, 1899-02-16

"bNN'A -
cavalry, who was for several years in
~structor in mathematics and military
tactics at the University of Wyoming
and who left Laramie last June writes
a very interesting letter concerning
some of his first experiences in Cuba:
Camp Columbia, Havana, Cuba,
February 2, 1899.
My Dear Eggleston.
l received your letter here a few days
ago, and thinking you might like to
hear from this country l will start a
letter anyway, whether l finish or not.
| went to Savannah on the 21st of
January and we commenced to load
early in the morning. The Manitoba
is a very large transport, about one
third of her middle being decked over
with the cabin and above that the
bridge" The fore and hind parts of
her upper deck were loaded with
horses, also her second deck. We
brought about 700 head of stock with
liit "a lIoopS i III "ibh. W. ht'A
about 100 volunteers, recruits and fur
Laughed men from various regiments
and fifty recruits for regular artillery,
which, with our men, made about $50
| enlisted men. Our men were on the
third deck and the volunteers on the
fourth. We were very comfortable in
| tI1 anhttn arl hoI n cplanHiI mi
The sea was so smooth and the vessel
| so large and steady that not a man on
board was sea sick. We left Savannah
on the afternoon of the 22d at 4 o'clock
and arrived off Havana in the night
| of the oath, buth had to wait for a pilot
| and got to the dock about $50 o'clock
on the 25th. The land about Havana is
a limestone ridge of rock. The stone
is soft and is about what at st. Au-
gustine, Fla, is called coquina. The
entrance to the port is very narrow and
l think you could just about shoot an
arrow across from the point at MORO
castle to the fort on the opposite side
of the entrance. Soldiers on both sides
of the entrance shouted to us as we
came in. The bay, being land locked
and quite deep, makes a good harbor-
or would if it was only clean. The tide
rises and falls about two feet, they say.
and that is not enoughto carryawaythe
filth dumped in the port. AS this filth
has been accommodating about o cen
turtles, the job of dredging it out will be
a big one. We began unloading as soon
as we could, but the Michigans, with
two light and two heavy batteries of
artillery, were discharging at the same
wharf, so we were delayed. We got
our horses off in the afternoon. how
ever. and part of our baggage also. We
finished unloading on the 26th and
vent to camp, where we arrived at
dark. In coming into port we passed
close beside the wreck of the Maine.
We saluted with our trumpets and low
cred our colors. All men were on deck
and uncovered. Before leaving Sa-
vannah we received orders from Cen
eral Brooke assigning us to stations.
Headquarters and four troops remained
in Havana under General Ludlow. -Four
more under Godfrey reported to Cen
eral Davis at Pinar del Rio and Major
Hayes with four troops lone of which
Is mine) reported to General Lee, COM
harding the Province of Havana, with
headquarters near Mariana. The
headquarters are at a place called We
dado. Havana seems cut up into sec
. lions, with local names, but with no
particular boundaries. Vedado is in
the edge of this closely built part and
adjoins the country where the Names
victims were buried. The camp is be-
tween the cemetery and the sea, which
is less than a mile away. The ground,
they say, is rough. / haven't been to
that camp, though 1t is only about two
miles from here. Our camp 10 near
Marianao, or rather about two miles
east Of that place. Marianne and Its
suburbs are the headquarters OF the
various division and brigade command