Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-12-03
Hero Of Santiago
Capt. Philip |. Barber
Of the Second Massa-
ChuSettS in the City.
INTERVIEWED BY A
TELEGRAM REPORTER
Relates His Experiences
During the Cuban
Campaign.

Captain Philip I. Barber, of Orange
Mass, captain of Company E, Second
Massachusetts, was in the city to-day
and was interviewed by TELEGRAM
reporter.
Captain D. X. Bisbee, who entertain.
ed Captain Barber, introduced the re.
porter.
After Captain Barber had stated that
he was always glad to meet an ex-sol
dier and had no objection to newspaper
men, he was asked to relate some of his
experiences.
Well" said the captain, "you may
say that we were the first company Of
volunteer soldiers to land in Cuba and
took an active part in all the battles be.
fore Santiago; and out of tho entire
Second Massachusetts, regiment | was
one Of three captains who remained with
their companies throughout the war.
Except, of course" he added, laugh
} inyly, "when we went into action we
captains went to the rear where we
would be safer. (The records Of the
Second Massachusetts regiment show
} that this statement is due to Captain
BARRIERS n,odesty, and that there was no
lack of bravery among either officers or
men:o
"We landed in Cuba on June 22d.
On July fist we took part in the battle
of Ell Caney, on July 2d we we're at San
Juan Hill, and on the 10th took part in
the siege of Santiago.
1.-The climate was awful. Although
} myself was not sick day from fever
| lost thirteen men in Cuba from sick
ness there was but one company in the
regiment that lost more. l thought
was very unlucky to lose SO many men !;
of course. l didn't want to lose any
T had one man killed in the battle OF FL
Caney and eight were wounded during
our campaign in Cuba.
.. Wa were armed with the old Spring
field rifles. blunderbusses, rather, wnich
w.s great mistake. Every time we
} fired voley the whole island OF Cuoa
knew that the Second Massachusetts,
regiment WAS there-they could SEQ the
smoke. The seventy-tirst Now 1ork
) WAS in the same fix, the smoke wou'o
afford target to the Spanlaro' '"o
miles away. There was no eartnly
, reason why all the troops sent into 0uoa
should not have been equipped WIFI
Krag-Jorgensen rifles
:. The stories told Of hardships ana
,rivatiou, in Cuba are all true. From
,bs 9aud of June to the 22nd OF July
wa did not actually have half ra'lons'
and on one occasion the issue lor 20
man consisted Of sixty five crackers
That WINS crowding us too far
. i" The regiment which came ~ a,us' '".'
rs at Santiago was known as lne
o,ecn,s own a finely armed and equip
ned body of men and all excellent MARKS
men. In my opinion the Spanish ."
er rit,es were for superior, even TO our
Kmg-Jorgsnsens in accuracy Of f.. fire, '.on
"it would amuse you TO see the "o"
der displayed by the spaniard' ~ ~"o.
thev saw US. They thought tine amer
:.ns were mon about eight feet tall
Thav were little fellows and we tower
ed way above them"
"a arrange coincidence ocourea y"
tba dav of the battle Of El Caney' ~, =.
First Lieutonant, o. D. Aapsoou VI
rAs' ~ M..s was wounded through
.I' ,rn.s and liver on the very oa'
'n1 '''s;nh % had been set for his wedding, !,
rhs whFp Roston s papers reported him as ds.a '",
but he recovered and was mafr'ou eund ', y
tsry sus 1s days after he received his ,snapsr w"ars
!; ~. c.n,nju Barber asked the report.
). oues,ious concerning the e1psi'
'n'ns. il'"ns Of tho troop.at Chickamauga anu anu
anneareu ,vuus to think that even if 'hsy ,'; nau
appeaiss a'iss ssryico they endured their
share of hardships. - our
SAS, When asked hi. Impressions ,''in%,,l oil o"l
~. "nsn ,e said he thought it was Dr'mlu. 'aa.
e =. L,siness and one ol Wv