The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-11

morning, dated Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
and over the signature of George Eugen
Bryson.
When the Cuban revolution began II
1895, Mr.. Bryson resigned his position
| with the Herald and accepted the posi-
ton as Cuban correspondent for the New
York Journal. Through the Journal h,
succeeded in bringing before the Amerl
| can people the true situation in Cuba an(
| to him, more than to any one man. IL
| due the credit for enlisting the sympa.
| thies of the people of the United States
for the struggling Cubans.
| Until General Maceo was killed, Brysor
was his most trusted and faithful lieu
| tenant. He was always by the Generals
side, and many times he has been com
| PEELED to send messages to his paper
| through the Spanish lines in order to gel
| them to the cable office. Bryson, though
member of Maceo's staff and a loyal
| Cuban patriot, had succeeded in secur-
| ing passes through all Spanish lines
| These passes were signed by General
| Weyler and given to Bryson as the New
| York Journal correspondent. Weyler was
not aware of the fact that he was the
| faithful lieutenant of Maceo. In fact, not
until the revolution was near a close
did the Captain General of Cuba discover
| that during the three years that Bryson
| had been going in and out of the Span
| sh lines at his pleasure. that he was a
| regular commissioned officer on the staff
| of the great Cuban General, Antonio
Maceo.
The late Amos Cummings was a warm
| friend of Bryson's, and just before his
death he related to me the following
very interesting story of Bryson's expe-
rience as a Cuban soldier.
General Maceo, accompanied by Mr..
Bryson and his staff, after long march
| reached the outskirts of the town of San
Louis by midnight The march had been
terrific, and horses and men were nearly
tagged With sparse supplies this pace
had been kept up for hours. The sun
had gone down and the moon was flood
ing the fronds of the palms with pale.
silvery light. and was half way down
the sky. Maceo sat upon his horse sur
veying the scene below him long and
silently The little town was aglow with
electric lights. and the whistles of loco
motives resounded in the valley. Over
three thousand Spanish troops were quar-
tered in the town. and their movements
were plainly discei nibde. Through al
field glass Maceo watched the stirring
scene. He turned the glass beyond the
town, and gazed through 1t patiently, be-
traying a trace of anxiety. Finally he
alighted and conferred with Colonel Miro,
his chief of staff A moment afterwards
came the order to dsmount. Three hum
dred troopers obeyed, and were about to
toll wb up
to attention A second order reached
their ears They were told to stand mo-
tionless with both feet on the ground,
and to await further orders with their
right hands on their saddles. In the
moonlight beneath the scattered palms
they stood as silent as if petriied.
Among them was Bryson He had join
ed the column just after the battle Of
Paralejo. In obedience to orders, he
stood with his arm over the back of his
horse, blinking at the enlivening scene
below him. Exhausted by the days
march, his eyes closed and he found it
impossible to keep awake A moment
later he fastened the bride to hit foot,
wrapped himself in his rubber coat plac-
cd his satchel under his head, and fell
asleep in the wet grass.
The adjutant soon awoke him, telling
him that he had better get up, as they
were going to have a fight. He thanked
the adjutant. who told him there were
over three thousand Spanish soldiers In
San Louis, and that it was surrounded
with fourteen blockhouses. The CORE
spondent soon curled himself on the grass
a second time and was in a sound slum-
ber when he was again aroused by the
adiutant, who told him he was in posi-
tive danger IL he persisted in disobeying
the order of General Maceo. A third time
his heavy eyeids closed, and he was in
q dead sleep, when startled by peremp-
tory shake Jesus Mascons. Maceo's sec
rotary, stood over him. Get up this
instant" said he. THE General wants
to see you Immediately
In a second Bryson was on his feet The
whistles were still blowing and the cleo
trio lights still glowing in the valley
and the moon was on the horizon. He
went forward in some trepidation, fancy
ing that the General was going to up
braid him for disobeying his orders. He
was surprised to find him very pleasant.
Maceo always spoke in low tone, as he
had been shot twice through the lungs.
care you not hungry" he asked.
mo" the correspondent replied, Won
dering what was in the wind
Il thought possibly you might want
something to eat" General Maceo said.
with a smile 81 have boiled egg here,
and / want to divide it with you" AS
he uttered these words he drew out his
machete and cut the egg straight through
the center. Passing half of it to the
correspondent he said: share it; it will
do you good" The newspaper man thank
ed the General and they ate the egg in
silence"
/ talked with Bryson about this after
wards and related what Mr.. Cummings
had told me. In speaking of the incident
he said: at reminded me of General
Marion's breakfast with a British Of
ficer ] had read the incident in Peter
Parley's history OF the Revolution, when
a school boy Marion raked baked
sweet potato out of the ashes of a camp
fire, and divided with his British guest"
Bryson said that he and the General were
both regretting the absence of salt while
eating the egg after munching the
egg we both sat for some time observing
the stirring scene in the valley below us.
The moon had gone down, but by the
glow of the electric lights we could see