Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-05-11
ALESSON IN PATRIOTISM.
HOW A PORTO RlcAN TOWN LEARNED
TO SALUTE OUR FLAG.


to Catch On to the Custom.
Travellers returning from abroad are
often heard to speak of the joy they
have felt on beholding the Stars and
Stripes floating over a consulate or
flying from the peak of an American
merchantman in foreign waters. How
the appearance of the same ensign in
''the enemy's country" and in time of
war was greeted is the. n~"r"sA Nf -
tale,
Early one morning in August, re-
lates correspondent of the New York
Times, two regiments of volunteers,
one of which was the historic Sixth
Massachusetts Infantry, the first to
volunteer in 1861, and the other the
Sixth Illinois, set out from Ponce,
Porto Rico, on march which was to
take them across two mountain ranges
to the Atlantic Coast, the objective
point being the town of Arecibo. The
two regiments were brigaded under
the immediate command of Brigadier-
General Garretson, while the veteran
Brigadier-G General Guy V. Henry had
command of the expedition. AS a
starter it was decided to end the first
days march at the terminus of the
military turnpike, eleven miles north
west of Ponce. At nightfall the head
of the column reached the camping
place, while the rear guard was five
miles back. Unfortunately the OPP
pressive heat and the heavy grades
| told so on the OK teams which were
carrying the rations and tentage that,
save for such food as the men brought
up from the cart train, the brigade
was in fair way to go to bed hungry
Nobody did, however, and when the
sun rose in the morning its first rays
| fell on camp thrilling with the life
that is the result of an abundant
though plain supper and a good
nights rest. From this camp it was
decided to limit the days march to
five miles in order that the tired oxen
might catch up. Porto Rican draught
cattle, however, are not particularly
energetic, and when dark came, after
an afternoon of soaking rain, the
troops bivouaaked in the grounds of a
coffee plantation, were still far from
the base OF supplies, and, worse yet,
had for beds the soft ooZe OF the camp
ground or the wet guinea grass of the
plantation pasture. Foraging parties
had to be organized, and until nearly
midnight gangs of men clad IN the
butternut overals of the Massa-
chusetts troops or the khaki Of the
Illinois regiment could be seen
trudging through the mud of the road,
each carrying boxes of hard tack,
sacks of coffee or sugar, and sides of
bacon. Supper that night came nearly
being the breakfast of the next day,
so late was it served, but it was well
come, and it sufficed,
In the meantime General Henry had
gone ahead to the little town of of Adj
iuntas, eight miles north, where it
was decided to go into camp for two
days. Adjuntas, a week previouly,
had ignominiously capitulated to Gen
eral Roy Stone, two Signal Corps men,
and four newspaper correspondents,
and was then, so its inhabitants
thought, American territory. General
Henry and his staff had gone into camp
in the plaza, where they and their
great horses and mules were the Gen.
tire of much amusement and wonder
for the towspeople.
The Alcalde of the place, whose
name I have forgotten, had obtained
in some way a small, weather faded
American flag, and in the fulness Of
his Joy at the appearance of the COM
mander of the invaders, had hoisted il
over the Acadia, or municipal build
ing, instead of the yellow and golC
banner under which he had served fol
years.
To go back to the hungry, wear.
marchers. After breakfast on th'
third morning from Ponce a grea
Gathering of hoof was heard, and
while every one was wondering wha
it meant, long line of mules driven
by men of the Western type which
Frederic Remington depicts so we'll
appeared at the crest of the hill, ant
cavalry lieutenant dashed up t.
General Garretson to tell him that TIE
mules would carry his provisions oil
to Adjuntas, to which point Genera
Henry wanted the brigade to hasten.
Dinner over. order were given fo
the eight-mile march, which was most
ly down hill, and o'clock found tn,
head of the column, the Sixth Massa
chusetts, entering the town, Colone
Edmund Rice. the new commander
riding in front. Through the long
muddy street leading to the plaza th'
men tramped, each congratulatinl
himself that one stage of the march
was over. Even the bandsmen, usual,
slow of movement, frightened ant
the drums beat little harder ant
flies sounded trife shriller in pur
Joy.
Just as the column swung into
street on one side of the plaza Colone
Rice saw the American flag standing
out like a board from the mast owe
the Acadia. With the patriotic rev
erence inherent in the breast of tn
regular soldier he took off his hat an,
passed on without giving q sign. Al
most at the same moment the leade