The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-28
REGULARS AT SAN JUAN.
Lieut.. Clark Writes of the Move
ments of the Troops.

lieut.. SlArk writes or the Move
ments of the Troops.
The following breezy letter was received
from Lieut.. John A. Clark. quartermaster
of the Third. 1t is one Of the most recent
received from Cuba:
Camp on San Juan Hill, near Santiago,
Aug 3, 1S9S.-It Is awfully hot and rains
every day. but it Is not the heat. OF at least not
the degree of heat, that affects US so much
as the nature of It, You see we are almost
directly under the sun. After about s or 9
o'clock one scarcely makes shadow. while
the humidity Is so great that our clothes
are wet all the time. There are no cool.
cloudy days. The sun shines all the time,
until about O'Clock, when it rains for
hour; then out again, as s:ckeningly hot
or more so than before. The men are all get
ting malaTial fever. We have now over 200
on sick report. and the others are puny and
sfckly In looks. Still We all feel that it Is
condition incident to events, and blame no
one. AS far as the authorities are con-
eerned. we can't complain. They do all they
nurse the doctors, who are found to be not
infallible.
The Red Cross, as far as the Third infantry
is concerned is ffzzle. We see none of them
or their effects OR results But that same
old Third with a big U. S. still exists and
are dong business at the same old stand,
and Will continue until either Mckinley or
Gabriel sounds the recall, when we will pre-
sent ourselves In solid ranks, with colCrs
fying-can't have band playing, as all the
instruments are in the United States, but
they will be with us, just the same-ready to
go wherever we ordered.
1t seems rather funny to read in the papers
about the great exploits and desperate
charges made by the Seventy-frst or the
Rough Riders or some other volunteers. 1t
makes one naturally wonder where the reg
ular army was. The least said about that
will convey to you my opinion on that SUBJ
tect; still. l will say that the Third have
found vast difference between the volun-
teers here and what they found the Mime
sofa men to be at Lake City. We only
sorry we didn't have the Twelfth and Four
teenth Minnesota instead of those we did
proper soldiers and good Americans, and
could have been Of service. 1t would not
have been found necessary to send them off
the firing line as a matter of safety to the
others.
The Rough Riders and the seventy-frs
New ,', York have s3 gone home: also the First
| Thirteenth and Sixteenth infantry.
We are guarding the Spanish prisoners, and
don't know when our turn will come.
All the mems things were left on the boat
when they went ashore to the fight, and the
boat went to Fortress Monroe with wounded
men, was unloaded. and the things are
carried. have only dog tents to sleep in, tin
cups and meat cans from haversacks to
cook In. Every one cooks for himself, and
this has been going on since we landed.
Can any one wonder at men getting sick?
The Cubans don't like it a little bit, that
luey were HOL allowed TO take possession OF
the city. They wanted to loot it. But Cen
Shafter said Nit" and SO they have quit
us. .-!.-.- s-- .-.- -=4-Fr
You would be surprised at the way things
go on; stores are all open and business 60
ing on. Everything as quiet as in St. Paul.
One can see soldiers walking along the
business men and others tell me that at no
time in fifteen years has person and prop
erty been so secure as now, and that they
will be sorry to see the American troops go
| away.
| There is one Of the immune regiments here
now and it Is on duty in the citv. The local
police and all civil officers. judges. etc. are
retained in offices VINO chose to acknowl-
edge the supremacy of the United States
There seems to be plenty Of everything,
stores well stocked and al THAT But lazer,
| native Cuban citizen one can't imagine.
! A f1lthier. more unsanitary city couldn't be
built No sewers. everything from the build
ings run into the streets. down the hill into
| the bay. l spend most Of every day in the
| city, and can see for myself. Even the
palace Of the governor general-our admins
! tration building at Smelling would be a WON
der beside 1t in architecture and all else.
But what's the difference? I don't own
It. If 1 did 1 wouldn't live here. I'll
tell you thing: I am now more con-
| WINGED than ever that America is good enough
| for me, and that the American eagle is
much more noble bird than the buzzards that
| hang around by the hundreds, so thick
sometimes we have to club them out of
camp.
We are camped along the San Juan hill.
along the trenches. Some of them are filled
with dead Spanfards and covered over with
| foot or two Of earth. We are about one
mile from water and have nothing to carry
| it up the hill in burt canteens. Have about
| fifteen captured Spanish ponies. and use them
! for packing the water for the men. About
the only irewood we have is red mahogany.
which is plenty, but doesn't burn WELL Most
all Of the woodwork Of houses is Of the
same.
don't know when we will go home We
are to go to Montauk Point on Long Island,
| from here.
! 1t is no use trying to make out that am
| not lonesome OF homesick for I am, and
! would give almost anything to be at home
again. Give my regards to Luella lodge.