The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-26
ANACONDA NEWS.
FROM SANTIAGO.
II. &. Thompson Is Not FavorabIy I'm
pressed with the Captured Town.

II. G. Thompson Is Not FavorabIy I'm
pressed with the Captured Town.
John Sherlock of this city has re-
ceived a letter from H.. c. Thompson.
written at Santiago de Cuba, and is
probably the first letter from that city
that has been received here. Thomp-
son was formerly a resident of this city
and left here to enlist as a packer in
the army. Portions of the letter are
as follows:
Santiago de cuba. July %.
Friend Sherlock-When I last saw
you | promised to write to you some
time. / will now write you a note. 1t
was a month ago yesterday since we
landed the first troops on this island.
Now we have full possession of this
place. I suppose you really know more
about the battle that was fought here
than ] do, but / tell you il was a hot
one. The battle commenced early FRI
day morning. July LIST. and lasted until
about noon. July Sd. The greatest loss
to our people was on the first day. The
Spaniards were in bitches and block
houses, and we lacked artillery, but
the American soldier proved himself a
greater fighter than the dons. We
drove the ~Spaniards from every posi-
ton they took. Our loss in the three
days fight was 2,106 killed
and wounded. This is the
number a doctor told me a
few days ago. OF course ! took no
part in the battle. but / saw enough of
it. | helped to carry the wounded to
the hospitals and / felt so sorry for the
poor fellows lying in the bottom of a
six-mule wagon, and the roads were
very rough.
on Sunday, the Sd. along in the af-
ternoon. our folks sent a flag of truce
to inquire of the Spaniards why they
had so many Red Cross flags flying
on the outskirts of the city. That led to
an armistice until the 10th. when the
battle commenced again at about 4
o'clock in the afternoon and lasted un-
til 6 O'Clock. when another flag of truce
was run up. Then they commenced to
talk about surrender, the talk lasted
until the 18th. when the Spaniards
stacked their arms-about %, 1000 in all.
| understand that about 5000 of them
are sick in the hospital. | don't know
what their loss was in the fight. |
heard it was about 1900. The greatest
part of the whole affair was the nava
fight. Our fleet completely destroyed
the Spanish fleet and did it quick. Our
ships killed and captured over 2.OOl
Spaniards. One shell from one of our
vessels killed over 100 of them. | have
talked to eye witnesses of the fight
and they say the firing from u ships
was terrible. / could hear it. but was
travelling with a wagon train ana tht
wagons made so much noise that We
could not hear it very plainly. They
captured the Spanish admiral who wa'
found naked in the water. The boast
ed Spanish torpedo flotilla was not II
it a little bit.
This is a very poor country. 1t II
hot as a furnace and ii rains nearly
- fa n nnA1 hnlI n
sickness among the men. They haV'
hospitals erected all over the hills 70
the sick. The wounded were all sent Il
the boats. / hear hat there are SOM
cases of yellow fever in some of tn
hospitals. but most of the sickness !
a kin OF mountain eve | am afral
If the army has to stay here very lon
that there will be much sickness.
have stood il very well SO far. / wa
; sick a few days. but am all right agar
All of my teamsters have been sick an
| some of them are sick yet. l suppos
! we are in bout the healthiest part {
the island. 1t is rather billy here an
the water is fair. The worst part ]
the heat. and after a rain the mu
in the roads smells so bad that IL neaT
lv gags a person. Since the surrende
= have been in SANTIAGO with wagon
1t is a queer looking old town. 1t
= full of Spanish soldiers awaiting 10 I
sent to Spain. There are several thol
sand out in camps near the city. ou
r people issue them rations. which W
; also issue to the Cubans. | don't thin
o much of the natives. from what | haN
:, seen of them. There were sever.
z thousand of them who took part in IN
Il battle. I understand they did vel
u good service as pickets. ] suppose II
= Montana Tigers have gone to For
Rico, as l ave not seen any OF the
here.
l suppose you have seen the names
a great many of the killed. especial
the officers. There were several klllt
: whom ] knew very well.