The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-21
SOME MlSERIES OF WAR.
MORE HARD WORK THAN BRIL-
LIANT FIGHTING.
The Horrible Trail of Death. Decay
and Destruction Left by an Adj
Vnncing Army.

go de Cuba, July 5.-Ones preconceived
idea Of war makes bloodshed and dashing
bravery the most conspicuous aspects of
it, The actual observer is likely as not
struck more especially with the hard work
and the filth of it, A few moments in the
fighting on Frilay, July /, both at Ell
Caney and San Juan, were all that the
imagination had pictured in advance. The
charge up the hill on the breastworks, and
finally on the stone fort outside Of Ell Ca
ney, was thrilling as a spectacle, and the
taking Of the San Juan fort, after a terri
Die climb up the steep hight III the face
Of magazine-gun fire, was equally inspir-
ing. Then, too, the artillery fire was ex-
citing when the shell struck squarely the
wall aimed al, or the shrapnel burst over
the enemy's rihe-pts.
But beyond these the battles of Friday,
Saturday and Sunday morning were hard
ly from the point OF view of the pictur-
esque what one should expect. The SOL
diers scattered over the fields and through
the underbrush, firing when they caught
sight of a mark, and not knowing whether
they hit their man or not somehow did not
seem engaged in such a battle as one had
pictured from his reading. Doubtless the
smokeless powder had most to do with this
hobbing of warfare of its effectiveness as
mere picture.
The uncleanliness of IT all has been ever
present, however, and especially now, aft
er lull of forty-eight hours in the fight
ing, does 1t force itself on the attention.
Equally prominent is the physical labor
and hardship imposed on the soldier.
After all, mere fighting is the least of his
business, even in time of actual campaign
ing. He is cook, day laborer, hospital at
tendant, road builder, everything. Incl
dentally, he fires sevnty-fiVe or one hun
dred cartridges on occasional days.
Perhaps the long marches through the
rain and mud from before dawn all day
and night, and much of the next day. fol-
lowed by night of ench-digging are
what the soldiers finds Of most personal
concern IN this business of war. More
sensitive nostrils are likely to cause one
20 dwell more specially on the attendant
dirt and stencil, 1t is more than unpleas-
am even to think of how utterly destruc-
tiYe war is of that quality which the prov
erD ranks next to gOdliness. There is wa
ter enough in the running streams that
seek the sea near Santiago de Cuba, but
one Is glad enough of it to drink OF
course, bathing in the brooks and rivers
from which the troops get their water is
FORBIDDEN. Filling the canteens is a daily
occupation which often means a mile of
walking, There are no pals or other re-
ceptacles for carrying larger quantities.
An opportunity may come for a soldiers
TO wash a garment or handkerchief at the
side of river, but this is only when he is
on some detached service.
one dAlhculty about cleanliness is the
| small compass to which mans wardrobe
| rs reduced. Even if he left Tampa with a
fair stock OF clothing, it has gradually
| been reduced. The terrible marches in the
! tropical sun have caused hundreds to
| throw away everything they We're not act
ualiy wearing, 50 as TO tighten their bur
| dens as much as possible. With only one
| shirt, there is little chance to wash 1t
| Even If there were, it would not stay
| ciean long. The roads are muddy beyond
the nightmare of the good roads advocate.
| In places they are literally ankle deep
| There is certain variety in them-some-
! times the mud is liquid, at others thick
| ana clinging. Passing horsemen dash il an
| ever the men on foot. For a week or more
| II has raincd practically every dav Where.
! the road is shaded by matted underbrush
| 1t Is hardly ever dry. The dew IS as heavy
| as a rainfall, and even after the sun has
| tecn up for hours 1t leaves the highways
| lOnds of slush
| Another nuisance to use a mild word
| with which the soldier has 10 contend is
The fording of streams. An officer riding
On horseback doesn't think what a hind
erance it IS to man marching long dis
| tances 10 nave his shoes and socks con-
| SANITY wet. SO, as there are no bridges,
| the stepping stones which span a few
| crossings were laid by the Cubans in peace
| times. The rivers are only knee deep or
| less, ana narrow, so the throwing in of a
/ would he a t,sfH 81,
| But no one in command orders that il be
! done, so the unfortunate private marches
/ with water slushing In his shoes, and gets
fcotsore from the Irritation of the leath-
| e.
The road which was the center of the
battles leading up TO the San Juan forti-
| hcations is a saturnalla of disorder end
| disgusting smells Dead men and horses
| are In evidence at intervals. Many were
| allowed to tester in the wet and sun for
forty-eight hours before being buried.
Even the word burial is a misnomer in
many instances. Perhaps all the Ameri-
| cans had some sort of grave dug for Them
and it is only Spaniards and horses that
| were merely covered with earth. Il was
| thought, apparently that the strewing of
foot of earth was a good enough service
| to do for an enemy or a beast; the conse-
| quences TO the living were overlooked. Be
| sides all this, a number of the slain must
/
nostrils are, therefore, assailed with sue
| cesson of stenohes as you go along. The
| knowledge that some of them come from
| human corpses intensifes the oVerpower-
ing feeling of disgust
AS you approach the mound that is dis
| seminating the odors your curiosity i'm
! pels you TO note whether the object be-
meath Is a man or a horse. The shape
of the heap tells which it Is; a leather
| shoe or the knee of a, horse sticking out
| in some cases removes and possible doubt.
Myrlads of flies buzz about; masses of
maggots writhe and crawl about where
the earth is shallowest or where the de-
caying flesh is entirely uncovered. Over
| head hocks of turkey buzzards circle
about horrible in the ideals they suggest,
| but instruments in the hands of an all
wise nature that puts to shame intelligent
mans horrible callousness.
The traffic is so constant on the road that
| these scavengers are often disturbed in
their work over between the Spanish and
| American trenches is a space where no