Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-08
OUR MAINE BOYS.
A Letter from the Batteries in
Cuba.
The Return to Savannah Expected,
Each Day.
The Story Of an interesting Trip Through the
Havana ForiresSes.

Buena Vista, Cuba. MarcH 2.-tSpecial.)
As the Maine battalion Is expecting or
ders to break camp at almost any hour,
everything Is being packed that can be
which is the only duty required Of the
men now. The transport Michigan. which
IL to take the battalion TO Savannah. y
the one that took IL from New York 10
Savannah and the men are hoping that
II has been cleaned out since their last
journey on IL. There Is very little sick
three or four sick men ana they did
not receive proper attention al the hos
pital. Capt. Crockett has done what ne
could TO give them such food as they can
eat.
The men are taking advantage OF their
liberty to see the surrounding country
and visit the forts In Havana. Although
passes are not issued allowing soldiers
TO enter Ell MORO or Cabanas Fortress, a
few of the Maine boys have succeeded in
entering both Of them and obtaining some
very interesting relics from each. a
crew of Cubans are at work cleaning oui
the cells and dungeons In MORO as IL Is
TO be garrisoned by United States troops
In a short time.
Relic gathering gets TO be a mania with
some people and such must have been the
case with the person wno took the trig-
ger on from one of the rapIu firing ma
chine guns at MORO. short time ago 1t
Is such cases as this that prevent people
from having The privilege OF entering the
forts now.
A party OF Battery A men succeeded n
entering both MORO and Cabanas. In
describing the trip one of the party said,
We went straight from Concha depot 10
the wharf. where we hired a boatman to
take us across the harbor 10 the Cabanas
Landing. We paid him twenty cents IN
Spanish money for the party. Passing up
the long covered walk which leads to the
moat that surrounds, Cabanas we were
halted by a guard who Informed us that
we could not pass, then he asked us where
We We're from, and learning that We were
Maine boys told US that he WAS Il Port
land boy himself Or course that made
us friends at once and we were allowed
TO pass into the fortress where more PEG
pie were murdered by the Spaniards than
passed through the moat which is from
40 to 80 feet deep and 80 feet wide An
other guard showed us where prisoners
were shot it was in a small court and
the walls are full of bullet holes. The in
terror of the fortress is full of cells and
secret passages. some OF these passages
lead to MORO and others lead to hills
back of the city. \. did not enter any
of these the air was so foul. There
are also five towers about 30 feet high
with small opening al the top. Through
their victims to the rocky bottom either
killing them instantly or manning them
and leaving them TO die of starvation.
AS our time was limited and we wished
to see MORO ii possible. we left the for
tress and proceeded toward the castle.
Luck favored us here for the draw-bridge
was down The Cubans at work inside
had neglected to raise ii. crossed
the moat without being seen, as there is
no guard at that point. Once inside the
fort we were at liberty TO see all We
cared to for there was no one to hinder
our movements. The Cubans who were
supposed to be at work were taking maps.
Let me say right here that lazy Ameri-
can can do more work in one day than
the smartest Cuban will do in three. The
interior of MORO is similar to that of
Cabanas but not nearly as large. The
Spaniards removed all of the modern
guns from these Notifications there
are only few old muzze- leaders in
them. We succeeded in obtaining some
small canister shot from the ordnance
room. After visiting some of the cells we
started for camp well pleased with our
trip J. p. HOWARD.
Battery A, LIST Me. Vol. Art.