The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-29
SOME REFLECTIONS

On the Victory That was won BeESEe Sans
tiHgo-1hs suffering ItndnTod-Amert-
eau soldiers Have = Poor Oplnl0n OF
iCnban Allie,
Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
BEFORE SANTIAGO DE cuEA,July
15-The American soldiers encamped on
the hllsides that fall away from our
Entertainments have been waiting day
after day for the result OF the combined
! traces and conferences between SpGln
and the Uni.ed States to be made
known. They learned yesterday that
EaTrtingo had capltulated. This Eews
was sent along the lines from right to
left from General Wheeitr's headquaf-
tiers by Col John Jacob AstuT, and with
1t went Instructions that our boys were
to make no demonstrations OF joy. In
order that the feelings Ut TIM Spaniat,ls
In the trenches u few hundred yards
away would not be hurt by the echoinS
Of victorious cheers. SO the news was
received very quietly. There was how
ever, some cheering among the crowded
tSuts when our men learned that the OBJ
| ject OF three weeks Of fighting, hunger
| ard hardship had been attained.
During the afternoon men climbed to
the trenches 10 look again at the city
| they had taken but were not allowed TO
enter, and some were glad for peace and
others calfed for more lighting. The
| strain OF watching and waiting was re-
moved, and soldering resolved itself
into getting as comfortably fixed in the
camp as the mud would permit
At sunset yesterday as the regimental
| bands all along the line played the ma
40 rbVsa n lie the TaYnl1 nTgfOfY and
as tired soldier hoy hummed the words
OF the star Spangted Banner" to the
| bands time, he chanted the victory he
| had not been permitted to cheer.
The hardships Of this campaign, let
| alone the lighting that scattered the
] graves OF comrades side by side the
tents OF the living, have been splerdidly
sustained by our men. Now that the
heavy ruIns VI the first OF this week
have ceased, conditions are better, but
rain clouds cover The SKY every day and
every hour may see deep rivers sweep
ing through clumps OF tents and II may
be next to impossible to start fires to
cook food.
Then, food has been scarce; the roads
| from here to Siboney have been almost
! Impossible during the rains and at al
times they have been rough; and telin-
| ing has been heavy. When men put up
With three pieces Of hard tack and half
! q cup OF coffee day, the question OF
nutrlment IS serious, and when unse1-
.Eoned soldiers 60 'seVentystwo hours
without steep. 1t can be truly said they
endure hardship. But they have borne
II all with fine courage and good ma
ture that was never long absent
With the courage and determination
Of our mer one notes the excellent ply
Of n1,ys nd horses
after three weeks OF the heaviest kind
of incesar; labor A9l day long and far
into the Eight pack trains and provision
wagons toll IN to the 'front.'. and the
Red Cross ambulances bring back the
wounded
Poor Cuban women. foot-sore, starry
ing and weary, drag Themselves along
the muddy roads from Caney in a
search for food. and our men and am-
balances pick Them up and succor them.
At I'll CaHry The food Is insufficient.
Weak women ard children get more
and starvation there is growing rapidly.
A Cuban woman from FL Carey stag
gered into camp this morning. She was
pale and pinched ard the rugged SILK
dress that half covered her attenuated
body spoke Of past luxury md refine
ment more than did her features and
her despair and utter exhaustion. She
did not ask for food. but work. she
washed the clothes from the hospital for
hnlf u day in return for food and sat
down to the welcome army fare win
hards bleeding from the unaccustomed
labor. Al dusk she turned wearuy nack
toward FL Cancy. six imels away, the
richer by ors mea%
The camps UP to this Gay have been
pitched where bad conditions existed,
and their locations have seldom been
good from the point OF comfort and
health. Now, that the game" Is over,
our soldiers viii be moved ln;o locations
where these poluts are considered. The
country affords good sites, and when
once the evacuation conditions are SET
tied and the capltusation properly con-
flrmed, changes Will be made.
An unsettled feeling peVvades the
lire, and men gather together personal
belongings and are looking over od
battIefields for mementOes OF the three
dGys' fight and the ten days weary
waiting.
A farmers boy from Michigan WIFI re-
celve the horn-hanGled pocketkn!fe OF a
dead peasant from the AsturisS as IL
souvenir 20 the Americas lad Of the |
days he fought to free Cuba, And II the
Michigan man ever grew enthusiastic /
and generous buck in Michigan over the |
Idea Of lighting 10 help the strugs!lhs
Cubans obtain the same libertNtroh I
spaln mat his fOrufatherS won Tor nm
from RnSiaud, these same Ideas have +,
been pretty thoroughly knocked out OF
him by actual contact with the Cubans'
The Cuban does not stand hiSh IN the
opinion OF the United States army, E%-
pressed in different ways, the opinion
prevails that I'VE viii coon be bncE IN |
Cuba to thrash the Cubaus." Our men
have TO praise for Their alleged ally as
n Gghter' He is always more ready to |
eat American provisions man help |
American soldiers, and Instances OF Gu
ban greed, inhumanity and cowardtce
are common talk among the army.
Thcsn oniniogs Of our men are known !
among the Cubans and Will undoubtedly
result in n growing antngonism on the !
mart OF the men We are fighting for, an |
artagon'sm that VII. 'esill. IN iheir De-
worthy Of trust by the United States
than they are to-day.