Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-19
Superiors Praise Work
Of Lieut.. MiChaeIiS.
Brave Officer Mapping the
TrackIeSs Cuban WiIdS.
Augusta Friends Watching Ills
Army Career With Interest.

The pIa:tsburc, Press of PlattSDurS,
y. Y, spcaks in glowing terms OF the
work performed in The swamps of Cuba
by Lieut.. q. T., MichaeIis, son of Major
9. r. Michaclis, who was formerly COM
mandcr of the L. 5. arsenal in this
citv in the time OF his death.
Lieut.. Michaclis has had splendid
military record. In the Philippines he
served under McGlynn in the famous
.heIl roaring compaiSn," and elsewhere
he served with equal distinction. Lieut..
Michaelis has mtny friends in Augusta
and vicinity, VINO are watching his
career with interest. The PlaltsburS
Press says:
-1sieut Q. L. Michaelis, 10th Infantry,
who is on duty in Cuba with the 5th
Infantry, recently completed a tour IF
duty irtthc swamrs Ut Clcnaga de IA
pata Occidental, the largest swamp on
the island. In this work he was as
sisted by Sergeant Lucas and Private
Lewis, Company I, Privatcs McIlvan:
and Campbell, Company *, Private
Williams, Company l., and Private
Bec<with, Company E, 5th Infantry.
During the work Lieut.. Michaelis
and his party had two exciting expert
y al
Eoon about three and a half miles long
and two miles wide their boat went to
PIECES. and had it not lccu for Ser
Geant Lucas and McIlvainc. Lieut..
Mi"harli& would have been drowned.
They were in the water for IN hour
and = half swimming through grass
and pond lilies, and all had close
shave for their lives In the second OK
\.
water in the Rio IIaliguanica by a
crocodile nine feet long. but fortunatci,
p member of the party hit the crocod'l"
with his machcttc and drove him off
into shallow water where he was shot
by Sergeant Lucas. The feelings of
every member of the party as they
swan across the river, which was filicd
with crOCodilcs can hardly u" realized.
Lieut.. Iichaclis is now with head
quarters of the Army Of Pacifiration
and will soon he sent To map the swamp
of Cienaga de Tapata Oriental, which
has never been penetrated by an Amer
lean. That Lieut.. Michaciis' work in
the swamp of ti"naGI ii" Iapata OcCi-
dental is appreciated by his superior
officers is shown by the borrowing OIL
Cial orders:
Headquarters Army Of Cuban Parifica-
ton, Office of the chief Engineer,
Havana. Cuba. june "A, 1907.
Col. Calvin ID. CoWics. Commanding
9Th Infantry, l.. s. Army, rardenaS.
cuba: CThrough Military ChannelS):
toloncI.--I desire to express my ap-
probation of tho arduous work done.
often at :,r"ta risk, by Lieutenant otto
T.. Mirhn"li%. 18th Infantry. in the q
cnaga Occidental. This officers with n
small party has penetrated this swamp
aInm" every trail entering il, has 10
Gated every camp sit" and spring with
in its limits used by either SpaniardS
or CuhanS. gathered much information
ami submitted q most valuable map of
the lnralitY.
Aside from tn" material Valu" of his
work, The moral effect on-th" inhahlt-
ants of a United states officer visiting
thc@c retreats supposed by tho native
population To he inaccessible to Amcri-
cans. has undoubtedly been most bcnc-
fetal Lieutenant Micha"liS and tn" en-
listed men with him deserves every
credit for the energy ard ability shown
in this wor.
Very respectfully,
w. G. LANCFITT.
Major, Corps of Engineers,
Chief Engineer.