The age-herald., 1898-09-01
WITH THE IMMUNES
 IN SANTIAGO
Description of the Life and Sur
 roundlngs of the
FIFTH U. s. VOLUN EERS-
Men Not Over Pleased With the Country Though They Are Fairly Content Don't Like the Cubans-Men
 on Guard in Moro Castle.

The following letter has been received from w. M Alley, formerly of this city. but now with the Alabama Mississippi im- mune regiment at Santiago. It bears the date of August Is:
 "The officers and men of the Fifth United States volunteers continue in the best of health, which has been the state ol the regiment since its arrival here at o'clock on the morning of August F.
 "On entering the harbor the regiment sent up rousng cheer for the Merrimac, which partially blocks the channel and for her last gallant commander, Hero Hobson, from our own state. We also passed by the wrecks of a number of spanish vessels sunk by the shots from Sampson's fleet. There were a great many American vessels in the harbor and several spanish vessels, which were captured during the war.
 "We disembraked from our transport, the Rio Grande, and unloaded our cargo. Our camp is pitched about one mile west of the city on the beach. The weather is ex- tremely disagreeable, for it rains every day for about an hour. If by accident it hap pens to let up one day, 1t is sure to ram twice the next. Naturally the mud is very deep and very sticky. The land is fertile, but too hilly to cultivate. All kinds of tropical fruits, such as cocoanuts, ba= nanas, pineapples, lemons, oranges, etc., grow in abundance, which are, of course, consumed in great quantities by the sol oiers.
 The inhabitants are very ignorant class of people and very dirty They look like savages. The Sabbath is not recognized at all by them. We have been all over the city several times and have not been able to find a church. There must be one here somewhere, however, for yesterday 1 saw d Catholic priest on the streets.
 Every one that wishes to sells rum and beer on the streets without tax The chil- dren are practically naked and live like hogs in the slums of the city. The town is in a terrible condition for need of san itary officers, though it is much better now than when the troops first landed.
 The town is built principally on the Mex ican plan, the houses being made of sticks and mud, some covered with palms and others with tile. The main streets are paved with rough stones. Pineapple trees are the only kind of trees we have seen growing yet and they give little or no shade. In fact there IS no shaoe aiooiio Santiago.
 
 ed here as far as troops are concerned From our camp we can sight numerous other camps all around the city. There is but very little yellow fever here, if any. Most of sickness is malarial and mountain levers, caused principally by the eating of too much fruit.
 The natives are very much like the Mex jeans in that they will not work unless Sto Most of the people spend their time in gathering fruit and selling 1t to the soldiers Both Cubans and Spanards seem to regard us as their superior and are very humble. When our backs are turned they are very treacher- ous The Cubans in my opinion, hate our very existence, but are afraid to let it be known.
 Although the regiment has been at San tago only few days, the men are very tired of the country and openly express their desire to return to the states, where law and order is regarded. At this place the whole country is full of desperadoes thieves and cut-throats, both spanish and Cubans. Peace is restored in some meas ure, but we all realize that we are in the enemy's country, and any one is in great danger to leave the camps alone or un- armed.
 "Our company of the Fifth is now de- tached from the regiment and is doing guard duty in the famous Morro Castle. As active duties are assigned to us the men will become better satisfied.
 "All the boys request that their families and friends be notified that they are alive and well, for there are very few cases Of sickness in the regiment and they also ask that their friends write to them as often as possible, for there is nothing so cheering as a letter from home."