Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-07-20
MARCH TO SANTIAGO.
HARDSHIPS OF THE ARMY ON
THE ROAD FROM SIBONEY.
UP HILL AND DOWN UNDER A BURN
ING sUNSCARRYING HEAVY PACKS
THROWING AWAY OUTFITS.
From the New York SUM-

was little more than a half defined path
winding around the boulders and through
the rocky passes between here and the
metropolis of the south coast. Now 1t is
road-a poor one, indeed, but better
than any other leading to the city and
more used. Before the American army
"A tramped it into something like roadbed
and the American.engineers laid tele-
graph and telephone wire beside it, the
only guide a traveller had on the path
was barbcd- wire fence, tumbed down
in places, and overhanging the only pass
able pieces of ground in others. Now the
brush has been cut away on each side, the
fence has been Strengthened so that it does
not endanger life, and it is possible to
walk from here to Santiago without dam
ger of being lost. II ever the American
army marches cast along the path that it
toied over SO laboriously going toward
the west, it will appreciate the improve
. ment, for the march from the transports
Ito the front, with its days of weary climb
ing through brush andghndergrowth, over
rocks ana across gulles, was a task that
exhaust -id wore out the men.
Whei- ne troop were disembarked at
Baiqui aud Siboney they We're Quilted
with n the mpedimonta prescribed by
1.-THE -'ae department for campaigning.
Fac e-=, had his rifle and cartridges, bay
on stol canteen, blanket, poncho,
IN L shelter tent, rations, and the
otA, ngs considered necessary to mill
try being in the field. The men
had wfn the packs in Florida, and it was
thputrl4f that tbpy had b,.pbTlp n ntDpI
to them and would lie able to bear them
thro aghout the march. Each pack was
tim and neat, aud as regiment after reg
in,nt fell in on the beach, preparatory to
starting into the woods, they looked as
though they might march forever and not
be forced to abandon their baggage.
Then the march began. Starting at all
hours of the day, without much atten
IN as the position of the sun, the sol
dicrs passed on to the front. The trail
was narrow and rugged, now leading up
rough hillside, now dipping into a steep
ravne. II not long before the men
began to feel the weight of their burdens
= which shifted and slipped they strug-
gled up the hillsides and trampled down
on the opposite sides The sun beat down
Z. on the line of men, who We're strung out
in .ir,,t.- al, tor ,oir.u Thor, y..s no
shade to nroteCt Them and their feet
crushed the red earth into fine dust,
which rose in clouds, enyeloping them
from head To foot 1t settled in the per-
spiration ON their faces and arms, cover
ing them with red paste. 1t worked
into the folds Of their packs, and was
h,o,,=,55It i,,t,, +l,..;r f,,,,.s and dov.ntbeir
uc,.l...a. tt,., shifted on thcir sbouI-
d.rs D,,.. ND ,,..s,,i,,,io,, entered tbeir
ewes and r,o.fril. binding and choking
thcr, tl-+ the ,ren tojlcd on. unmurnur-
inoana ,tin,,ip,r= To their nacks. heedful
NJ tho ,,g~,ipg. W hich they had heard
sb,ut a..,rtint, fb,sf. shelters and rations
,rt,i.-.,,,,ditio, ,,rr,,. worse ,ontipualIy
,s,b .r,,,,. ,,..,,.-t~l,..4 further into Tho
AIM. !, t,.,.,.,', ,,.,t.,rorra Jpstaaa of
finding shaded trail that which they
,,erc (fIft.pd ~ failaw VAS withou, a tree
,a.t,!,ll-;, +1,,5- ,,ro,,..r ,,art of the dis
,an,a and Ivin5 between two higher
RANGES IF TN, Mills was practically cut off
from, an,. l~,,.,n The ,,acLs on the mem.
back. ,,tf.,b- in the ov,rhanpinp under
hrr.b ,.,,,.;,,,,t hon. f., stumble and lose
,h.ir f,,,j,,, ~ last ON. man threw hi.
.Janl.ot -,,.,,. Hiscxannla WAS followed
Lv utb.r- and extra clothing blankets
ran. ~ mat and ges,ftables. shelter tents.
and coo.;n,, nntfit. Uttered the path along
which tho army nassed. The first Guide
,,,.,..,,, ,t. .,,.,,.-t, SANTIAGO were tb, ar
tirIes ca.t aside bx Thai weary. toiling line
~ soldi.rs Ina f,,rc.d their way over the
rim ,lr..,,,,h ,b. bot SIM The practice
,,,,c, l,.,,rn il vas easy TO discard things
,,,,,1r,l,.tos and baversacLs fol-
Io,.od ~. t,rIl,i.r articles and the ground
the ~, t,,.,,, TN. -,.,,t, of a retreat in
.,,r',, ..,.,,.,,..,,,,,,,.ad advance inag-