The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-22
WOULD SOON BE CIVIL WAR.
IF THE UNITED STATES TROOPS
WE'RE NOT IN CUBA.

Mai. Hugh II. Gordon of the VOlun-
teer Engineers Has Been Mustered
Out and Arrived ON the Thomas.
His Experiences IN Cuba Were
Interesting-Had n Talk With GEN.
Gomez, Who Wants His Grievances
Left to the PeOpIe-Five or Six
Americans Put a Mob to Rout.
Maj. Hugh a. Gordon Of the Corps of
Volunteer Engineers arrived from Cuba
yesterday, and left last night for Atlanta.
He came on the transport Thomas with
the Two Hundred and Second New York.
He was in a hurry to get home and Sc
cured a special dispensation from the quar-
antine officers. He had to leave his bag
gage and personal effects at the station to
be disinfected, and they will be shipped to
him later, but he was permitted to come
into the city, provided he would agree to
take the first train for his destination.
Maj. Gordon is a son of Gen. John B.
Gordon. He lives with the general at the
farm at Reynolds, and is now to doff his
uniform for the modest garb of a planter.
His service has been as an engineer Of
hcer of the Seventh Army Corps. While
the headquarters of the corps were at Sa-
vannah Maj. Gordon was here, and was
one of the prominent figures about the De
Soto. He has been mustered out of the
service.
Cuban conditions are talked of interest
ingly by Maj. Gordon. He says a senti-
ment is just becoming perceptble among
the people in favor of the United States
granting them the privilege of forming
some sort of government OF their own.
In no turbulent manner is this sen timent
shown, but from conversations with Gu
bans it can be judged that they believe the
time has come when they should be per-
mitted 10 try their own hand at governing
The controversy between Gomez and the
Cuban assembly is still fresh in the
thoughts of the Cubans Maj, Gordon met
Gen Gomez and had a talk with him after
the action of the assembly when it re-
pudiated his trade with the United States
for 100000 for the army. Gen. Gomez
told him he intended to sit steady in the
boat and let things rock along as best
they might. He said he would like to have
the matter submitted to the people of the
island for them to judge the right. He
was certain they would sustain him
against the assembly in the arrangements
he had made with this government
The idea of the Cuban general as I'M
folded to Mai. Gordon, was to have each
community elect a representative, who
would speak for all of his constituents.
Nothing has been done about the matter,
however and to Americans on the Island
1t seems absurd that the old man could be
thinking of having an election for no other
| purpose than having the people pronounce
| upon a matter purely personal between
himself and the assembly. Maj. Gordon
believes the people are about evenly di-
vided in their way of looking at the thing.
| and the assembly has about as many
friends as the general. Many believe Co
mez a sort of fraud, with no patriotism
| and but little capacity for the leadership
of men, while others admire and extol him.
Mai. Gordon believes there would be civil
war in less than sixty days if the United
| States troops were not in the island.
The civic parades in honor of the gem
| eral were witnessed by Maj Gordon. Or
ders had been given the civil governor a
friend of the assembly, against the pa
| rades, but Gen. Ludlow saw no reason why
they should not be held If those who par
ticipatcd conducted themselves in an or
derby manner. Some of the police inter-
fered with one of the parades Maj. Gordon
watched but 1t was half-hearted and one
other was being held up in controversy.
There would be wrangling, shouting ges-
ticulations, a torrent of Spanish denun-
citation and an outpour of vituperation, but
no fighting. There was a little at one
place, and there were about 1000 people
crowded about, but five or six American
soldiers. under command of an officer,
appeared on a run with fixed bayonets.
and the crowd and the combatants scat
tered like chaff.
Four ladies came over on the Thomas.
They are wives of officers. and are to
either await the coming of their husbands
here or are to proceed on their way home
those who came were Mrs. William B.
Black, whose husband is chief engineer
on the staff OF Gen. Ludlow; Mrs. Car
baugh, whose husband is a lieutenant col
onel and judge advocate on the staff of
Gen. Wood, in the province of Santiago;
Mrs. John Gary Evans, whose husband,
Mai Evans, we'll known 10 Savannah, has
been relieved from duty as inspector gen.
eral of the First Division of the Seventh
Army Corps, and is now serving on Gen.
IudIows staff as judge of one of the
criminal courts of Havana; and Mrs. S.
s. Jordan, wife of lieutenant of the Sec
ond Artillery.
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