The record-union., 1898-07-26
.SHAFTER'S NEPHEW IS HERE.
CAPT. JAS. ALDRICH ARRIVES
DIRECT FROM SANTIAGO.
He Tells OF the Trials, Privations
and Heroism of American
Soldiers.

1t was noticed on the main Slfeets
of the city yesterday morning that
tall, dignified, military gentleman,
bearing a sword and the insignia OF a
Captain of the United States army was
conspicuous on the streets, accompa-
MED by a handsome young woman, with
whom he did some shopping at some OF
the principal stores of Sacramento.
The man was Captain James H. Aid
rich. Company E of the United States
Volunteer Infantry, now a part of the
Ninth Regiment regular yellow fever
immunes, stationed at Camp Corbin,
New Orleans.
That is not ALL Captain Aldrich is a
nephew of General Shafter, the hero of
Santiago and he arrived from Santi-
ago yesterday. His mother was Gen
eral Skaters sister.
The lady whom he accompanied was
his wife, a sister of Mrs. Peter Turner
of 1419 street, this city. The mill
tary visitor courteously received a
Record Union reporter, to whom he
gave some interesting facts about the
army and its remarkable campaign in
Cuba.
II am only here until tomorrow,
said the Captain, for I have leave of
absence that soon expires. | came
partly on Government business and
partly to attend to private affairs, for
I expect Cuba to be my future home.
! am settling my wife here until know
the fortunes that war will bring to her
and me-
To fully understand the purposes that
actuate the nephew of General Shafter
1t should be stated that he was law
yer, practicing at Oakland until a few
years ago. 1t is said that he quit his
profession and gave his services to his
country at the instigation of his uncle,
who believes there is a good field for
brains and energy in the army.
Yes, l was at Santiago" he said,
but l was dispatched from there just
before the big battle. When l left,
which was on June 9th, the men We're
enthusiastic and eager for the fray.
saw enough Of the climate and coun-
try TO make up my mind that the hard
ships are awful, and it is to such hard
ships that I am going again without
delay. To give you an idea of the
climate let me say that nearly all the
men had bowel troubles, in spite Of
care. Although the strictest orders
were given that all water should be
boiled, there was some carelessness and
many men took risks when guards were
not looking
The rains were daily and were very
heaYy. After hot and drenching
shower the sun would come out in such
a way that a day like this in Sacra-
mento would seem cool, not so much
that there was difference in the ther-
mometer. as that the atmosphere down
there is very damp and sultry. Every
night the mists fall and they are dead
~ to Americans. The regulations were
that none of the soldiers were to be
exposed to those mists, so all had to
Keep under cover at night There is
no straw in the country, but we found
leaves that helped to make the floors
of our tents endurable."
How are the Mauser bullets as COM
pared with the rumors of what they
would do?" was asked.
i am glad you asked that question,
because l want to set the common i'm
preston aside. The bullet wounds
were not so bad as we were led to be-
lieve they would be. Our Krag-Jorg-
ensen and Winchester wounds are much
more severe. The Mauser bullets did
not make the savage wounds we were
led to believe they would make"
How about our Cuban allies?"
"Of course I am not in a position to
say much about that for publication.
but you have doubtless read in the pa
pers that they refused to do work, and
that they are cowardly and treacherous.
ambushing Spanish soldiers and doing
all In their power to carry on a guer-
rilla warfare, killing all they can when
they get the drop. OF course you also
know that such a method is not the
American way Of conducting a war
Well. l am for the American way, and
am not an enthusiast over our allies
What was the sentiment of the
Spanish you SAW"
They are a. defiant and boasting
band of dreamers. Do you know they
had received such doctored reports Of
the Manila affair that the poor devils
believed that Spain got the best of the
fight? II is my opinion that we shall
be obliged to fight them a long time
before they will surrender. for they
have the most Don Quixotic ideas of
Spanish honor. What have they to lose?
Not territory, for that is practically
gone already. They will annoy us as
long as they can with the hope that