Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-02
MAIL ON THE FIRING LINE
How United states soldiers mt the
Front in Santiago Received
Letters from Home.

WASHINGTON, Nov. Lam interesting
report Of the operation of our postal service
in and around Santiago, Cuba, has been
submitted TO First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath by Postal Agent Kempner,
in charge at Santiago. IA
Mr.. Kempner shows thato on June % be-
fore the landing of Generhl Shafter's in
vadng army in Guantanamo bay had been
half accomplished, agents sof. the Postothce
department had opened a postofhte in the
abandoned headquarters Of the Spanish gar
rison at Baioulri. The FIRST postal agent as
signed TO this duty. Eben Brewer, laid down
Ills life in the service.
On the twenty sixth day OF June the pio-
ncer Amy mail from CUR to the United
States was put on boardsthe dispatch boat
Dolphin Three days later'neerly 400 sacks
OF mail matter were delivered at Baiquiri,
more than half Of It addressed to the volun-
teer regiments in the Fifth army corps viz
the Rough Riders the seven.y frs New
York and the Second Massachusetts volun-
leer infantry then on their way TO the fight
ing line.
lostal Agent Brewer determined that this
nail should be delivered az any cost Find
ing II impossible to secure army transporta-
tion, he bought a horse and got a Cuban
with a pony loaded both animals with mail
sacks and with the Cuban tor guide startsi
through the jungle to th9 front. He sue
ceeded In delivering his laail aud then re-
mained four DAYS lonserF unoer fire, aid
ing in carrying the wounrhd from the field
and in attending them Ia hospitals. One
hundred and twenty sacks more Of mail from
the United States were delivered at Siboney
on July 10 and four clerks arrived to rein
force the slender postal force which. in the
InI lttft,t tlv tal ,Nx,
details of enlisted men from the army. and
of this force Mr.. Kempner took charge.
When the yellow fever infected buildings at
Siboney we're ordered burned by The military
authorities every piece of mail matter was
saved, although the postal employees had TO
submit to the destruction cf their own cloth
ing and personal effects. Prompt measures
were taken to dislnfect tile mails uhd serv-
( ice was resumed after only a brief Interrupt
/ ton. A@
Upon the surrender Of Santiago the Span
| ish postoffice in that city was taken possess
sion of by the United States postal agent.
/ The services Of the Spanish director, who
carried a modest pay roll Of nearly $1,000
per annum, and of ten of his clerks were
/ dispensed with and the Office was put upon
United States footing. During part OF
this time Mr.. Kempner shows much embar-
rassment was felt and many complaints
arose by reason Of the irregularity of mail
communication with the United States.
This, however. was unavoidable under the
circumstances. The postoffice had no au-
thority to charter mail steamers to carry
the mail to Santiago. Its only facilities for
the transmitting of mails were such as were
afforded at irregular Intervals by army
transport steamers or naval vessels. whose
movements were regulate by other consid-
erations than those perta,. ling to the expe-
dition of the mails. M
As two cases in point, hr. Kempner men
tions that one transsas sd, CARRYING si'
,,,.,. .S.tis.sss' 4 t x y u ~
September Il. took In ,tSslto aico enrout'
and landed at Santiago 'October 5. while
another steamer with three days later mails
proceeding directly to Santiago, arrived
thore Eve days In advance of the steame
which had preceded it In sailing. Mr.
Kempner states that during the whole perior
. that the Fifth army corps remained in San
tiago the mails from the United States
, which rarely numbered less than $50 sacks
were always ready for distribut.oG
: few hours of their receipt In the Santag
ONCE.
Much msinformation as to vast quantitie
OF mail lying there undelivered he suggested
may have arisen from the fact that the emp
: tied mail pouches were not returned to TIL
United States for fear of spreading infection
, but were thrust into larger sacks and pile
: up in a corner of the office, thus presentin
: the appearance to an outside observer of fu
mail sacks undelivered. when in point G
: fact, they were simply emptied and dis
charged mail pouches.