Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-18

creeks, a pond for bathing. great mango
End Ceiba trees which spread their shade
for hundreds IF feet around, and the wood
ed slopes OF the mountain have been
shelled free from Spanish guerrillas and
sharpshooters, SO that their shelter nay
be sought with safety. After two weeks
of hardship and fighting little rest in
surroundings such these causes the col
diers to think more of Cuba, and 70 re
reconciled 10 the burden that has fallen
upon them in freeing it from Spanish rule.
One thing is badly missed at the front.
To most of the enlisted men tobacco is
ore than bread and meat or, VIVA: IS the
same thing, bareback and bacon. The
oommissary department always Seeing 20
be behind hand with this article of primo
necessity to the soldier. And when a sup
ply is procured 1t is at once exhausted The
CIVILIAN who starts out with a few POUNDS
of chewing and smoking tobacco can live
with the army for months and not bother
about rations for himself A chew or a
pipeful will insure him a soldiers meal
three times a day. The Cubans who
brought mangoes and other fruits as offer
ings to their allies had these received with
Indifference, but when they offered even
the coarse native tobacco. gathered half
wild, they were at once taken into full
comradeship In my personal experience
marching or camping with the troops 1
have found that the requests for "a little
tobacco average between fifty and sixty
a day. The soldiers who are maintaining
these outer lines would be much more
cheerful and content IL they had their
proper allowance of tobacco.
An Inquiry for Mail.
There is also plaintive inquiry for mail
Before the army left Tampa an elaborate
scheme of mail delivery and collection was
outlined. The soldiers were to be able to
receive and send letters just as II they
We're at home The post office seems to
nave done its part. Mr.. Brewer has pos
tai stations at Siboney and Daiguiri on the
seacoast. Whatever mail gets down there
is forwarded to the United States and /
believe two or three lots Of mail were sent
Up to the camps and partially distributed
Then it was stopped, and the mail at head
quarters was returned. The whole matter
was treated as a nuisance Soldiers have
70 trouble in having their letters inGorsed
by their superior officers, which insures
their transmission, but there is no collae-
ton. and no means provided for getting
them down to the vessels which carry the
mails Yesterday while 1 was writing
"ouiueu soldier craWled over 10 me and
asked If letter he held In his hand could
rot be sent with mine. 1t was addressed
TO his wife in Vermont. It'll show her
/ m well enough TO write" he said, chok-
ing. This soldier had been wounded in
storming the stone fort at Caney For
three days he had been trying to have his
letter mailed. Special watch was kept over
that letter. and the messenger who carried
1t to Siboney saw it deposited in tho nail
Dag. This is one case among a thousand
Letters may not be a necessity TO the
troops, yet in their way they form par. of
the soldiers life and may be as important
as strategic battles planned by the geaer-
ais. The indifference shown the soldiers
mail is one of the deficiencies of the Gu
ban campaign and 1 note it on that ac-
count CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.