Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-28
Conduct of the Troops in Front of
Santiago.
they WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CHEER
Hardships Have Been SpIendidIy
Borne by the Men.
OPINION OF UBAN S

BEFORE SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July
15.-The American soldiers - encamped on
the hillsides that fall away from cur en-
trenchments have been waiting day after
day for the result of the combined truces
and conferences between Spain and the
United States to lie made known. They
learned yesterday that Santiago had capt.
ulated This news was sent along the lines
to right and left from General Whee.ers
headquarters by Colonel John Jacob As
tor, and with it went instructions that our
boys were to make no demonstrations OF
JOY, in order that the feelings of the Span
iards in the trenches a few hundred wards
away would not be hurt by the echoing of
victorious cheers. So the news was 1e-
ceived very quietly. T"ere was, however,
some cheering among the crowded tents
when our men learned that the object CT
three weeks fighting, hunger and hard
ship had been attained.
During the afternoon men climbed to he
trenches to look again at the city they had
taken, but were not allowed to enter, and
some were glad for peace and others called
for more fighting.
The Strain Over.
The strain of the watching and waiting
was removed, and soldering resolved it
self into getting as comfortably fixed in
the camp the mud would permit.
At sunset yesterday, as the regimental
bands all along the line played national
airs, as is the camp custom, and as a tired
soldier boy hummed the words of Star
Spangled Banner" to the bands time, he
chanted the victory he had not been per-
mitted to cheer.
The hardships of this campaign. let
alone the fighting that scattered the graves
of comrades side by side with the tents of
the living, have been splendidly sustained
by our men. Now that the heavy rains of
the first of this week have ceased condi
tons are better. but rain clouds cover the
sky every day, and any hour may see
knee-deep rivers sweeping through clumps
of tents, and it may be next to impossible
to start fires to cook food.
Then, food has been scarce The roads
from here to Siboney have been almost
impossible during the rains, and at all
times they have been rough, ami teaming
has been heavy. When men put I'D with
three pieces of hard tack and half a cup
of coffee day the question Of nutrment
is serious, and when unseasoned soldiers
go seventy-two hours without sleep it can
be truly said they endure hardship But
they have borne it all with fine courage
and good nature that was never long alb
sent.
Poor Cuban Women.
With the courage and determination of
cur men one notes the excellent physical
condition of our mules and horses after
three weeks of the heaviest kind of inces-
SAINT labor. All day long and far into thu,
toll up to the front and the Red Cross am
balances bring back the sick and wounded.
Poor Cuban women, footsore starving
and airy, drag themselves along the mud
dy roads from Ell Caney in a search for
food, and our men and ambulances pick
them up and succOr them. At Ell Caney
the food is insufficient. Weak women and
children get none, and starvation there is
growing rapidly.
A Cuban woman from Ell Caney stagger-
ed into camp this morning She was pale
ana plnched and the ragged silk dress that
haIf covered her attenuated body spoke of
more past luxury and refinement than did
her features and her despair and utter ex-
haustion. She did not ask for food but for
work She washed clothes from the hos
pital tent for half a day in return for food,
and sat down to the welcome army fare
with hands bleeding from the unaccustomed
labor. At dusk she turned YEARLY back
toward FL Caney, six miles away, the rich
er by ore neal.
Camp Locations.
The camps have up to this day been
pitched where conditions exacted, and their
locations have seldom been good from the
point OF comfort and health. Now that the
game is over, our soldiers will be moved
INTO locations where these points are con-
sldered. The country affords good sites.
and when once the evacuation conditions
are settled and the captuiation properly
confirmed changes will be made
An unsettled feeling pervades the line,
and men gather together personal belong
lngs and are looking over old battle fields
Tor mementoes of the three days fight and
the ten days weary waiting.
farmers boy from Michigan will Sc
cure the horn-handled pocket knife of a
dead peasant from the Asturias as SOU
venir TO the American lad of the days he
fought to free Cuba
And II the Michigan man ever grew en-
thusiastic and generous back in Michigan
over the idea of fighting to help the strug-
Cling Cubans gain the same liberty from
Spain that his forefathers won for him
from England the same ideas have been
pretty thoroughly knocked out Of him by
actual contact with the Cubans.
The Cuban Army.
The Cuban does not stand high in the
opinion of the United States army. Ex-
pressed in different ways the opinion pre-
walls that I'VE will soon be back In Cuta
to thrash the Cubans" Our men have no
praise of their alleged ally as q fipbtar
He is always more ready TO eat American
provisions than help American soldiers.
and instances of Cuban greed inhumanity
and cowardice are common talk among
the army. These opinions of our men are
known among the Cubans, and will un
doubtedly result in a growing antagonism
oh the part OF the men We are fighting
IAN ahtasonlsm that will result in
thelr being in the future less reliable and
less worthy of trust by the limited S+.tas
than they are today.