Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-11
FOR SANTIAGO DAY
BIG REUNION OF DISTRICT BEING
PLANNED.
Arrangements Made for Celebration by
Company COMPANY A Wet
Night Plans.

There is a well-defined movement on foot
among the veterans Of the list District of
Columbia Volunteer Regiment to celebrate
the surrender of Santiago de Cuba, which
occurred Sunday, July H. 1898, and in which
the soldiers from this city participa ted.
That event will never be forgotten by those
who witnessed this great military trans
formation of authority handed to American
forces by the Spanish general, Toral, to
Gen. Shafter. Every regiment in the prov
ince of Santiago at that time was lined up
and presented sight that will hardly again
be witnessed by this generation. 1t has
been seven years since the surrender took
place, and thus far it has never been taken
note of by the soldiers of this city. This
year, however, If the plans Of the members
Of Company c, National Fencibles, LIST Dis
trict of Columbia Volunteers. are success
fully carried out, Washington will have for
the first time Santiago day. Messrs. John
Lewis Smith, Jeremiah A. Costello, William
A. Hickey, Sergt. ]. C. Stott and Daniel A.
Conway, representing the above company,
are rounding up their comrades for grand
reunion, in celebration of WET Night" and
the fall of Santiago jointly, July IL A
meeting of the company will be held on
Saturday night at Spanish War Veteran
Hall. 10 9Th street northwest, when all ar
rangements will be made for the gathering
next Monday night
Origin Of Wet Night.
On Sunday, July 10, 1893. the District
regiment arrived in Altares, Cuba, on
board the transport Catania. They disem-
barked about o'clock in the afternoon and
Immediately started for the firing line.
They marched through the bamboo thick
cts and jungles on their way to the front
till about 10 o'clock, when they camped
for the night at Las Guasimas, and posted
SPnfrfPS. s I
took up their march toward San Juan HILL
where they arrived about o'clock in the
afternoon. And no sooner had they been
assigned a place for camp on San Juan
than a heavy tropical storm arose. the
like of which had not been seen in the
province of Santiago for years. The boys
were without food or shelter and had to
bunk on terra frma all night in the
drenching rain. The next day it rained
as bad. This night was known from camp
to camp miles around the old city as wet
night" and ever since the night is cele-
brated In some sort of fashion by those
who were in Cuba on that eventful oc-
casion.
Hold Reunion.
Each July IL the Emmett Guards, Com
pany A, LIST d. G. Volunteers, have had a
reunion. This is the only company that has
celebrated wet night regularly each July
IL, and tonight the members will meet in
annual reunion at Sullivans Club house on
the Bladensburg road and good old time
Is In store for all who may be present. In
vitations have been sent out by Chairman
Gwynne to each member of the company
IN the city Of Washington. and from what
Mr.. Gwynne says this years reunion Will
eclipse all former gatherings. The EN-
NETS were considered one of the best COM
panies in the regiment, and did some hard
work in the Cuban campaign. Captain
Harry Walsh and Lieut.. G. j. Harlow, Of
hcers OF the company, are residents of this
city and will, 1t is Said attend the reunion.
Lieut. Richard Hardin died shortly after
the company arrived in Cuba, and is buried
In Arlington, and his comrades of "a
Company have erected a beautiful monu-
ment over his grave
Mr.. William A. Hickey, one of the mem
bers of the committee who is arranging for
the Santiago anniversary, said today that
he saw no reason why. in the Capital city
of the nation that freed Cuba, there should
not be each year a commendable ami
versary reunion. What Is the matter with
the LIST District of Columbia Volunteers
planning a grand reunion for 1906, he said
1T can be done, and all that is necessary is
for few to start the scheme