Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-02-17
A SOLDIERS
LETTER.
Written By An Elizabeth City
Boy, Fred Fl. Ship.
HAVANA, CUBA,
Feb. 7. 1890.

intending to write a letter to
the Fisherman and Farmer, but
the time of a U. S. V. is such
that it does not give him a
chance to write letters.
We arrived at the entrance OF
Havana harbor at 7.35 P, NJ,
Dec. 2Ist., but were not allowed
to enter until daylight, so drift
ed around until morning, aud at
$50 A. NJ. entered the harbor
The shores were lined with
Cubans and Spaniards, and old
Moro Castle" was lined with
Spanish troops and the Spanish
flag flying. We went to the
dock and commenced unload
ing and in a short time we took
up our march through the city,
amid the cheers Of Cubans.
Our camp is about 8 miles
from the CITY on the mountains
and quite lively place, only 2
miles from the Gulf, get quite a
nice breeze at all times, but af-
ter sleeping with lizards, taran
tulas, and other insects playing
hide and seek in your blankets
shoes and other apparel a man
needs a fresh breeze to brace
him up.
The Cubans are a filthy elias,
of people and compare poorly
with our negroes. 1ney seem
to thrive on dirt and filth. The
men ale dwarfs and POM
at our American soldiers
and seem surprised that they
are SO large.
The only good thing here is
the water, bread and weather
Tee butter is old enough tC
vote before it reaches here; OF
course we are not issued butter
but. buy it individually.
Our "menu" is, for breakfast,
coffee, the bosom of a pig, and
bread; for dinner, beef, potatoes
and water also bread; for supper
coffee, bread and beef sometimes
Our beef is killed at 6 OF 7 A
N. and fed to us at dinner.
sometimes it is not hung up at
all and the blood is settled in ii
when issued; then again We get
the beef that has the appearance
Of embalned beef, sometimes
cannot be used, it is SO bad.
The thermometer registers
from 90 to 100 in the shade
most every day, but the boys are
standing it fairly well. 1t is es,
timated that one man out Of ev>
cry twelve in the 9Th Army
Corps is sick, don't know what
it will be when rainy season
sets in, as this is the greatest
place for rain l ever saw. 1t
takes about three days for it to
get ready to rain, but look out
when it does come, floods things
for awhile.
Things are very high here.
Butter costs from s. to 4oc. lb
eggs Ooc. dozen, chickens are
from $I.oo to $50 apiece. I
have a feather l put under my
head and dream of the past.
Cheese. SOC. lb. ham 4oc. lb. A
visit to the cemetery IS quite a
curiosity. You visit the norgue
where the bodies are prepared
for burial by sprinkling lime
over the deceased, after which
tn. body is placed in a grave.
Then tent begins, and if the
"long green" don't come up
regularly, the bones are dug up
and placed in the bone pit in
another part of the cemetery.
Then a visit to the graves of the
"Maine" victims in the central
part of the cemetery where a |
wooden cross marks the last
resting place Of that noble lot
of sailors with the following in
scription thereon, Maine Vic
Tins
Then to the bone pile. and
a sight loug to be relnem bered
it is. Thousands of skulls and
cross bones are bleached by the
rain and SUN all piled up togeth>
er.
Then passed on to the fire
men monument, which was
erected III memory OF the gal
liant men who lost their lives in
the great Havana FIRE of OF.
We are allowed 3 passes each
Saturday and Sunday to visit
Havana, and by careful fgurirg
| find | am due pass the sd
Saturday in May. Expect to
have a big time, weather PET
hitting.
l do not know of any more
news at present except that the
boys are getting tired of army
lite. and would like to get home
sometime soon. There is several
cases OF home>sickness here;
might be want of letters from
dear ones who's places cannot
be filled by a Cuban belle.
With best wishes for the sues
cess of the Fisherman and Far
mer, l am
Sincerely,