Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-04-07

AMARo, CUBA. March D. 1899
DEAR COUSIN
IL has been some time since ! hay.
written 10 you IN fact i haven La1
time 40 write 10 anybody, We have been
KEPT busy ever since 1tt u.uAe camp Dr.
savannah, Ga We left the States oI
the u. ) transport Chester on tine nigh
of Jan 24th. We were ont at SEA thrc
days and ran into a hard storm and hal
10 sling part OF our cargo overheard aud
then the ship rolled SO that we huu O.
put into port at Palm Beach, Florida.
but We were only there "a short time aua
didn't get chance 90 20 ashore W
put out 10 sea again but II was prgtt
rough, most of the boys We're seasicE
and throwed up everything bur thcu
situation However, after the 2ith tho
sea was pretty calm and We made good
time We sighted land about four
% clock on the afternoon OF Feb LIST, and
We went into port at Cientutgu~, Cuba.
just at shutdown We 5tud ON board
that night and ON the following day we
began no unload My company Went
ashore at 80 m and that night OH.
First Battalion of winch we Ura the
first company, started tor R1aragl, ar
the train ana got There at n.ta
We were az Eo1rcgO only MIN.
days when the rest ot the regiment got
there and we started for Amaro We
bad To march as there WASH any rail.
road running into CHAT place. and uoi.
We are now. II you can tell whore j am
YOU can do better than amy man iu On.
whole regiment This was formerly
summer resort where the rich Cubaus
would come during tine summer Du.
d.. q D. d..
burned it down, and now there is roth
ing here bat the walls OF taw old Stone
buildings There are only Cuban hut-.
around here The lower CLASSES of Dr..
pie 1--we i'm huts built NJ palm leaves auD
bark They are the lowest class of
people / ever saw. thoy are worse Cham
the Poiack> i'm Michigan They
speak Spanish aud none of them can
speak a word of English We have o.
make motions 10 tell them what wO
want / am getting 50 i can talk f.,e
words m Spanish / don see what tu.
people live on here, for they don't work
and there is nothing here for them tU
eat unless they raise 10, which / know
they don't. I'm the cities they are 81
httle different than they are ont around
bon the wilderness
went to Sayuc La Granda the 18th
and ~taid there two days and one night
having "a good time while ! was there
! raid at the Hotel III TELEGRAPH 10 ISL
the best hotel i'm the city, The laua
ord use TO be a Spanish soldier ara na
treats the L : soldiers all night lt.
only costs Us 81 90 per day for our
board and they put up good meals too /
got my picture taken % few days ag.
aud | will send You one ia my next let F.
Ter ! was down TO get them today /
but they were not finished J eau got
them lu a day or so. ! wish You could I
see this country. IL Is Il sight We get
plenty If fruit. such as bananas. Pine .
apples and cocoauuts They grow here
wild hut there ism many ripe ones now /.
This morning the first rcp0r; THAT
came 10 us was that one OF our boys was
dead and il turned out fO De true His T
name was Ben Davis He is thp first
man that our company has lost Vs.,
were the only company ia the Wh0lt .
regiment that hadn't had death go 90 4
date Ben was liked bv an the men u
our company and il Is hard 90 think of .
losing one Of our boys after Doe had
been with Us So long II was the fault
of the hospital steward chat be- had Co. /
leave us He had been sick for some
time and a few days ago he was some.
what better, but not able 70 return o.
the company, but they made him report
- the company. and that is what killed
him II viii Doe remembered by thc
boys 81 this company and the steward
shall repent for it somcday There Viii /
come a time somcday, that all men VIII
be alike Good bye.
Your cousin.
Dan + ROmINs
IL.