The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-28


the density of the graves. served as an IN
deniable evidence of the mortality at that
particular point AT the foot and on the
slope of San Juan hill they were sown as
thickly as tenants in the Gods acre of a
populous city.
BY permission of the American govern
ment disinterring has been carried on In a
more or less desuitory fashion since last
September. Despite the fact that disturb
ance of graves in semi-tropical countries
Ike Cuba is strictly forbidden within i've
years from date Of burial friends and un-
dertakers fiocked to the Santiago battle
field. armed with permits from the war
department at Washington, and removed
a number OF bodies.
1t was only through the strenuous ef-
forts of Gen. Leonard Wood that yellow
fever victims were left undsturbed. In
one case an undertaken from a Maine
town insisted on disinterring> an officer
who had died of yellow fever and he
yielded only TO force.
The hasty method of burial followed
during the excitement after the siege nat
urally led to wrong identification in many
cases. When convenient a bottle contain
ing a paper bearing the name, regiment
and company of the deceased, was buried
with him. Rude boards upon which were
painted similar information, were planted
at the heals of the mounds, but despite
these precautions, the identity of the SOL
der often remained problematical.
When dele cation of Spanish officials
revisited Santiago for the purpose of re-
moving the remains of the brave defender
OF Ell Caney, Gen. Vera del Rey, they ex
perienced great difficulty in finding the
grave. They were led by a Cuban guide
to mound in the vicinity of the block
frtA A., AZ al
TO view Tie bones of an army mule. 1t
was a despicab,e slur and insult cast up
on the memory of gallant warrior by ma
tives. whose sense of refinement is nota-
bly, absent.
In strong contrast to this is the pathetic
sympathy felt by the living soldiers
around Santiago for their comrades In
the trenches There are very few graves
on the battlefield that have not been the
object of tender care. Decoration day has
lasted many long months in that part of
Cuba.
A BIT of Individual Decoration
This sympathy has been manifested in
strange ways and in unexpected quarters
Last October a negro teamster was dis
charged from the service in Santiago as
incorrigible. He was a native of South
Carolina, and was a peculiarly vicious
specimen of a vicious class. He had been
arrested and punished so many times with.
out effect that his dismissal was finally
ordered
He was paid off-a poor little sum--and
given pass on transport to the United
States. Sailing day this depraved negro
visited all the shops in Santiago and, buy
ing as many American flags as his money
permitted, went out to the trenches and
decorated a number of soldier graves -
black, white, American and Spanish in
discriminatory. Then he returned to his
evil ways.
An officer of one of the immune reel-
ments, hard and clustering man, whose
overbearing manner had brought upon him
the cordial hatred of his command died
of fever during the hot days of last
September A sergeant of his company,
who had been iil-treated by him, announc-
ed his intention of dehling the grave, and,
one morning, went forth for that purpose.
The following day q soldier, who had made
trip to the trenches in search of curios
burst into the camp with the surprising
information that some had been decorat-
ing the deceased captains grave with wild
flowers and palms.
All eyes were turned toward the SER
geant, and one of the men started to ques-
ton him, but he was CURLY checked with
the reply: WAS it me? OF course / am
no d-n heather. He's dead, amt he?"
Those of us at home who still have
friends or relatives under ground down
there need have no fear that Memorial
day will pass without observance That
duty can safely be left to the living SOL
diers. And it will be performed with
heartfelt sympathy and tender care