The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-27

: Ia AsAlC IL VIA ~ - % Vs.
under fire % artillery As soon a. !.
it was seen what the enemy was doing
fire was directed on the light house AL
Il was soon a mass " ruins
The unne OF the MarblrhNai vas
superb. / never saw anything 10 equal
Il. God pity the unarmorei ship that
tackles Us. We have a reputation ot
being the best marksmen in the navy.
l. is all due ID the captain insisting on
constan; target practice. We have "A
collier here and Will probably lie OF
here the rest OF the war. II ia any
thlES out pleasant as the rainy easoI
has Set IN and there is never a night
that all hands are not called % general
quarters on sighting TRANCE lights.
Ice We only know ~ ny name and fon,f
recollections-butter has gone and eggs
unknown. We live on preserved meats
70 which the mess has given the tttle
OF canned dog TO the caterers great
disgust. Shirts have. been discarded
long ago and as the boilers are In need
Of fresh water We are allowed only on.
gallon Of water per day tpr washing
but salt water al lib. W. all I've IN
hopes that the Spanish fleet NAL come
ove and that sampson Viii Civ Us A
nance. The Dons have been talking
OF coming out AMI giving Us a fight.
but | don think they have any stpm-
ach for il although they have A cruiser,
torpedo gunboat Gf repllN'd) and ~
torpedo boats. | must tell you. not
boastfully ] trust. but ! IN you
would be pleased ID hear a.. the Gap
tain has been saying a good many
pretty things 70 the officers about my
intrepidity. cODlneSs, etc, and ! have
q good many IF the crew tell m" b
they would have volunteered - -
anywhere with me-.
Your loving brother.
IL EDWIN.
Marbleheai. Cienfuego<. May is.
My Dalr Sister:
l am going 10 add a few supplement-
AIRY lines to my last letter. some Gu
ban officers came on board and INFORM
ed US that they they had captured n
party from Cienfugos who told them
the the fire from the ships had killed
between 300 ami $50 mon. That the
wounded and killed were the most
awful sight he had seen during the
war. There Mere 800 men on the point
firing at the boats and how anyone
escaped IL certainly strlnE-. Their
craftsmanship Mas certainly about as
bad as possible. They also said that
provisions We're getting 81 low that an
order had been published forbidding af-
ter today the sale % any provisions -
any except the troops. God pity the
poor uon-combatants.
Your loving brother,
EDWIN.
The above letters were private and As
a matter OF course were not Intended
for publication, but by our request and
through the permission ~ our esteemed
| townsman, Major T. II McKoy. The
Messenger is enabled - lay them be-
fore an appreciative reading public:
Lieutenant Anderson. who bore such
a conspicuous part in the engagement
at CienfuegOs, was born IN Wilmington
and-is the son Of the late Dr. f.. A.
Anderson, one OF Wilmington's most
prominent and greatly beloved ~citizens-
l The lieutenant is the DESCENDANT of A
long line OF patriots, his great grand
! father on his mothers side being that
revolutionary patriot. General Lihing-
ton, the hero OF the battle Of Moore's
| Creek, fought with the British near our
own city. The great-grandfather Of
Lieutenant Anderson on his fathers
side, was the business manager Of
George Washington in the revolution
airy war. Those who know this young
W~ilmingtonian are not surprised ii
learn of his playing the hero himself.
1t may be said. however, that he ~
over modest in the letters We print
above. for the New York papers have
| already published an account Of his
heroism along with the other officers
and men who 50 covered themselves
with glory at C~ienfuegos.
We are glad to learn that Lieutenant
| Anderson was not wounded in the en-
| gagement as reported.