The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
TIE SOLDIER DEAD IN CUBA.
Memorial Day Services 10 lie Most Notable
AhnmI SnnIlnrn.

4NpV"'
Tho removal Of the soldier dead from Cuba
and Torto Rico In the past few months has
served to make vacant n great majority OF tho
graves in those islands. but the Transports,
despite their frequent trips. have not taken all.
Thero are still enough down there TO make tho
celebration OF May 80. 1900. n notable one.
The action OF the United States Government in
transferring TO their own land those who fell
In its service Is Unprecedented. And 1t Is a
source OF wonder to the Cubuns. These latter
have seen transports loaded with the dead sail
away from the island many times since the first
of the year. and they marvel NJ a nation which
Is willing and eager to spend time and money
IN moving those whose usefulness Is past.
In the vicinity Of Havana and other large
cities Memoria Day will bo carefully observed.
The great grave in which the men Of the Maine
lie side by side and those smaller ones filled
since that eventtul week In March. 1Sa)S will
come In for their due share. but In no part OF
the island will the day be one Of such impor-
lance as In the vicinity OF Santiago. Back Of
that city the battlefield stretches for miles.
Little care was possible In burying those who
fell during the fighting, and where men dropped
they were buried. Some were cnshrOudrd in
the convas Of their shelter tents. hut the ma
Jority had as their covering only their uni
forms and the clods of mother earth. There
was no orderly arrangement. no rows md aislcs
and plots and sections. but merely the con-
venience OF vicinity and the haphazard use OF
tho Spanish and American trenches. At the
foot and on the slOpe o. San Juan iii they
were sown az thickly as tenants In the Gods
acre OF a populous city.
By permission Of tho American Government
disinterrinC has been carried OH IN n more or
less desultory fashion since last September.
Despite the fact that disturbance Of graves in
apTnI frntinnl oppptrioo IiIn ENhho e., utrf,tIy
forbidden within five years from date OF. burial.
friends and undcrtakers fockcd to the Santiago
battlefield. armed with permits from the War
Department at. Washington. and removed u
number of bodies. IT was only through the
yellow fever victims were lett untisturbcd. In
oilr case ar. undertaken from a Maine town in;
eis rnI6 ON td,sinterr'hhg an Giieer who had died
The astN method OF burial followed during
the excitement after the siege naturally led to
convenient IL hottie containing a paper bearing
the name. regiment and company Of the de-
uron which. was painted similar iniormnti1n
were, planted at tho heads Of the mounds. hut.
soldier oit"n remained ur1'biematianII. TT
When q delegation OF spanish officials rcvis-
rem rsma Ige't @i the Tor } 'ns r"di a ! OF F Of Fl Esn ss%
Gen. Nara Dc! Rcy. they experienced great iii,
foutty n IndinE tho grave; They were led
the blockhousc, INT on o,ening RI" grave dis
closed to view the bones Of an army mule. II
WAS Il dcspicable insult east upon the memory
Of, a gallant warrior by natives.
In strong contrast to this iS the Sympathy
felt BY the living soldiers around Santiago
with their comrades In the trenches. There
are very few graves on the battlefield that
have not been the object of tender care. Dec
Grafton Day has lasted many long months in
that lnrt Of. Cuba. This svmpnthy has been
manifested In strange ways and in uneXpcct-
ed quarters, Last October II negro teamstrr
was discharged from the service in San.
tiagO as inrOrrigible. He had been arrested
AMI punished 80 many times without effect
That his dismissal was finally ordered. He was
paid of and received u pass on n transport to
the United States. On sailing day this negro
visited all the shops in Santiago aud. buying
as many American flags as his money ror.
United. Went out To- the trenches amt decorated
q lumber of soldier graves black. white.
American and Spanish indiscriminatcly. Then
An officer OF one Of tn" immune reRiments. q
hard and clustering man. whose ovcroearing
manner hnh brought upon him the cordial
hatred oil his command, died of fever during
the hot DAYS OF last Septem Der. A sergeant
OF his company. who had been nl-treated by
him. announced his intention Of detliing the
grave, and one morning went forth for that
purpose: Tho following day n soldier, who
had made a trip to the trenches Ia search Of
curios. burst into the camp with the ~suraris-
Ing m that some one had been deco
rating the deceased Captains grave with wild
flowers and palms. All eyes were turned to-
10, question him. but he was CURLY checked
with the reply:
He's dead, ulu't hef'