Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-01-27
G AMP NOTES.
CAMP COLUMBIA, HAVANA, CUBA,
Jan oath, 1899.

Special to the Shenandoah HERALD
Havana has been well .called a
prison city 1t is in no respect like the
cities, in the United States. Nearly all
the houses are Of Queen Ann style and
have courts. The inhabitants generally
sleep up stairs. In the rear OF the ground
floor is the stable. The parlor IS in the
front of the house. Outside of this
llOom, their houses are very dirty. The
streets are very narrow and filthy. One
who has never seen them can form no
idea how filthy they are. Sunday, IN
many respects, is like an ordinary week
day. Stores are all open. The higher
classes have big dinners, get drunk. and
have cock fights
The Cubans have large balls at night.
In dress they Outstrip the fashionable
bellies Of the United States, and when
they dance the last set, about Il O'Clock.
the only thing that is invisible is their
clothing. About $50 a. m, they repair
to their homes, most of them in drunk
en- condition.
The Spaniards tell us that the Cubans
are descendants Of negroes, brought to
the island from Jamaica, by the Spanish
colonists that settled here from 1920 up
to later date
The Spanish soldiers say that Cuban
sympathisers were paid large amount
OF money to blow up the Maine.
1t is fortu nate that it was not neces-
sary to attack Havana. New York is not
as well fortified as Havana. Sampson
would have required several months to
have broken down the walls of Moro
Castle, for it consists Of from 40 to 200
feet Of solid rock with an earth covering
of 40 to 80 feet. All around the city |
was one wire fence after another. The |
roads were wide enough for only or
3 men abreast and are very much like
the worst of our mountain roads.
You have all heard much of the
beautiful Cuban women. Let me assure
you that it is distance that lends en-
chantment to the view" and the more
distant they are the prettier they seem.
When you get close to them, the poetry
about beautiful Cuban women vanishes
at once. When l get a girl, it will be
one from the United States, let me most
positively assure you.
The lower classes are filthy and dirty
and little or no account for anything,
The only thing that l like is the
tobacco. 1t would do your heart good to
see the boys putting pure Havana
cigars. Here we buy them % for 30 cts.
while in the United States, they cost Is
cents apiece.
Besides dress parade, we have three
anda half hours drill, making about five
hours each day. This is a snap which we
Virginia soldiers enjoy. On New Years
day, we hOisted the stars and stripes |
over Moro castle. / was standlhg ABOUT |
% yards from Moro Castle when orr
flag went up arc the Spanish flag came
down. | certainly appreciated the Oc-
casion. TO people at home the stars and
stripes do not mean so much, bnt when
we are in foreign land, we love to gaze
upon our country's flag. 1t begets a
feeling Of safety and Of power which we
all enjoy.
There is a report in camp that we are
TO be mustered out within GO days and
will all be permitted to return home.
We are all anxiously waiting for the
order. We all wanted to see Cuba. We
have seen it and are satisfied. Is.