The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-28
REGULARS AT SAN JUAN.
Lieut.. Clark Writes of the Move
ments of the Troops.

AAeu'' LARK Writes of the Move
ments of the Troops.
The following breezy letter was received
from Lieut.. John A. Clark, Quartermaster
or the Third. 1t is one Of the most recent
received from Cuba
Camp on San Juan Hill, near Santiago,
Aug. 9, 1s9S.-It is awfuMy hot and rains
every day. but it is not the heat, or at least not
the degree CT heat, that affects us so much
directly under the sun. After about 8 or 9
ociock one scarcely makes a shadow, while
the humidity is so great that our clothes
cloudy days. The sun shines all the time,
until about o'clock. when it rains for an
hour; then out again, as ssckeningly hot
ting malarial fever. We have now over 200
on sick report, and the others are puny and
sicAly In looks: Still We all feel that it Is
enc. AS far as the authorities are con-
cerned, we can't complain. They do all they
can. and it comes in our way at times to
infallibe
The Red Cross, as far as the Third infantry
is concerned, is a izzle. We see none of them
or or, their ne effects or results But that same
are doing business at the same old stand,
and will continue until either Mckinley or
Gabriel sounds the recall, when we will pre-
sent ourselves in solid ranks, with colors
hy1ng-can't have band playing, as all the
instruments are in the United States, but
they will be with us, just the same-ready to
go wherever we are ordered.
1t seems rather funny to read in the papers
about the great exploits and desperate
charges made by the Seventy-irst or the
Rough Riders or some other volunteers It
makes one naturally wonder where the reg
ular army was. The least said about that
will convey to you my opinion on that SUBJ
ject; still. 1 will say that the Third have
found a vast difference between the volun-
teers here and what they found the Mime
sofa men to be at Lake City. We are only
sorry. we didn't have the Twelfth and Four
teenth Minnesota instead of those we did
have. Comparison has shown they are
proper soldiers and good Americans and
could have been Of service. 1t would not
have been found necessary to send them off
the firing line as a matter of safety to the
others.
The Rough Riders and the Seventy-frst
New York have gone home; also the First.
Thirteenth and Sixteenth infantry.
We are guarding the Spanish prisoners and
don't know when our turn will come.
All the mems things were left on the boat
when they went ashore to the fight, and the
boat went to Fortress Monroe with wounded
men. was unloaded and now the things are
there They (the mem have only what they
carried, have only dog tents to sleep in, tin
cups and meat cans from haversacks to
cook in. Every one cooks for himself, and
this has been going on since we landed.
Can any one wonder at men getting sick?
1t would be a greater wonder If they didn't.
The Cubans don't like it little bit, that
they were not allowed to take possession Of
the city. They wanted to loot 1t. But Gen.
Shafter said 'sNit" and So they have quit
us.
You would be surprised at the way things
go on; stores are all open and business go
Ing on. Everything as quiet as in st. Paul.
One can see soldiers walking along the
street and behaving themselves as at home.
business men and others tell me that at no
time in fifteen years has person and prop
erty been so secure as now, and that they
will be sorry to see the American troops go
away.
now and it Is on duty in the citv. The local
police and all civil officers, judges, ETC., are
retained in offices who chose to acknowl-
edge the supremacy of the United States
There seems to be plenty of everythfng.
stores well stocked and al THAT. But lazier,
dirtier, more immoral, degraded lot than the
native Cuban citizen one can't imagine.
A flthier, more unsanitary city couldn't be
built. No sewers, everything from the build
ings run into the streets, down the hill into
the bay. spend most Of every day in the
city, and can see for myself. Even the
palace Of the governor general-our edminis-
tration building at Smelling would be Won
der beside 1T in architecture and all else.
It. If l did I wouldn't live here. I'll
tell you one thing: I am now more con-
vinced than ever that America is good enough
much more noble bird than the buzzards that
hang around us by the hundreds. so thick
sometimes we have to club them out of
camp.
We are camped along the San Juan hill.
along the trenches. Some of them are filled
with dead Spaniards and covered over with
a foot two of earth. We are about one
mile from water, and have nothing to carry
it up the hill in but canteens. Have about
fifteen captured Spanish ponies, and use them
for packing the water for the men, About
the only firewood we have is red mahogany,
which is plenty. but doesn't burn WELL Most
all OF the woodwork Of houses is OF the
same.
I don't know when we will go home We
are to go to Montauk Point, on Long Island,
from here.
1t Is no use trying to make-out that am
not lonesome or homesfck, for I am and
would give almost anything to be at home
again. Give my regards to Luella lodge.
John A. Clark.