Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-02
SOLDIER
Writes to His Many
Akron Friends.
Tells How the Troops We're Enter
tanned IhanksqivinQ.

tanned Thanksgiving.
Below is Il letter from one Of Akrons
soldiers in Cuba, describing Thanks
giving day in the army Three mem
Ders OF the troop mentioned are Akron
boys aud their Akron friends will be
pleased to see the letter ia p.1nt:
Placeta, Cuba, Dec. 20.--As Thanks.
giving is n legal holiday, the members
of Troops l. and were not forgattul
of that fact, ana insteau OF sitting
down to their government straight"
as the soldier vernacular has It, they,
through the goodness and thoughtful
spirit of their supe,fors, were seated to
meal which could not be surpassed
by all ailluence contained upon the Is-
land OF Cuba.
The soldiers are therefore unanimous
In extending their thanks to tleir con-
manding officers for making IL posi-.
BILE for the soldiers, though they are a
thousand miles from home,to feel once
more near home.
Troop l. was especially conspicuous
during the day. Troop l. is composed
Of boys, who In civil life were brought
up in the exercise of AL kinds Of ath-
letic games, and TO see them perform
upon different occasons Is enough to
convince an observer that they are a
very agile body OF men.
Captain John IL. Gardner, the COM
manding officer of Troop l., With the
assiduity of hero, was always seen
among his boys, assistant and deyising
means Of embellishing their dining
room of Cuban workmanship, which in
ITS original state, was plain hutroomy.
In the afternoon previous TO Thanks-
giving could be seen wagon loads of
palm leaves which III America would
amount to quite sum of money, but
which in Cuba may be gathered gratis,
by the wagon load, besides many other
wild flowers and vines.
After few hours laborand thinking
the dining room was converted into a
moral demonstration which surpassed
anything on the Island of Cuba.
ns,, a..
can cook anything from a potato to
carnival feast. After staying I'D
the two entire nights previous to
thanksgiving. Everything was pre-.
pared.
Thanksgiving morning was given
dp to base ball practice by the par.
Elephants of the game intended In
the afternoon upon our barrack
grounds. The game attracted very
large crowd of Cuban spectators.
At IL o'clock mess call sounded, at
Which time the grounds were
crowded with officers and their wives.
Instead of going to mess as usual,
we fell In columns of fours
and marched to our beauti.
fully decorated dining room, observ.
ant of etiquette, and with true sol.
dier's manners, which is always in.
dispensible to the American soldier
We were expecting a very good
meal, of course, but when our eyes
cested upon such n variety our sur.
prise knew no bounds
AS this kind of a meal is a rarety.
we expected to see fully one-third of
our comrades go to the hospital, but
happily only one of us had to 60.
At two o'clock the bali game com.
menced. Troop l. beat Troop
with score of II to 13. Troop L
feels particularly proud Of their vie.
tory, ms 1t has always been classed
as n ''rookey" troop, or sometimes
the kid" troop.
AS a matter of fact we surpassed
Troop I in everything that day--in
our dinner, decorations and games.
The evening was spent in singing
patriotic songs, in which the boys
showed themselves able singers.
After taps we went to our beds with
mingled thoughts of our days
pleasure and loved ones at home.
Troop l., 2nd U. s. Cav,