The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-04
a LETTER FROM CAPT. YEATMAN.
Adjutant of the Fourth Virginia
Writes Friends in Savannah.

Adjutant of the Fourth Virginia
Writes Friends in Savannah.
A lady in this city has received from
Capt. Philip E. Yeatman. adjutant of the
Fourth Virginia, an Interestingly descrip-
tive letter of camp life in Cuba. The let
ter is dated Camp Columbia, Cuba, Feb.
q, and hence has made a trip TO Savannah
which, considering the dreary waits and
delays the mail suffered during last sum-
mer, is almost remarkable for its swift
ness
Verify, the Lord loveth the Second Bril-
gade of the Second Division OF the Sew
enth Army Corps, and especially the
Fourth Virginia Regiment OF Volunteer
Infantry" says Capt. Yeatman in his let
ter. why? Well, because our brigade
has just got back to camp efter long
journey of about forty miles down into
the island, and it never rained drop I'M
til an hour after we got here, and it has
been pouring in torrents ever since. Hence,
quoting Uncle Remus, Dat what make
me say what l do"
I'VE have been on the tramp for over
week, with the two-fold purpose OF,
first, giving the men a taste Of field serv-
tves with the glory of this great Ameri-
can army, which wants TO come home. We
have dwelt in dog tents and subsisted
on bacon, hard tack and coffee all the
time. The whole brigade pulled out of
here some ten days ago, some 5000 men,
and with our houses on our backs and
our rauons In our haversacks, have
pounded these blessed Cuban highways and
byways ever since, until to-day we real
lied that a soldiers home is any old place
where comparative rest and comfort are
TO be obtained
Each afternoon would witness the won
derful sight of this good brigade fiutter-
ing down like flock of great white birds
into some big field, where in a marvellous
ly short time many columns of smoke
and the appetizing odor of fried bacon and
coffee would bespeak the welcome though
frugal, meal. Then we would crawl into
our kennels for a long and well-earned
snooze. Then when old Sol got out of bed
in the morning we always had the laugh
on him, for, we would have folded our
tents like the Arabs and not silently
though, stolen away. And here let me
say that The boys stole everything else
that happened to come their way, oranges,
cocoanuts and bananas none escaped. We
marched into camp at o'clock to-day,
with the bands playing "Homel Sweet
Homer For my part, 1 enjoyed the ex-
perience, and though not footsore am sad
dle-weary. A cot, though narrow and low
Iy, is alluring, after poncho and a blan-
ket on the ground"
Truly it is odd to read in the papers
of the dreadful cold at home, when the
heat in the day here is intense and almost
overpowering. Our camps were always
pitched near some little river, and the first
thing we would do was to grab towels
and soap and proceed to get into the river
for a plunge and swim-sounds odd,
doesn't 1t, to people who are sitting as
close to fires as you are now?"
much mail awaited and welcomed us
to-day, and among mine was a nice bum
die of papers. 1 bless my stars that the
skirts of this great and. good army are
cleared of that dog robbery-that thing
used to keep we awake nights-the idea of
the glorious hospitality of Savannah hav-
ing been abused by a dog theft! 1t was
Illuminating in the extreme. AS II sol
der would steal anything, much less a
dog! cloud wink"
There is a glorious rumor on the breeze
that we are to be brought to Savannah,
preparatory to being mustered out-just
when deponent sayeth not-but still it is
something to look forward to. Our regi-
ment is remarkably healthy so far, and
they whisper that wooden barracks are>to
he built for our summer residences. God
forbid that summer should find us still
here"