Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-20
INCIDENTS OF CAMP LIFE.
Experiences of District Regiment
Subsequent to Spain's Surrender

Under date Of July %, Arthur B. Proc
tor, jr., a member of the LIST District of
Columbia Regiment of Volunteers wrote
his father letter detailing his experiences
subsequent to the surrender of the Span
iards at Santiago. Following are extracts
from the letter:
THE town of Santiago really surrendered
Saturday, the 10th, but the ceremony did
. not take place until the next day All day
Saturday the Kings highway, the main
road to Santiago. was lined with the refu-
gees going back to the town which they
had left when it was attacked. 1t was a
sad, but still ludicrous sight. There was a
corglomerate mass of rich and poor, black
ard white, young and old, all vending
their way back, but not knowing whether
they had a home any longer not. The
merchants had all their earthly posses
sions on their backs. Some of the recon-
certrados were awful sights to behold.
sunday we were assembled at o O'Clock
and marched into our trenches as were
all the other regiments. 1t was a sight l
would not have missed for anything. The
hills around Santiago for miles We're lined
with our boys waiting for the red and yell
low to drag in the dust and the stars and
stripes to wave supreme, as they ever will.
Santiago is considered one of the strong
est, naturally defended places in the world,
and regarded impregnable as both
the French and English have tried and
failed to capture IT, and il remained for
the United States, an infant in warfare, to
come, see and conquer The Spaniards had
been months in getting the trenches dug,
lining them with barDed wire fence and
wires charged with electricity. 1t is
rounded by hills thought heretofore nearly
impossible. on three sides and on the
other by the bay of Santiago, which has
an inlet small that it can be defended
by one vessel. So you can see that the
capture of such q place was a feat Of
arms credita6le indeed. to any nation.
flIIr n two n
Both Spaniards and Cubans say the way
Americans fight is too much for them
One of the Spanish prisoners said to me;
Americans lie down, shoot, get up and
charge; lie down, shoot again, and get up,
but always keep moving forward He
could not understand how it Their
way of fighting is to get behind something
shoot and quickly retreat; regular Indian
fighting, in fact.
Though we did not get into the warm
part of the scrap, We were the support and
occupied the trenches nearest the town the
last day of the battle and during the siege,
and had to dig our trenches under fire.
We'll to return to the surrender. All
our soldiers were on their trenches and
the Spanish were marched cut ana the
Presidents declaration was read TO them,
and at II o'clock the old flag was flung to
the breeze. l do not know who were the
happiest, the Spanish soldiers or the boys
in blue, who had fought so hard to take
the city. There is not happier lot in the
they are getting fed and will shortly De
sent back to their native shores.
"One of the regiments in our brigade has
800 sick in the hospital. We have been very
lucky indeed, there being very little SICK
ness in the regiment.
Il saw General Garcia, his staff and body
guard one day anG stopped him ana Dor
rowed cigarette. Until yesterday there
has been no tobacco to be had for love or
money.
Money is no good here. The only things
that are good as currency are coffee, sugar
and bareback. You can buy anything with
them. l have a silver ring that purchased
for two 'tacks.
Commencing with yesterday our rations
have improved. We had steak issued, and
our full rations, sixteen bareback, two
Cnions four potatoes, oEe-half pound can
ned corn beef ard enough beans to make
&c Cd soup.
Tuesday morning we had reveille at
O'Clock, and broke camp, and with thu rest
of the brigade, consisting of the list Dis
trict Of Columbia Volunteers, list Illinois
and 9th Massachusetts, under command of
the colonel of the list Illinois, acting briga-
der general, we marched about four miles
and camDed on the side of two hills. Aside
from the hills it is very nice camp. The
first night we all slid out of tents. l
woke up down beside the next row of tents.
Thursday we went on guard and they
passed an order allowing no mangoeS in
camp. 1t is a shame, for they made a nice
addition to food in the way of dessert.
Friday, as were eating our dinner, we
were all ordered to fall in under arms, and
the Presidents letter thanking General
Shafter and the American army was read.
The boys were SO mad at having to let
their mess get cold, when they could have
read the message just as well at another
time, that there was not cheer.
Il am healthier than / have ever been.
Although there is a good deal of sickness in
the brigade our regiment has had the least
sickness of any here in the service, you
need not worry about me.
BY the way, they are to issue Krag-Jor-
gensen guns to us today or tomorrow, so
hope we may go to Porto Rico after all. l
hope So for / would not like to be sent back
to the states now