The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-04
ECHOES OF THE WAR.


Barre, received the following letter
board the Badger:
on Board u s. S. Badger, on the Block
ado off Neuvitas, Cuba.
Neuvitas, Cuba, July Is, 1898.
Dear Cousin: / don't know when this
will reach you, as we are thoroughly cut
off from the rest of the world. We nave
seen only one of our own boats for over
week, but. can see land all the time.
This place we are at (Neuvitas) is on the
northeast end of the island. 1t is a large
seaport. We are the only vessel on the
blockade here.
You will kave to excuse this writing s
there is big sea or and the waves are
coming up over the bow of our ship whose
deck stands thirty-six feet above wate~.
We are ploving our way back and forth
through II at fifteen knots AN hour, so we
get full benefit. We have to stand gun
watch now every night. Last, night l
stood by gun eight hours and tonight
six hours. l tell you 1t is not much fun;
It is hard to keep awake. We, have six
sea sick men on the ship cut of 35c and
considering the sea that is on 1t is a very
small number but more will catch 1t to-
night. j expect every time we roll the
muzzle of our big guns will dip in the
water 1t has rained here from 10 to 20
times every day and very hard, too, but
the sun dries 1t up in about ten min
utes 1t was only 1872 in the shade here
the other day. Yours,
w. L. Davenport.
Dispatches from Key West to Mon
days papers bring the intelligence OF
the bombardment and evacuation of
Neuvitas. The capture is, according to
the dispatches, due. to the work of the
Badger and Prairie. The Badger has
been particularly active lately. having
captured three prize ships coming out
of the Spanish harbor and took them
to Dry Tortugas.
1.-THE body of ]. Augustus Schmidt,
the young soldier who died of typhoid
fever at Chickamauga on Wednesday,
was laid at rest in Halle cemetery yes
terday afternoon, covered with the
beautiful starry banner under which
he was ready to fight, with the roll
of muffled drum and subdued note of
the funeral dirge, followed by thou
sands of friends and fellow citizens, the
remains were borne to the silent city
of the dead, and tenderly laid to rest
in the narrow earthly home" says yes
terday's Hazleton Sentinel. 1T was
one of the saddest and at the same
time grandest funeral pageants ever
witnessed in this city, a fitting tribute
to a brave young patriot, whose life
had been cut short by disease Just as
he had offered it on the altar of his
country. He had not expected this end
to his career when he shouldered his
gun and went with the Ninth regiment
from Wilkes Barre to Mt. Gretna and
later to Chickamauga He was ready
to risk death on the battlefield for his
| country's sake, but it came sooner and
in another form and cut him down in
the line of duty. His funeral was at
tended by thousands of people from all
towns in this end of the country, who
gathered to pay tribute Of respect
| to the young soldier. 1t has been many
years since HaZleton was the scene Of
such an outpouring of people at a fu-
neral and perhaps never before did the
town display such a general aspect of
mourning for one of its residents. AS
military funeral it was a splendid
spectacle, showing the feeling of sorrow
at the death of soldier, and the pride
in his patriotism, which led him to
respond to his country's call in the
time Of danger"
Up 10 date eight members of the
Ninth regiment have died at Chicka-
mauga from typhoid fever For the
past few days the division hospital
| there has been crowded and it was i'm
possible to send any patients from the
Ninth, thus compelling the sick men
| to remain in their tents. Colonel
Dougherty tried to get another tent for
the use of the hospital, but was in
| formed that the Ninth had it's full
| quota of canvas. To overcome this
difficulty Colonel Dougherty ordered
| the headquarters mess tent to be taken
| down and added to the hospital. This
| will give the Ninth considerable more
| space. Surgeon Weaver says that eff
forts are being made to get one of the
| big mess tents owned by Company B
| or ID stored at Chattanooga and
| Wilkes Barre, and use it for the dis
pensary. the present tents being used
| exclusively for cots. This will give
room for thirty-two patients and will
be the means of keeping the Ninth's
sick near their own quarters. The to-
tai number reported sick in the Ninth
is as follows: In division hospital. 25;
1 n n ~ q N~aA