Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-19
TROOPS IN POSSESSION
United States HOSTS Old Glory Over An
other Cuban Town.
Company I'll of Fourth Regiment of
Volunteers on Duty at Jiguani
descriptive Letter.


pany II, 4th United States Volunteer In
fantry. The regiment is stationed at Man.
zaniiio, Cuba, but Company Fl is now sta
toned at Jiguani, in the province of San
tiago de Cuba, and Sergeant Duffy is act
ing sergeant major of that military post
Since last you, heard from me we of
Company FL nave moved our quarters from
ManzaniNo to the town of Jiguani CHe-wa-
neeD. Santiago de Cuba, the headquarters
of General Rabi and the old home of Cen
erai Calixto Garcia. We left .ManZaniIIo
the morning of the 18th instant in heavy
marching order and with rations for thirty
days. We were accompanied by train
consisting of two army wagons, four es-
cort wagons and an ambulance. The roads
We're in fair condition and the weather our
ing the journey was fine. We had TO pull
down hill in order to ford the Rio Buey
and also had to repair the roads and
bridges at several other points along the
route. l had an opportunity of seeing CUBA
in all her grandeur. The succession OF
strange sights and sounds presented "a pan
Drama of constant interest. The interior
of this beautiful island is a Veritabie para
disc and the superb scenery cannot be
surpassed. The fields and hills are every
where covered with luxuriant vegetation
and tropical fruits abound in profusion.
Oranges. bananas. plantains. watermelons,
cantelOupes. suava. lines. yams and the
like are everywhere to be found in abund-
ance.
An Ideal Community.
THE province of Santiago de Cuba, SO
far as l have seen it, is an ideal community,
but has been rendered somewhat unpro-
ductive by the depredations of opposing
armies. Marauders have completely raw
aged the remote and unprotected districts
and their work has completely devastated
the country and Impoverished the people.
But the reconCentrSdos, with renewed
hope, evidently inspired by the new state
of things, and gaining confidence from the
strong hand of law which Uncle Sam is
beginning TO extend over them, are rapidly
repairing their ruined estates, and their
newly-buit huts can be seen on every hand
since the suspension of hostilities. The sur
face of the island shows many diversified
features. Lofty mountain regions with
rocky hills and deep ravines, immense
plains of rich soil, intersected every few
miles by river beds, form the general char
acter of the land. The deep. rich soil, wait
ing for the industrious hand TO take from
it the fruits of the earth, contains large
deposits of lime and this in some measure
accounts for its great fertility.
I'VE stopped for two nights at Bayamo
with Company of this regiment. in order
to rest the mules. as well as the 'immules,
the boys term themselves. Bayamo is
a typical old Spanish town. 1t was almost
completely destroyed during the ten years
war, and the ruins of many fine temples
constructed of pressed brick. brought from
Spain over 800 years ago, are seen on all
sides. Tire evacuated Spanish barracks are
now occupied by Company b, Captain
Newberry of Washington. We regretted
to leave this town. but a soldier is not
gentleman of leisure-at least not in this
country-and Captain Latrobe. command
ing Company H, had business of more inn
portance at Jiguani. which We had been
ordered to take possession of in the name
of the United States.
Captain Takes Possession.
I'VE entered this city, the 10Th instant,
after sin days hard travel, and encamped
on the Plaza, or public square. We raised
the stars and stripes and took formal pos
session the 10Th. The ceremony was long
to be remembered We marched out on the
Plaza under command of Lieut.. Lipscomb
halted in front of the city hall and pre-
scented arms as old glory unfurled to
the breeze. The field musician sounded
TO the COlorS,' and Captain J.atrobe an
nounced, in the presence of the mayor of
the town: 1, as commander of Company
II, 18th United States Volunteer Infantry,
hereby take possession of the town of
Jiguani in the name of the United States
The insignia of our sovereignty is now dis
played the city hall.
Il have told you something of our off
GERS in former letters and of their ability
as such. All of our company officers have
been nominated for PROMOTION. and | un-
derstand their names are now before Con-
gress foUracti@n..a~ Capt. OsTuan Latrobe is
to be major, 1t is said; First Lieut. Lee NJ
Llpscomb is to be captain of Company II
and Second Lieut. James Barry Adams is
10 be promoted to the next highest grade
Their efforts have been rewarded in more
ways than one In addition to their nomi-
nations for promotion, they have all been
placed on extra duty. Captain Latrobe is
commander of this military station Lieut..
Lipscomb is an acting quartermaster and
cOmmissary of subsistence and Lieut.. Adj
ans is captain of the port and provost
MAJ hsI Of
receive this letter the officers mentioned
will, in all probability, have obtained their
second commissions from the President.
Rations for Destitute.
Lieut.. Lipscomb issues rations daily to
the destitute recOncentrados, and one has
an excellent opportunity to see the pathetic
side of Cuban life while watching them as
they huddle around the commissary wait
ing to be fed. These poor, impoverished
people come from all parts of the surround
ing country within a radius of twenty
miles; men, old, decrept and manned, and
thin and half-starved women and children
in the last stages of actual starvation. 1t
is truly pitiful sight and one calculated
to arouse the sympathy of any man. Lieut..
Lpscomb has little rest from these So
called recOncentrados, as they are con-
stantly at his door, awaiting oppOrtuni-
ty to beg him for food. and, / may add
they are seldom refused
Il once before told you of the cuteness
Of these natives. To substantiate my state
ments made then | will tell you something
of the characteristic which seems to be
born in them. There were quite number
of men, women and children congregated
around the door of the commissary's tent
yesterday morning when Lieut.. Lipscomb
arrived. 1t was before the hour for the
distribution of rations. One woman held
in her arms looking babe. The
sight touched the heart of the kind lieu
tenant and he had her brought in the tent
and supplied her with food, giving her some
extra rations on account of the terrible
condition that her child appeared TO be in
An hour later each and every woman quick
of comprehension. held a child-evidently
borrowed from nearby friend-and wait
ed patiently to present the pitifu sight
to the kind-hearted lieutenant. One wo-
man was laboriously carrying In her arms
u boy large that she could barely walk
along with him. The tad looked as If he
had not been the subject of so much atten-
ton for many years The woman bore her
burden patiently, but after she had re-
ceived her rations she let ii drop from
sheer exhaustion. The boy carried away
the provisions.
Another Instance.
ION another occasion Qhis morning) the
lieutenant found old woman sitting by
ha I'm, of ha