Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-03

most wanted by the Americans is drink.
Exchanges are quickly effected. Hardtack
and SOW belly are passed over the trench
and rum is handed back in return. There
seems to be definite idea of value at
tached to these transactions. | see one
man get quart bottle of rum for hand
full of bareback, while another and appar-
emily more conscientious American throws
in a big of pork and beans for bottle
of the drink. AS they begin to get warmed
up by the rum our men become more gen.
erous, and soon begin to throw bareback
over to the hungry soldiers across the way,
Indifferent whether they get anything in re-
turn or not. Finally some one throws a
whole box of crackers over among the
Spaniards. and the grand scramble for the
cherished food excites the iiveliest humor
among our boys. l heard only one word
which savored of cherished resentment, and
that was spoken half in jest, think. Soon
after the Spaniards began coming UP to
our line one of our soldiers shouted Re
member the Maine" But two three of
his comrades hustled him aside and up
braided him for saying such thing at such
time. 1t would be impossible to imagine
an instance of greater forbearance on the
part of victors for the feelings of the men
they had met in fair fight and had con-
quered. 1t seemed as if the spirit of Grant
at Appomattox inspired the American army
ct Santiago de Cuba.
Among the newspaper men and our Off
GERS present there were several who could
speak pretty good Spanish, and with their
aid a general conversation was carried on
with the officers of the surrendered Span
They said thew heartily p1ca the
affair was over. They had fought against
great odds In the matter of the lack of
food and supplies generally. They had had
nothing but rice cakes for nearly MONTH
and were weak and hungry. They were in
deadly fear of massacre by the Cubans
and heartily appreciated the protecting
arm of a magnanimous though victorious
foe. They told us the Cubans had cut the
throats of their wounded at Ell Caney after
the fight of July l. 1 tried to verify this
statement from our officers, but they had
heard nothing and nothing of it,
though they had charged right on to San
Juan hill, and paid little attention to any
| thing but the enemy in front.
A Rem4niscence of Appomattox.
Almost the first man 1 meet when I go
out on the line to see the surrender is Capt.
P. P. Powell of the 10th United States
Cavalry. He is an ex-confederate soldier,
| from Loudoun county, Va. AS we stand
| and watch the Spaniards preparing to for
nally surrender Capt. Powell grows remin-
iseent. Just to Think he remarks,
''thirty-three years ago 1 was at Appomat-
| toX, occupying the same position to the
old flag that those fellows occupy today.
| And don't you know, they remind me
| little of what boys looked like, though
| thew much better dressed than wa
we're. 1 got bullet from the side Of Old
Glory durir G that war, but this time 1 was
sending bullets the other way.
| Captain Powells company was in the
| thick of the fighting all the way from Bal
| quiri to the front line before Santiago.
Praise for the COlOred TrOpOs.
colored troops. of which the 10th Cavalry
is a part. They have borne gallant and
| noble part throughout this campaign From
| their white comrades in arms l hear only
| words of praise for the part they took in
| the hot fighting of July 1 and 2. Wherever
| the fight was hottest there they seemed to
| get by natural attraction, and the result was
never in doubt when they went in. But
| there is another phase of the valor of the
| colored soldier of which 1 have personal
| knowledge. The fever broke out at Siboney
and men were being carried up to the
| camp in the hills by the score, and it look
| ed like the army was going to be swept
| away by the dread scourge. The supply
| of nurses was wholly inadequate to meet
| the demands of the situation. Men were
| fleeing for their lives from the disease, and
| the transports going north were crowded
| with terror-stricken men. The oath Infan-
| try had been ordered to Siboney from the
front to do police duty. There was call
for nurses. The officers of the Gath called
their men up and explained the situation
and asked for volunteers. This was not
| facing death on the battlefield, where valor
would be recognized, but an invitation to
meet the grim destroyer in that quiet way
which is even more trying to mems nerve.
But there was no hesitation on the part of
the colored soldiers. AS one man they
| stepped to the front to face this new and
insidious danger as they had faced the
| danger of the battlefield. 1t can be said
again of him that the colored soldier has
| fought nobly. None in all the ranks is
there entitled to a place of more eonspicu-
Gus honor this occasion of victory than
he.
The District Boys.
The boys of the District regiment took a
prominent part In the ceremonies. AS their
band played the national air Col Harrfes
brought the regiment to q present arms.
and after the hurrahing they sang a coun,e