The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-06
KANSAS GIRL IN CUBA.
ELSIE REAsONER's VISIT TO GEN.
sHAFTER's TROOPS.
The Only American Girl TO Follow
the Soldiers to Cuba and to Make
Her Way to the FrOnt-SOme of Her


Impressions
From the Boston Globe
To a bright and winsome miss of %
years. fresh from the Sunfower state, be-
longs the distinction and glory of having
been the only American girl to follow the
boys In blue to Cuba and 10 make her way
by her own exertions. Elsie Reasoner- is
The name Of this plucky little heroine.
Miss Reasoner was born In Kansas, in
the midst Of daisies and sunfiowers, and is
a splendid example Of the bright, CHEEKY,
breezy, self-relant girl of the Western
pralries. She writes wei and she talks
wen, inheriting these talents, perhaps, from
her father. Judge Calvin Reasoner, at one
time a prominent editorial writer of Leav-
enworth, and later connected with the
Chicago press. As a conversationalist and
story teller he has mad few equals.
When the Spanish-American war broke
out Miss Reasoner was at Omaha in charge
OF the bureau of publicity at the expOsi-
ton. With the first sound of the bugle she
was astir. and determined to go to Cuba
to see for herself what a real campaign
and a real battle were like; in fact, as
she confided to me. Il had read what Gen.
Sherman said, that war is hell, and I was
seized with a desire TO investigate on my
own account.
I first sought some encouragement from
publishers, but got little. You see, hardly
any one thought It possible that would
ever reach the scene of the conflict, and
most of my friends and acquaintance who
knew of my intention either laughed at me
or tried to brighten me- One publlsher, for
whose magazine / thought 1 might write
an interesting article descriptive of my ex
perience. wrote me that my proposed I'M
dertaking was positively absurd and fool
hardy However, l persevered, and in due
time sailed from New York for Kingston,
bearing splendid letters of recommended
ton from quite number of influential
public men.
Il had one to Gen. Miles, one to Gen.
Shafter and several to officers of the feet,
from Admiral Sampson down TO captains
of the fighting ships. From Kingston l
went by rail TO Port Antonio-a beautiful
spot, by the way and one about which
very little seems 60 be known in this coun-
try. After waiting there some time the
Red Cross steamer Stale of Texas came
over for ice for our wounded soldiers, and
l was permitted 10 board her and 80 on
to Siboney"
''Then you did not witness the destruc-
ton OF Cervera's feet?" 1 remarked.
mo, but saw some of the remains,
and mighty suggestive they were Of the
skill and prowess of the American navy"
"Siboney, 1 suppose, you found attract
tive?"
''Wen, Siboney may not have been as
ugly as it has been painted. What little 1
saw of it was rather picturesque. Little
old houses, one story, with verandas in
front all painted blue, and strung along
al flowers
and tropical foliage all about, and high
mountains for a background. Like all
places l saw In Santiago province, Siboney
looked prettest at a distance, but even at
close range 1 saw much to interest end
some things TO admire. But the place was
set on fire just after I arrived, and the
whole village quickly went up in smoke
and flame"
Did you go into the interior beyond ST.
boney?" l asked.
"Oh, bless me; yes, indeed did. went
some miles beyond. First I visited the
hospitals Just back of the village and then
pushed on a couple of miles. l got che
of those queer little Cuban horses that had
been living a long time on cacu and other
delicacies of the sort, and rode out to the
field hospitals near the front l visited a
dozen or more and took many pictures.
| Here is one now, a snap shot of poor
fellow-one of the regulars-lying on an
improvised cot That fellow was shot
through the thighs and may be dead now;
| but look al the smile on his face. Just as
l snapped for the picture he caught sight
of me; he was so weak he could not raise
himself, or scarcely speak, but his face
| fairly beamed when he saw me- Sister
| has one of those kodaks,' he said TO me
| afterward, and how much you remind me
of her!
what was your impression as to the
hospitals? Were they clean and well
| kept?"
''The field hospitals, all that visited.
| were in excellent condition. They were
| crowded, of course, but they were clean,
| the nurses were attentive and gentle, and
| seemed to know just what to do and
how to do it and when to do it. This
was particularly true of Red Cross hospit-
| ais"
Did you see any real hghting?"
! "Weu, l saw some lively skirmishes and
was near enough to the front and the fir
ing line to hear the music of the Maus-
| ers and the crack of the rifles our boys
carried. 1 was near enough TO see some
| of the horrors OF war and to realize that
doubtless Gen. Sherman had 1t about
right. 1 got just as near TO the thick Of
| the fight as the commanding officers
would permit me to GO"
did you see Teddy Roosevelt"
mo. 1 missed that pleasure, but did
see many of his troopers, some of them
dead, and others wounded. And that re-
minds me, here is a picture took of a
Spaniard lying dead on the field. He was
| sharpshooter and from his perch In a
mango tree, had been picking of some of
Roosevelts men. A big, burly negro cav
| alryman finally located the Spaniard and
! brought him down badly wounded. With
out looking to see If he was dead or alive
the enraged negro raised his rife and bat
tered the sharpshooter over the head I'M
til he was dead. There he is just as
he lay when l passed the place. You see
1 got an excellent picture of him.
"Oh, yes, l saw funny things, too. I
saw a Cuban sell horse for half pine
apple and piece of tobacco.
Il saw six-footers of the Michigan vol
unteers, who had fought spaniards al
most hand to hand, run like deer from