New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-19

MORE HARD WORK THAN BRILLIANT
FIGHTING.

DESTRUCTION LEFT III An hD' f-'~i-'' manu.
rrroM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rnIBuNE
San Iuan Fortifcations outside Santiago De
Cuba July Zones preconceived Idea Oh war
makes hloodshed and dashing bravery the most
consniruous aspects of IT, The actual observer
ia ul,elv az not struck more especially with the
hard work and the filth Of IT, A few moments
in the lighting on Friday. July /. both AT III
Caney and San Juan. were all that the magma
ton had pictured in advance. The charge UP
The hill ON the breastworks. and finally on the
stone fort outside Of FL Caney, was thriillng as
a spectacle and the taking Of the san Juan iort'
after terrible climb up the steep height IN the
face Of magazinegun fire. was equally inspiring
Then. too. the artillery fire was exciting Whei'
the shell struck squareIy tho wall aimed at or
the shrapnel burst over the enenys rifle-plts.
But beyond these the battles of Friday, sat
urday and Sunday morning were hardly from
The point Of view Of the picturesque what one
should expect The soldiers scattered over the
fields and through the underbrush. firing wheh
they caught sight of mark, and not KNOWING
whether they hit their man not somehow
Cid rot seem engaged in such battle as ohc
had pictured from his reading Doubtless the
smokeless powder had most 10 do WIN tr'is ro'-
hing Of warfare OF its effectiveness as mere
picture.
The uncleanliness Of II all has been ever pres
emit however and especially now. after luii
Of forty eight hours in the fighting, does it force
itself on the attention Equally prominent IS
the physical labor and hardship imposed on the
soldier. After all. mere lighting is the least OF
his business. even in time Of actual campaign
ing He ia cook. day laborer. hospital attend
ant road builder everything. Incidentally. he
fires soventy-fve or one hundred cartridges on
occasional days.
LONG MARCHES AND TRENCH DIGGING
Perhaps the long marches through the rain
and mud from before dawn all day ana nlght'
and much Of the next day followed by night
Of trench digging are what the soldier Hiids Oh
most personal concern in this business Of war
More sensitive nostrils are likely 10 cause one
10 dwell more especially on the attendant dirt
and stencil. r. is thar unpleasant even
to think Of how utterly destructive war Is OF
that quality which the proverb ranks next 70
godltness There IS water enough in the run
ming streams that seek the near Santiago De
Cuba. but one IL glad enough Of II TO drink or
course bathing IN the brooks and rivers FROM
which the troous get their water IL forbidden.
Filling tn, canteens is A daily OCCUPATION which
often means mile OF walking. There are no
pals or other receptaces for carrying larger
quantities An opportunity may come for SOL
der 10 wash a garment or handkerchief at the
side Of a river but this is only when he IS on
some detached service.
one difficulty about cleanliness is the small
compass 70 which mans wardrobe IS reduced.
Even II he left Tampa with a fair stock or cloth
ing IL has gradually been reduced The terri
be marches in the tropical sun nave causei
hundreds 10 throw away everything they were
not actually wearing. 50 Ns 10 tighten their DUR
der,s a much as rossio,a. With only one SHIRT.
there ia rttl. c.,aG-ce &c wash it. Even II there
We're Il would lot say clean long The ROADS
are muddy beyond the nightmare Of the good
roads advocate. In places they are literally
ankle deep There Is a certain variety in them
sometimes the mud is LIQUID. AZ others thick
and clingins. Passing horsemcn dash II all
over the men on foot. For week or more X
has ralned practically every day. Where the
road is shaded by matted underbrush IL Is
hardly ever dry. The dew IL as heavy as ram
fall. and even after the sun has been up for
hours It leaves the highways ponds of slush.
Another nuisance 10 use a Md word. with
which the soldier has to contend Is the f'rding
~ streams An officer riding horseback
doesn't think what n hindorance it is 10 a man
marching long distances 70 have his shoes and
so,ks constantly wet So "a there are no
bridges. the stepping stones which span few
crossings were laid by the Cubans in peace
times The rivers are only knee deep or less.
and narrow. so the throwing in OF line Of
stones would he trilng operation. But no
one in command orders that ii he dore. so the
unfortunate private marches with water slush-
ing in his shoes and gets footsore from the irri-
tation OF the leather.
sATURNALIA OF DISORDER.
The road which was the centre OF the battles
leading up 70 the San Juan Publications is 1
saturnaia OF disorder and disgusting smells.
Dead men and horses are in evidence al inter
yals Many were allowed to tester In the wet
and sun FOR forty-aight hours before being
buried Even the word burial is misnomer
in many Instances Perhaps all the Americans
had some sort OF grave lug FOR them, and II IS
only Spanlards and horses that were merely
covered with earth. II was thought. apparently
that the strewing Of a foot OF earth good
enough service to do for an enemy or a east
the consequences TO the living were overlooked.
Besides all this. a number Of the slain r. It he
scattered in the tangled woods. Your nOstrils
are therefore assalod with succession Of
stcnches as you go along. The knowledge that
some Of them come from human corpses intensl-
nes the overpowerlng feeling OF disgust
As you approach the mound that is dissemInat-
Ing the doors your curiosity lmpels you to note
whether the object beneath Is man or horse
The shape or the heap tells which it is; leather
shoe or the knee OF horse sticking out in some
cases removes any possible doubt Myriads Of
flies buzz about. masses OF maggots writhe and
crawl about where the earth is shallowest or
where the deca wing flesh is entirely uncovered.
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