Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-07-20

helping, were able to give something to
eat to every one and to provide shelter for
most of their number to sleep under.
Bacon and bareback, in very limited
quantity, made up the bill OF fare. The
coffee supply was also very limited, and
almost without exception the men had
bandoned the timed meats and vege-
ia bles with which they had been supplied
at starting. The fare of officers and men
in most OF the regiments was identical.
The officers had what each had packed for
himself, and many Of them had thrown
their supplies away on the march. No
hardship borne by the men was not in
equal measure borne by their officers, and
all alike took the situation philosophi-
cally.
The camps for the troops were selected
so far as was possible on the sides or crests
of hills and as near running water as was
thought wise. The water problem was
thoroughly discussed previous to the de-
parture of the army from Tampa. Mill
tary men, scientists and civilians talked
and wrote about the water which would
be found in Cuba, and hundreds of sets of
rules for its preparation and use were
drawn up and published. Almost all the
authorities agreed that the water must be
boiled. Some wanted it filtered previous
to boiling, and the army was instructed
carefully in what it must do to avoid dis
ease from this source. 1t would pain the
authors of the elaborate water regulations
to watch the men at the front. At Bal
quiri and Siboney complete water systems
were found. The retreating Spaniards
had attempted to cut the supply pipe at
Baiquiri, but had not succeeded. This
water was used literally for all purposes
by the troops, and so far there is no APP
parent i'll effect from it. Those troops
that were marched from Baiquiri found
running stream crossing the trail. They
drank from this and filled their canteens.
Here they replenished them again. Three
miles further on small stream was dis
covered, and this was used without Ques-
ton. Three miles beyond this a larger
stream, shallow, and flowing clear and
bright over a rocky bed, comes down from
the mountains to the north, and flows
parallel with the trail until it is within
sight of Santiago. With these sources of
supply here has been no lack of water for
all purposes, although its quality is I'M
determined. The supply seems inexhaus-
tible, especially as the springs at the
source of the brooks will be constantly re-
plenshed by the heavy rains during the
next few months. When water in such
quantities was found the men wanted to
battle in the streams. As the water would
be used lower down by other soldiers it
was necessary to picket the streams to
prevent this. Men were allowed to take
water in buckets away from the stream
and battle. Most OF the buckets had been
lost on the march, and the few that had
been saved We're in use for bathing pur
poses from the time camp was pitched
until the regiment was ordered on again.
The men have not been annoyed much
so far by insects. Land crabs abound in
the woods and plains, and wherever a
camp is pitched they turn out in squads,
companies and battalions to annoy and
poster the men. Some of these creatures
have bodies as large as musket butt and a
y
everything, making noise singularly like
that OF man working his way cautiously
through the brush or grass. Their APP
preach has frequently been mistaken by
pckets for that OF the enemy, and fully a
third of the shots fired at night during
the week that followed the first engage
ment We're sent in the direction ef wan
a nd Il
aroused the suspicion of some sentry on a
lonely outpost
Camp life had its hardships in Tampa.
but they were as nothing compared with
hat the men have endured on Cuban soil.
Good nature has been noticeable among
the men now at the front. Officers sus-
pect man no does not grumble. The
good soldier always grumbles, but behind
the kicking, which has been the same as
would be heard in any army post, there
has been an abundant fund of patience
which has helped the army over many
hard places. The enlisted men all seem
to think that their officers are doing the
best they can for them, and they accept
the result with thanks and few growls
! against the arrangement of the universe in
| general, which assure the officers that
| their men are not sick. So far as is known
there has not been single case of disobe-
| dience to orders since the army landed.
| Enthusiasm is everywhere. No man in
| the army questions the result of the cam
paign or its speedy ending. Most of them
have stopped talking about what they in
tend to do in Santiago, and are laying
| plans for outings in Porto Rico.
School That Began at Noon.