The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12
N . '79s3I
H! Val
Mrs. AL Patterson Tells ofthc
New Years Occupation. s
'"'FlIz"l LEE HERO OF THE DAY
He was Greeted with tho Waving Of
Handkcrchicns sand Showers OF
Flowcrs-Thc Scenes Of tho day Dc.
scribed In a Most Interesting Man
ncr---Thc r, ising sun OF Prosperity
BcamIns Upon Fair Cuba. {

~ A]>'%'''''tr y l'pH = Naa SubtA'
The third of Mrs a. II. Patterson's
Havana letters to the. 1ntelligercer, Is
dated on New Years day. and tells Q:
the occupation, OF the Cuban capital by
the American forces-the raising OF the
Stars and Stripes and the hauling down
OF the hated Spanish standard, an ex-
change Of oppression for the liberty for
which cubans have fought for 50 many
years. The writer tells OF the events Of
the day from the spectators point Of
view. (,
Special Correspondence Of Intelligenccr.
HAVANA, Cuba. Jan. 1.-The morn
Ing broke fair and cioud!css upon the
sleeping city, this most suspicious of
AL days-this day that was to see the
red and yellow OF the proud flag OF
spain laid low In the iglomny OF de-
feat, and the great banner OF freedom
unfurled from the top OF the palace OF
The captain general. and from cruel Ca
bana, and from grim old Moro Castle.
t& Quite early In the day, much earlier
than Lazy. dreamy Havana usually
awakens to the call OF life, people be-
ganito hurry through the streets. Sun
day Is always a holiday here. New
Years day Is the gala day OF the whole
year. but this Sunday, and this New
Years day was the day that all Cuba
TO: thirty years has waited for, has
fought for, has died for. the day that
I was to throw into her upstretcned.
trembling hands the shining bauble OF
freedom. ~
a great army Of American soldiers
had been quietly marched into the city.
and were in camp all along in front Of
the Pasaja hotel, and for many blocks
down into the city. AS we sat at break
fact, By the windows looking out upon
the Prado. we were the much-ente:-
tanned spectators OF an evcr-changiag
and glitterinU spectacle, which included
the hurrSinS to and fro of Cuban beau
ties In say coi1red and Haunting plum
age. the continued strains of martial
music from various military bands, the
passing and repassing of companies OF
soldiers on parade. the Glltterlng and
imposing appearance OF Generals
Wade, Butler and Claus. OF the Amcri-
can commission, as they rode Up the
Prado. attended by their aids in full
reSalia- And then upon the ea:, i
strange sound falls-frst dull, heavy
roar. then an audible word, finally as
the crowd comes nearer It's full si%E.S.s
canoe strikes uron our senses, "Vive Ia
Lee" "Nivc "a Lec!" bursts from o
thousand Threats. Elurrying to the
windows. we saw riding down the
Prado, 4 mana soldier. IN plain attire.
wearing the blue sack coat and the
Rough Rider hat of the volunteer army.
q figure that has grown undeniablv fat
and somewhat grey, since last saw
him, but sitting upon his horse with
the oll-time commanding grace. every
inch n soldier. From various decorated
balconies and iatticed windows, fow-
ers were thrown upon him and hand
kerchlefs waved.
q General Lee Is the Idol OF Havana
Thousands of men. %omen and children
have crowded to kiss his hand this day
of rejoicing, and al. through the rapid
" crowdirs events. wherever we hap
pened to be. at La Punta. the Inslatera,
the Palace OF the captain general
whenever that biue-coated soldierly
figure appeared, up went the hoarse
shout, repeated TO the echo, "Vivc la
Lce!"
y Shortly before - O'Clock. we left hur-
riedly to see from a place OF vantage
the great event of the day-the hoist
ing OF the Stars and Stripes on grim
old MORO. For blocks. the lower end
OF the Prado was crowded with smil-
In rnho At,,artoo pollIorr
excited negroes. La Punta was a black
mass Of human heads, and occasionally
driving along in great haste few
Spanish officers. At the base Of the
flag staff In the fortress. which still
held up the Spanish colors. rigid. mo-
tionless as a statue waiting for the
signal. stood Lieutenant Jack Wade. OF
the Fifth Cavalry. typical army off,
Ger and American gentleman. athletic.
brave and courtly. Then came the
boom OF the signal gun, then another
and another. and then the red and yell
low Of the flag OF Spain began TO de-
scend. 4 breathless silence prevailed;
It seemed too good to be true, and then
we saw our own dear colocs rapidly as
cending the staff. and amid deafenir.
cheers and shouts and tears. the ban
ner OF freedom was flung TO the breeze,
and tho four hundred years Of cruelty,
oppression and tyranny were over for
ever.
Great excitement prevailed In the
fortress. One American officer secreted
the Spanish ilag.psayIng. This Is the
only thing want IN Havana" but up
on the request octhe Spanish officers.
he courteously resigned his trophy.
The newspaper men made q dash for
the rope of the Spanish flag, ond before
they could be prevented, they had cut It
In pieces and carried It off.
Two entecprlslng Americans offered
the Spanish official in charge of his
flag, bride 10 cut them two pieces rs
souvenirs OF the day. Alas! for the
vauntcd pride and honor of Spain, am
obliged TO confess that he did so Mt
once. l am told. however, that he will
be court-martfaifed.
simultaneously with the hosting Of
the flag on Moro, the colors were run
up on the Palace OF the captain gener.
al. on Cabana. and all other points Of
political prominence In the city. I'm
mcdiately inter, Generals Brooke. Wade,
Butler and Claus formed q line In front
of the InGlatera hotel, and from the
balcony above VIC had the pleasure of
witnessing the review OF General Lees
army Of volunteers, numbering about
ten thousand men. we'll equipped. we'll
clothed. strong. stalwart lookins-an
army TO be proud of. Every cnre was
taken to keep down any, feeling OF ex-
element, TO suppress the flame We nil
could feel was just ready to leap forth
No American airs were played. 4 COM
pany OF soldiers appeared on parade,
with small Cuban and American flags