The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-12-28
AN ECHO FROM Ell CANEY.
BY Anna NOrthend Benjamin.
1 S THE fortunes of reporting and

A S THE fortunes of reporting and
~ of war would have it, l was de-
tailed from our office to cover the
late contest with Spain. With a pass
signed by Secretary Alger in my breast
pocket, l journeyed south to Tampa
early in May, a full-fedged war corr
respondent. 1t was dangerous honor,
but one that filled me with delight.
Most of the correspondents and ar
lists were at the Tampa Bay hotel. /
remained there for a few days, but l
was impatient to get into the full swing
of army life. With this end in view, !
managed to fall into the good graces of
Col. - of the til infantry, and OBJ
tanned from him a willing permission
to pitch my tent at the end of the row
Of company officers and to join the
colonels own mess.
The term "messmates means great
deal. If you mess with men, you know
them as they are. You may sit at table
with man at hotel or at city board
ing house for years and never see any
thing but an alienation of business and
evening clothes. But in camp those who
eat together have the same intense, con
fined interest, the same ambitions, the
same love-of the regiment-and are
often drawn together by bonds that can
never be sundered. And thus began my
friendship with Allan Clave. He was
first lieutenant and adjutant of the
regiment. West Point never graduated
boy who was more heart and soul
soldier-it was in his blood and he
looked It, Yet he was one of that chival-
rous type Of manhood which combines
the highest courage with gentleness.
He would have been miserable in bust
ness, fairly successful in professional
hfe; as a soldier thought him perfect.
In appearance he was thoroughly
manly. He had fine, clear eye that
looked at you honestly. There were no
subtletles about him. He tied to the
regulations, but in everything left to
his discretion ii was his instinct to sim
plify He never became involved in
speech or In action, and was unsym-
pathetic with the entaglements of 9TH
ers. He felt for me the same really ten
der regard that felt for him. We were
friends naturally, and, both recognizing
this from the first, we waived the usual
more OF less formal processes which
lead to an established friendship.
Week after week we waited in heat
and suspense. Day after day the sun
poured its blistering rays from above,
and the sand sent the heat up again.
There was no escape from it, When a
breeze blew refreshingly it brought
sand with 1t, and our dinner was well
peppered. But the young adiutant was
unconscious of discomfort He labored
early and late in the service Of his
colonel. The men knew him and loved
him, for he had gained their respect.
j demonstrated with him one day about
the work that he was doing in that hot
climate.
"Andy," he said, smiling, "this is
war!" But there was in his eyes an in.
tense CLEAN Of happiness which puz-
zled me.
Finally marching orders came from
headquarters. In the dead of night
the regiment was loaded on cattle cars
and transported to the pier where lay
the transports-30 of them. We shared
the same stateroom and made the most
OF such cheer as was provided for us.
! shall never forget that miserable voy-
age nor how we felt when, with the
rest OF the fleet, we came to a drift in
the Caribbean, under the lee of those
grand and desolate peaks of Cuba with
in sight of Moro.
The fleet bombarded, the castle an.
swered back, and finally we were land
ed at Daquiri and marched overland to
Siboney, where the remainder Of the
transports unloaded.
The temptation to launch forth into
descriptions which do not relate to nv
story assals me as / write. When my
thoughts revert to that time over
whelming memories flock to my pen
memories of suffering, horror and hard
ship, memories OF heroism and of self.
sacrifice, of sickness and of sudden
death, OF WEAKNESS OF body and Of soul
of glimpses into the jaws of hell. But
I will brush all this aside to recount
one little incident out Of the thousands
enacted there worthy of record
throughout eternity.