Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-04-12
Return Of the Fifth Cavalry.
Written I'm tic Beacon

southern seaports. during the sum-
mer of 1898.
And though it is nothing new to
see the streets here filled with SOL
diers. yet each returning troop of
cavalry or detachment Of infantry
from Cuba and Porto Rico excites
renewed interest. Sdch was the
case Thursday when the Transport
Fitzpatrick steamed up Hampton
Roads and dropped anchor oppo-
site our city, having aboard Troops
A. B. g. aud D. of the United
States Cavalry, who have seen ac-
tive service 10 Porto Rico since the
outbreak OF the Spanish American
War.
La few moments the transport
was brought in to one OF the Ches-
apeake & Ohio Piers and prepare.
tons were made to land the cavalry
men and their equipments. 1t was
then / had the privilege OF living
over again, as it were, the life of a
soldier and after ali there is some
thing fascinating shout it, for as
those sturdy, weather-be beaten, brown
skinned, but brave Young fellows,
marched off that lranspoFtaud we're
surrounded by an enthusiastic
crowd eager to welcome them back
aud ask all manners Of questions
concerning their service ia the trop
les, IL carried me back to that mem.
orable spring Of 1898, when thous-
ands Of troops were rushing sopth,
aud the cry all along the line was,
on to Cuba, on TO Cuba Their
one desire, their whole nature was
bent upon one object, the tearing
doEn Of the Spanish flag aud the
raising Of the stars and stripes over
old MORO. That accomplished,
they considered their dutg done,
they had no dcsjre, no intention OF
spending months and years on those
Islands doing garrison duty aud
suppresslug the poor natives whom
they went there 10 free. So We
marvel not at their delight in get
ting back TO the States.
ia talking with these cavalry
men, the one opinion tbeY Oh bad
concerning Porto Rico was, "No
more Porto Rico for me" But, !
said, it is q beautiful place, isn'tit2
On, yes, one replied, but Il is those
terrible storms aud the scarcity Of
money and food
Then they told Of Chat awful tor
aajo that swept the island last
August killing hundreds Of
people, destroying Thousands Of
dollars In property aud rendering
thousands Of he natives homeless
and destltute, many Of whom are
still dependent on our government
for did, And ne these returning
cayalrymeu say, 80 long as Uncle
sam continues to feed them, jusl
so long will they 20 without work,
preierriug to beg rather than 60
back to the filling Of their land.
a peculiar characteristic Of the
American soldier was clearly mani.
feat among among these troops, 10
their love Of mascots, the most
prominent being the dogs, no less
than six were counted, all very
small and seemed to be entirely
different from our American dogs.
Two beautiful Porto Ricau cats
were also seen; next, little game
rooster which created some excite
ment as be stood Growing upon the
shoulder Of bis proud owner. Then
there was the Porto RieLn opossum
aud the chief Of all mascots, the
goat, which looked as though bis
chief diet might have been brown
paper and tin cans on the way over.
But what excited the most interest
was a little Porto Rican boy about
six years Of age, stout little fellow
with black hair and dark brown
skin, who seemed only too glad to
come here as a mascos. The little
fellow was under the protection OF
Troop @. aud went with them to
Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
II was my privilege to eat supper
with troop q, consisting of a cup
OF black coffee and a cold corn beef
sandwich which the cayalrymen