The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-10-26
/ DAWSON IMMUNE WRITES.
rs ENOUGH OF CUBA AND THE
CUBANS.
.,.-r.,sted With Everything Down There
Including army Life. Ar Inter-
estiBg Letter.

estiDg Letter
Mr., Frank Thompson, the clever
NM printer on THE News force who
al;s,ed in the army and went to Cuba
Nth colonel Rays regiment of i'm
,nunes. has written very interesting
letter to his father from Baracoa, from
which We have been permitted to make
+,o following interesting extracts:
nave been asked how l like Cuba
vii saw that nothing on earth would
jndnce me to make this my permanent
home and when l get out of this army
will feel like killing tie first man who
mentions war in my hearing. And |
am NOT the only one. There are about
40 men out of two companies at this
Mace who are in the same fix.
When we landed in Santiago we
marched to our camp grounds, which
we're on the field where the Spaniards
surrendered, through streets about as
vile as Dawson's sidewalks and about
as filthy and muddy as an American
hog pen in rainy weather. They smell
about like butcher pens.
We could see nothing but little one
story. crumbled huts and multitude of
balt,starved objects, supposed to be hu
man. The children were all naked, and
shame is something unheard of, All the
newspaper reports together have not
Given the true situation here, and you
know there have been some horrible
tales printed. The thieving, mean dis
Dosition of the Cubans has been given
TO the American public in the mildest
form possible. No matter how ugly the
tales may be just put them down as
being correct.
On our way to camp we met several
hundred Spanish prisoners going to
boats to be carried home. They were
all starved nearly to death and some
were so poor that they had to be sup
ported on the arms of comrades. At
last we reached the place to camp. 1t
was raining ami everyone was camplete-
~ exhausted from being so closely
crowded on the transport ships, but had
to Immediately establish picketS and
about or 9 o'clock that night we got
our dog" tents and put them up, For
several days we stayed in them, but the
damp ground made it almost as bad as
being entirely out of doors. We could
hardly sleep at night for fear of being
Stung by a tarentula, or centipede or
singing Lizard. Don't you know we
enjoyed life.
In a few days anywhere from 10 to so
from each company could be seen going
to the hospital every morning. Not
outstanding the sickness we had to do
all kinds of guard duty in all kinds OF
weather At last we-companies G and
D-vere detached to this place, and on
September LIST raised the first American
flag on the northern coast of Cuba.
There for two weeks those who were
able to walk had do guard duty every
day that came. Some who were detailed
at the wharf worked'all day and guard
ed the commiSsar es and other places at
night Although Baracoa is much
healthier place than Santiago it was but
few days before from % to so reported
sick from each company every morning.
Not many were seriously sick, but there
is not man here who will eyer enjoy
the health again he had in the states.
Nearly every one is physcal.wreck. 1t
is said we have the best location of any
troops on this God-forsaken island, but
if this is true God pity the others.
The hospital now has 80 or 35 patients
in 1t.
There has been one death here-a man
an company |. Company G has two in
IT who ale liable to die at any moment.
1t is very poor treatment one receives
there.
Upon landing here we were marched
upon very steep hill-so steep and
rough that it tires one down to walk up
It, In few days We had to bundle up
our tents and move down the mountain
80 the coast where the flag is. After
camping there few days it was decided
10 be an unhealthy location and we were
ordered to strike tents and move back
on the mountain. Now, no matter how
SICK and weak man may be, if he is
not excused by the doctor he has to
march down to the flag, drill an hour
and then march back up the hill. Ev-
erything that comes to camp-wood,
provisions, etc., has to be brought up by
men, for it is impossible for wagon to
get 10 camp.
The island is such rich (?) country
Look one way and you can see nothing
but water. Look another ald you can
see nothing but mountains and cocoanut
ard olnana trees. One minute the sun is
shining and very hot; the next minuet
a cold rain is pouring down in torrents.
1t may be a rich country for some, but
% soldier it is living hell. There
are but precious few who would not
take any kind OF discharge to get home,
and those few are ones who expect a
promotion of some kind or are making
more money and better living than
ever before
II the people on the island we're any
good at all it would not go so hard with
u.s. But it is enough to dishearten any
man on earth to look at the dirty, thieving
Gu0ans. Baracoa is mostly inhabited
0y the Spanish, and there is as much