The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-10-13
In santiago's Grave Yard,
But Among the Living is Our Young
Friend Will Finney. .-t,rapbic Dis
cription OF War Trials.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Sept. 10.
DEAR MOTHER, FATHER, BROTH.
ERs AND SIsTERs--I am In camp
just outside of city on the field
where all the fighting occurred. ]
learn that the mail will not leave
before next Tuesday, so 1 will give
you an account of the little things
that occurred on the boat on our
way down. 1 kept little diary
which l thought of sending home,
but l find that II Is tUo bulky In
looking over my dairy / find that
1t reads fairly well, 30 l might as
well give 1t to you word for word
so you may keep 1t. shall give
most important events, and, in Or
der to do that will jump a few
dates.
Sunday, Sept. 4th-Took mid
night special, arrived ut New York
at 700 a. IN. and reported at Gov
ernor's Island. Was given pass
until 900 "a. m. Tuesday. Called at
Carnegie's Office to see my friend
Morgan Jones, but they were closed
on account of Labor Day. / then
went to see John Harrington at the
Herald office, but he was not to be
on duty until 500 O'clock p. in., so
l took Il car and went to Brooklyn.
l heard u great deal about Ger
man fair at Ridgewood park so
rode through the city and saw great
crowds going in so 1 went to the
ticket office to buy ticket, but the
ticket seller said to me in broken
English, ~ zell you no teeket roof
rider, go right ean." enjoyed the
fair very much, and those Germans
treated me royalty. 1 returned to
New York and retired for night.
Reported at Grovernor's Island at
nine o'clock next morning, and
sailed from there to the govern
ment wharf at noon, and after
transfe ring my equipment to the
transport Minnewaska, we were
allowed to go to stores In the neigh
borhood and buy anything we
wished to carry. We were to sail
at three o'clock but did not get
away until nine thirty. The sailors
were all drunk. One fellow at
tempted to throw people overheard
and five persons grabbed him and
he was so pOwerfulthat he pulled
all to the side of the boat but was
overpowered and taken off. Some
OF our boys had u few hot words
with drunken sailors, and I expect
ed trouble in defending ourselves,
as there were but thirteen of us.
We were assigned quarters down
In the lower deck with Cuban ne
groes, but could mo- stand it, 30 we
slept out on the upper deck. The
boat anchored out in the harbor un-
til daylight. We were to have
staterooms and every comfort, but
were disappointed for some reason.
1 do not care, though 1 am used to
my humble situation. When 1 am
promised anything I do not build
any castles in the air, but take
knocks good naturedly as others
have done, and J. know will come
out with good record if nothing
else. Boys in the signal corps, all
I have seen, quarrel among them
selves, but manage to keep out
and have not had a word with any.
one since my enlistment. AS to
ranks, unless I could have some.
thing that would pay me, I would
not want any of the lower non
commissioned Offices; it places a
man In bad position to make
friends or retain existing friend
ships among his comrades. II I
can not fill an Office of respect pre-
fer to remain a private. Well, the
above is not in the dairy, 80 I will
proceed. If it did not sound rude,
I would pronounce our fret night
on the Winnewaska, "a night in
hell;" hOwever,we welcomed morn
ing and sailed at eight o'clock.