The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-07-08
LETTER FROM THE FRONT.
Private Boniface Writes from the Marine
Camp at caimanera, Cuba-A Word for
Morrisrown Women.

Private Boniface Writes from the Marine
Camp at catmanera. Cuba-A Word for
Morrisrown Women.
A letter from Joseph F. R. Boniface,
still with the gallant marines at Camp
McCalla, Caimanera, Cuba, dated Tues
day, June 80, and received by a CHRoN-
IcLE representative on Wednesday Of
this week, contains further interesting
detail of the first hard fight at Guam
tanamo, and a tribute to the good work
of the patriotic women in Morristown, as
follows:
"Our two brave outposts had twenty
one and fourteen shots respectively in
their heads and bodies. The Spanlards
use those expanding brass bullets and
Mausers, which work terrible destruc-
ton at close range. We afterward went
out and within ten yards of where the
two bodies were picked up were from
thirty to forty cartridge shells, showing
the cowardliness of the Spaniards in
firing volley after volley when any one
of the shots must have caused instantan-
eous death. You see, the jungle is very
dense and they could sneak up on our
men and cut them to pieces without our
being aware of the enemy's presence, but
since the Cubans have come and in
formed us of their methods we have
been able to keep them on the defensive.
/ received the CHRONICLE this morning
and it is most valuable reading. Alto
gether we have lost three officers and
four privates and three Cubans; and the
Spanish lieutenant, by his own admis-
sion, says there were 6S killed and 200
wounded. In visiting the battlefelds
four days afterwards but few skeletons
were found, as the Spaniards no doubt
returned that night and carried away
their dead; for two reasons, that we
would not know how many were killed,
and so that the pay could be drawn by
the officers for the dead men, as they do
it that way in the Spanish army. But
our men found something like thirty or
forty skeletons and other relics, such as
machetes. etc.
1.-The graves of our dead are marked
with neat slabs of very durable wood
1t was sad indeed as the men were put
in the trench in their soldier clothes to
hear the "Taps" sounded over them.
You know it is the camp call, flights
OUT" duty is over for the day and rest is
near.
"The greatest enemies here are not
Spaniards, but the small sand flies, large
deer flies, mosquitoes, centipedes, scor-
pions, tarantulas and what not to make
a man crazy; yes, just that, for one
poor fellow has become insane. Of
course the sun is very hot and the nights
are very damp and cool, but the climate
at this place is very salubrious if you
can get in the shade.
81 am glad that our own dear Morris
town is showing herself to be not the
least among her sisters, and I take pride
in hearing of the noble work done by
our women. You don't know, nor do
they, nor does any one not here, what
comforts are the little things they make
and send us.
81 feel proud of our battalion and also
of the fact that my captain sent my
name in on the official report to Wash
ington for GOODNESS under fire.
1.-THE feet is continually passing be-
tween here and the city, coaling and
bringing and taking dispatches for
Sampson, and we see a great many ships.
''There is in our artillery company a
John F. Clifford (alias Joseph Waller),
son of Joseph Waller of Yonkers and
brother of DR.. Waller of Franklin place.
Clifford is his army name.