Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-10
OUR TAMPA LETTER.
Another Interesting Letter from one
of Our Alma BOYS,
TAMPA, FLA, May ~, 1890

anna. l. La, May lpops
DEAR SIR Il told you last week that
the talk was that we were going to the
Philippine Islands, but find we do not
know where we will be sent. General
Lee just came and said we were to move
the first of June but would not tell us
where. Our Captain thinks TO Jackson
vile, over two hundred miles north and
east on the Atlantic coast. The rainy
season is about to commence here,
during that season the place where we
are now camped is all covered with
water There is a goodly number Of
poisonous reptiles here. One of our
Alma boys, my tent mate, there are (six
of us in one,) Mr.. Barstar, has been
bitten by centipede, poisonous
worm of the south. If Prof. Davis was
here he could get all the specimens he
cared to pick up, Mr.. Mcdonald is col
Letting and making study of some of
them, and has Gagged up Lizards, bugs,
shelled crabs, some as large as a dinner
plate. AS we were marching yesterday
Mcdonald had his head bowed as if
looking and the captain asked him if he
was looking for crabs. Our captain is
so comical in his droll way, but we all
like him.
One Of the boys that had been study
ing for the ministry, from Kalamazoo
Seminary, preached TO us today and
there were about two thousand present
There is a Cuban here that was taken
prisoner by the Spaniards, but he was
freed by General Lee by exchange of
prisoners. He says the Spaniards are
filthy drunken lot, that they do not
have enough to eat and that is the
reason of so many deaths. They COM
menced with one hundred and seventy
thousand soldiers and now have but
eighty thousand and the L. S have
two hundred eighty seven thousand
ready for business When the seventy
five thousand that are being enlisted
now, are ready we will have 362, 600.
All the regulars, colored regiments and
cavalry are to be put in Cuba first. We
will stand all ready to have hand in
it if the others don't finish the
work before it is our turn. We think
we could finish them in very short
time. Good people at home don't
worry about us for Spain is Cead
goner. There seems to be a great deal
of worry over our starving and nearly
every letter asks the question "Do you
get enough to eat:" will give the bill
of fare we are receiving now and you
can judge for yourselves if a person
will starve on it. For breakfast, salt
pork, potatoes, coffee, bareback, beans
and onions. For dinner, soup, hot
biscuits, beans, onions and lemonade
For supper we have fresh beef, potatoes,
beans, onions and coffee. Plain sub
stantial food can't say but the nick
nacks of home would come acceptable.
The weather is so warm we do not feel
like eating very hearty food at times.
Coming from the cool north, into this
extreme heat makes ii little hard for
US and most of the boys will welcome
the call to move from here. There is
nothing here to recommend itself to our
notice but the beautiful palm trees and
shells of all kinds, and the curious
specimens of so many kinds, which have
already spoken of.
We have first class doctor here, his
name is DR.. Sweetland, he is cousin of
Miss Sweetland of Alma. He takes
good care of US and if we feel little
lazy we go to him and get righted.
met man from st. Louis, Mich,
his name is John Weller and he came
to Tampa for his health. He invited me
to his home and hope l may have the
privilege of going.
We have but little news here, no
papers only as our friends send them to
us from our homes and they are greedily
devoured. have received number of
letters from Alma people, please write
more of them and often.
CHARLES ID. HARLOCK,
Co. K. Send Mich, Tampa, Florida.