The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
YANKEE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.
Joined the Foreign Legion In Cuba for
Various Reasons.

The greatest old boy Of the Foreign
Legion in Cuba, says the correspondent for
Hdrrer's Weekly, Is Capt. f. b. Webster, an
elderly Yankee from Litchfield, Conn.,, the
country Of robust onions and still more
robust men.
The cap'n would rather eat than fight,
but, as it is often necessary TO eat-well.
pshaw! a man has to have the price, even
il he has to fight for il. And fighting in
Cuba Just now IL almost the best paying pro-
fession. He who lives by it can eat terrapIn
and ca~nvasback-if there are still such
things beyond this troubled land OF gar
banzos and papas frituras.
There is nothing Of the fire eater about
Webster. On the day after Col. Avalos
had driven Pine Guerra men out OF Con-
s~olacion the cap'n and l were chatting
remarked, Were going after en-
"Dern il ALI l hope not, said the cap'n
in his slow New England drawl. Here
we've peer cooped up in that blamed hot
train for thirty-siN hours, fighting day and
night, with mighty little to eat, and the
tired OF fighting. What l want is a long
sleep and a few good meals. But, say,
YOU ought to lave been there when l got
those charging rebels right on the trans
thew tumbled down OF their horses like q
pack o. cards. Here, Lieutenant, how
soon do we start?"
Cap'n Webster was a coasting skipper
sailing out of Yankee forts for many years.
He is heavy, stoOp shouldered and 'sot
He brought a few flibuster cargoes into
Cuba during the wal OF independence, and
at the age when most men take to golf ne
grew so fond OF fighting that he has never
game. He was United States Consul at
Cardenas for a while, but as soon as his
rebellion started he began to help organize
the Foreign Legion.
Capt. George Reno is a New. Yorker,
tall, slim, pale and bashful. He came
down here as a free lance war oorrespon-
dent ten years ago and acquired the fight
ing habit. He hasn't got his company
recruited yet, but when they do take the
feld the Azaldos had better look out:
Lieut.. Adolph Fittig was a gentle real
estate dealer in Havana until the war began.
Then he remembered with JOY the hne
times he had during his military service
in Germany a few years ago. Away to the
winds went the real estate business. and
the Herr Ober-L Lieutenant burst into bloom
Lieut.. Herbert Shockley is a small and
very cheerful young fighting man from
Philadelphia. When they organized the
Foreign Legion he smiled and said he be-
lieved he'd take a commission. When
he was firing a machine gun or. the roof
OF the armored car and a rebel Mauser
bullet went through his' leg he smiled
and said he believed lightning never struck
twice in the same place. l wanted 20
photograph him Gs soon as he had a little
| leisure after the battle. He smiled.
Better wait till i can stand up straight; ="
he advised. "A fellow hates to look sickly
in a picture.
The anRriest soldier Of fortune j ever
saw is Gilbert H. Carr. who came II great
haste all the way from West usfh street
New York, the MornIngside Heights dis
trict, TO take part In the game. zen.
TcvnaI AL Castillo made him a Captain
in the rebel fOrces-and then this truce
was declared.
sWouIdn't that irritate your Carr asked
me. sHow would you like to como all the
way down here 10 have a little inn: ana
then And them giving out rain ohect9!
n does seem a triie rough on Carr. he
IA a slender, fair skinned, blue eyed young
stsr who belongs in the second company
n The Twelfth Regiment, New York Ma
,ional Guard. when he's &C home. He
hsa fouRhe In South Africa and IN q lev
South American rsvolnsions-