The herald., 1898-07-29
FROM THE RANKS
A PRIVATE TELLS HOW ORDERS
WERE DIsoBEYED
There Was to Be No Cheering When
Santiago Fell but the Boys For
got and officers Didn't Hear

BEFOHE NllA1O LIZ SObA, July
15.-(Correspondence of the Associated
Press.) The American soldiers encamped
on the hillsides that fall away from our
entertainments have been waiting day af-
ter day for the result of the combined
truces and conferences between Spain and
the United States to be made known.
They learned yesterday that Santiago
had capitulated This news was sent along
the lines to right and left from General
Wheeler's headquarters by Colonel John
Jacob Aston and with it went instructions
that our boys were to make no demonstra-
lions of JOY, in order that the
feelings of the Spaniards in the
trenches few hundred yards away would
not be hurt by the echoing of victorious
cheers. There was, however, some cheer
Ing among the crowded tents when our
men learned that the object of their fight
ing, hunger and hardship had been at
tanned.
During the afternoon men climbed to
the trenches to look again at the city they
had taken, but were not allowed to enter.
and some were glad for peace and Others
called for more fighting. The strainng of
the watching and waiting was removed
and the soldiers resolved to get themselves
as comfortably fixed in camp as the con-
ddtions would permit. At sunset yesterday
as the regimental bands all along the line
played national airs, as is the camp custom,
and as a tired soldier boy hummed the
words of THE Star-Spangled Banner"
to the bands time he chanted the victory
he had not had permission to cheer. The
tardships of this campaign, let alone the
hghting that scattered the graves of COM
| rades side by side with the tents of the
living, have been splendidly sustained by
our men. Now that the heavy rains of
the first of this week have ceased, condi-
tons are better, but rain clouds cover the
sky every day and any hour may see small
rivers sweeping through camp, and 1t may
be next to impossible to start fires to cook
food. Then food has been scarce. The
roads from here to Siboney have been al
most impossible during the rains, and at
all times they have been rough and team
ing has been heavy. When men put up
with three pieces of bareback and half a
cup Of coffee day. the question Of nutri-
ment Is serious, and when unseasoned sol
diers go seventy hours without sleep It
can be truly said they endure hardships.
But they have borne It all with fine cour-
age and good nature that was never long
absent.
With the courage and determination of
our mo, an, ,,otas ~, avoo,,o,,t ,,t,,a,,o,
oond,t,or 80 ovr ,,,,,os ava horsa, =, o.,
-. ,,,o,,,, 20 49, toa,,,o-t It,, % -
sort ,ohor Al, da,, ,ora ard for Two ~
p,gh. nocL tro,r. ord ,roy,s,o, ,,,o e,o,s
.ou ~, % ~ sront o,,,, a,,,h,,,a,,oo, st.
back the sick and wounded.
De- cite, ,,,o,,,or foo,soro s.,u,,,-
.,,a n,.or,- dro, thar,se,,,os 60 tho
-.,,,s,, ,ooas 80, CO.., 80, 90
go 80 49, 49,, ,a ,.h'',.a 80.
80, ....N .s., =. ~, p.oN
49, :. ,,,e,o,o,,. ~ -
and children get none. and starvation is
deve,opine rapidly,
An old woman from ri Canev stappered
into camp this morning. She was pale and
ptncbed and the ragged silk dress that
half covered her bodv smoke of mast ux
urv and refinement more than did her fea-
lures and appearance She did not ask
for food hut for work. She washed
clothes at the hospital tent half n dav in
return for food and sat down IN .be VOL
come army fare with hands b,eeding from,
tha ,,roccuatomed labor At dusL che
t,rnad u,aar,,v back toward r,rev civ
villas au,ov tho richer hv ono mea1
rho camns have IN 70 This dov baer
pitched where had conditions exist and
their locations have seldom been good
from the point of comfort and health.
Now that the game" is over our soldiers
will be moved into locations where these
points are considered. The country af-
fords good sites and when once evacuated,
conditions are settled and the capitulation
properIy confirmed changes will be made
An unsettled feeling pervades the line.
and men gather together personal belong
ines and are looking over old battlefelds
for momentees of the three-days fight and
a., do,,a ,yeary waiting