp site has been Sc
lected, guards are placed, but only on
the roads, as the Spanish troops never
enter the woods. The horses are then
unsaddled and taken to pasture, ham
mocks are hung, and fires are built.
Soldiers who are not supplied with
vegetables are allowed to look for them:
and, while usually they are to be found
near at hand, it is sometimes necessary
to go several miles before finding them
At night staff officers are required to
do guard duty near headquarters, to
receive any messages that may arrive,
and to see that all is quiet in camp.
Reveille is sounded on the bugIe at
daylight, and every one, officers in
cluded. is obliged to turn out. Coffee
or sambumbia (sweetened wateD is
then made, and about one hour later
roll-call is again sounded Retreat is
sounded at 8, when every man must be
in camp, and at 9 silence is sounded,
and all remove their clothing and retire
for the night.
The Cubans eat but two meals a day,
one about / a. M, and the other about
6 D. M They often march by moon
light. and many of their attacks are
made at night, while the Spanish forces
never march or attack except by day
In a Spanish camp the horses are. not
unsaddled during the day, and at
night the men often do not remove
their clothing, and the entire camp is
we'll guarded.
Medicine is scarce, and fever is COM
mon. a.