adventures and letters-第44节

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Isn't　that　a　pitiable　situation　when　a　captain　of　an　English　company　happens　to　stray　into　the　war　office；　and　happens　to　have　a　good　heart　and　busies　himself　to　see　that　our　own　men　are　supplied　with　hammocks　and　spending　money。　　None　of　our　officers　had　ever　seen　khaki　until　they　saw　Lee's；　nor　a　cork　helmet　until　they　saw　mine　and　his；　now；　naturally；　they　won't　have　anything　else；　and　there　is　not　another　one　in　the　country。　　The　helmets　our　troops　wear　would　be　smashed　in　one　tropical　storm；　and　they　are　so　light　that　the　sun　beats　through　them。　　They　are　also　a　glaring　white；　and　are　cheap　and　nasty　and　made　of　pasteboard。　　The　felt　hats　are　just　as　bad；　the　brim　is　not　broad　enough　to　protect　them　from　the　sun　or　to　keep　the　rain　off　their　necks；　and　they　are　made　of　such　cheap　cotton　stuff　that　they　grow　hard　when　they　are　wet　and　heavy；　instead　of　shedding　the　rain　as　good　felt　would　do。　　They　have　always　urged　that　our　uniforms；　though　not　smart　nor　〃for　show；〃　were　for　use。　　The　truth　is；　as　they　all　admit；　that　for　the　tropics　they　are　worse　than　useless；　and　that　in　any　climate　they　are　cheap　and　poor。

I　could　go　on　for　pages；　but　it　has　to　be　written　later；　now　they　would　only　think　it　was　an　attack　on　the　army。　　But　it　is　sickening　to　see　men　being　sacrificed　as　these　men　will　be。　　This　is　the　worst　season　of　all　in　the　Philippines。　　The　season　of　typhoons　and　rainstorms　and　hurricanes；　and　they　would　have　sent　the　men　off　without　anything　to　sleep　on　but　the　wet　ground　and　a　wet　blanket。　　It　has　been　a　great　lesson　for　me；　and　I　have　rubber　tents；　rubber　blankets；　rubber　coats　and　hammocks　enough　for　an　army　corps。　　I　have　written　nothing　for　the　paper；　because；　if　I　started　to　tell　the　truth　at　all；　it　would　do　no　good；　and　it　would　open　up　a　hell　of　an　outcry　from　all　the　families　of　the　boys　who　have　volunteered。　　Of　course；　the　only　answer　is　a　standing　army　of　a　hundred　thousand；　and　no　more　calling　on　the　patriotism　of　men　unfitted　and　untrained。　　It　is　the　sacrifice　of　the　innocents。　　The　incompetence　and；　unreadiness　of　the　French　in　1870　was　no　worse　than　our　own　is　now。　　It　is　a　terrible　and　pathetic　spectacle；　and　the　readiness　of　the　volunteers　to　be　sacrificed　is　all　the　more　pathetic。　　It　seems　almost　providential　that　we　had　this　false…alarm　call　with　Spain　to　show　the　people　how　utterly　helpless　they　are。

love；

DICK。


TAMPA；　June　9th；　1898。

Well；　here　we　are　again。　　Talk　of　the　〃Retreat　from　Ottawa〃　I've　retreated　more　in　this　war　than　the　Greeks　did。　　If　they　don't　brace　up　soon；　I'll　go　North　and　refuse　to　〃recognize〃　the　war。　　I　feel　I　deserve　a　pension　and　a　medal　as　it　is。　　We　had　everything　on　board　and　our　cabins　assigned　us　and　our　〃war　kits〃　in　which　we　set　forth　taken　off；　and　were　in　yachting　flannels　ready　for　the　five　days　cruise。　　I　had　the　devil　of　a　time　getting　out　to　the　flagship；　as　they　call　the　headquarters　boat。　　I　went　out　early　in　the　morning　of　the　night　when　I　last　wrote　you。　　I　stayed　up　all　that　night　watching　troops　arrive　and　lending　a　helping　hand　and　a　word　of　cheer　to　dispirited　mules　and　men；　also　segars　and　cool　drinks；　none　of　them　had　had　food　for　twenty…four　hours　and　the　yellow　Florida　people　having　robbed　them　all　day　had　shut　up　and　wouldn't　open　their　miserable　shops。　　They　even　put　sentries　over　the　drinking　water　of　the　express　company　which　is　only　making　about　a　million　a　day　out　of　the　soldiers。　　So　their　soldiers　slept　along　the　platform　and　trucks　rolled　by　them　all　night；　shaking　the　boards　on　which　they　lay　by　an　inch　or　two。　　About　four　we　heard　that　Shafter　was　coming　and　an　officer　arrived　to　have　his　luggage　placed　on　the　Seguranca。　　I　left　them　all　on　the　pier　carrying　their　own　baggage　and　sweating　and　dripping　and　no　one　having　slept。　　Their　special　train　had　been　three　hours　in　coming　nine　miles。　　I　hired　a　small　boat　and　went　off　to　the　flagship　alone　but　the　small　boat　began　to　leak　and　I　bailed　and　the　colored　boy　pulled　and　the　men　on　the　transports　cheered　us　on。　　Just　at　the　sinking　point　I　hailed　a　catboat　and　we　transferred　the　Admiral's　flag　to　her　and　also　my　luggage。　　The　rest　of　the　day　we　spent　on　the　transport。　　We　left　it　this　morning。　　Some　are　still　on　it　but　as　they　are　unloading　all　the　horses　and　mules　from　the　other　transports　fifteen　having　died　from　the　heat　below　deck　and　as　they　cannot　put　them　on　again　under　a　day；　I　am　up　here　to　get　cool　and　to　stretch　my　legs。　　The　transport　is　all　right　if　it　were　not　so　awfully　crowded。　　I　am　glad　I　held　out　to　go　with　the　Headquarter　staff。　　I　would　have　died　on　the　regular　press　boat；　as　it　is　the　men　are　interesting　on　our　boat。　　We　have　all　the　military　attaches　and　Lee；　Remington；　Whitney　and　Bonsal。　　The　reason　we　did　not　go　was　because　last　night　the　Eagle　and　Resolute　saw　two　Spanish　cruisers　and　two　torpedo　boats　laying　for　us　outside；　only　five　miles　away。　　What　they　need　with　fourteen　ships　of　war　to　guard　a　bottled　up　fleet　and　by　leaving　twenty…six　transports　some　of　them　with　1；400　men　on　them　without　any　protection　but　a　small　cruiser　and　one　gun　boat　is　beyond　me。　　The　whole　thing　is　beyond　me。　　It　is　the　most　awful　picnic　that　ever　happened；　you　wouldn't　credit　the　mistakes　that　are　made。　　It　is　worse　than　the　French　at　Sedan　a　million　times。　　We　are　just　amateurs　at　war　and　about　like　the　Indians　Columbus　discovered。　　I　am　exceedingly　pleased　with　myself　at　taking　it　so　good　naturedly。　　I　would　have　thought　I　would　have　gone　mad　or　gone　home　long　ago。　　Bonsal　and　Remington　threaten　to　go　every　minute。　　Miles　tells　me　we　shall　have　to　wait　until　those　cruisers　are　located　or　bottled　up。　　I'm　tired　of　bottling　up　fleets。　　I　like　the　way　Dewey　bottles　them。　　What　a　story　that　would　have　made。　　Twenty…six　transports　with　as　many　thousand　men　sunk　five　miles　out　and　two…thirds　of　them　drowned。　　Remember　the　Maine　indeed！　they'd　better　remember　the　Main　and　brace　up。　　If　we　wait　until　they　catch　those　boats　I　may　be　here　for　another　month　as　we　cannot　dare　go　away　for　long　or　far。　　If　we　decide　to　go　with　a　convoy　which　is　what　we　ought　to　do；　we　may　start　in　a　day　or　two。　　Nothing　you　read　in　the　papers　is　correct。　　Did　I　tell　you　that　Miles　sent　Dorst　after　me　the　other　night　and　made　me　a　long　speech；　saying　he　thought　I　had　done　so　well　in　refusing　the　commission。　　I　was　glad　he　felt　that　way　about　it。　　Well；　lots　of　love。　　I'm　now　going　to　take　a　bath。　　God　bless　you；　this　is　a　〃merry　war。〃

RICHARD。


In　sight　of　Santiago　June　26th；　1898。　DEAR　CHAS。：

We　have　come　to　a　halt　here　in　a　camp　along　the　trail　to　Santiago。　　You　can　see　it　by　climbing　a　hill。　　Instead　of　which　I　am　now　sitting　by　a　fine　stream　on　a　cool　rock。　　I　have　discovered　that　you　really　enjoy　things　more　when　you　are　not　getting　many　comforts　than　you　do　when　you　have　all　you　want。　　That　sounds　dull　but　it　is　most　consoling。　　I　had　a　bath　this　morning　in　these　rocks　that　I　would　not　have　given　up　for　all　the　good　dinners　I　ever　had　at　the　Waldorf；　or　the　Savoy。　　It　just　went　up　and　down　my　spine　and　sent　thrills　all　over　me。　　It　is　most　interesting　now　and　all　the　troubles　of　the　dull　days　of　waiting　at　Tampa　and　that　awful　time　on　the　troopship　are　over。　　The　army　is　stretched　out　along　the　trail　from　the　coast　for　six　miles。　　Santiago　lies　about　five　miles　ahead　of　us。　　I　am　very　happy　and　content　and　the　book　for　Scribners　ought　to　be　an　interesting　one。　　It　is　really　very　hard　that　my　despatches　are　limited　to　100　words　for　there　are　lots　of　chances。　　The　fault　lies　with　the　army　people　at　Washington；　who　give　credentials　to　any　one　who　asks。　　To　The　Independent　and　other　periodicalsin　no　sense　newspapers；　and　they　give　seven　to　one　paper；　consequently　we　as　a　class　are　a　pest　to　the　officers　and　to　each　other。　　Fortunately；　the　survival　of　the　fittest　is　the　test　and　only　the　best　men　in　every　sense　get　to　the　front。　　There　are　fifty　others　at　the　base　who　keep　the　wire　loaded　with　rumors；　so　when　after　great　difficulty　we　get　the　correct　news　back　to　Daiquire　a　Siboney　there　is　no　room　for　it。　　Some　of　the　〃war　correspondents〃　have　absolutely　nothing　but　the　clothes　they　stand　in；　and　the　others　had　to　take　up　subscriptions　for　them。　　They　gambled　all　the　time　on　the　transports　and　are　ensconced　now　at　the　base　with　cards　and　counters　and　nothing　else。　　Whitney　has　turned　out　great　at　the　work　and　I　am　glad　he　is　not　on　a　daily　paper　or　he　would　share　everything　with　me。　　John　Fox；　Whitney　and　I　are　living　on　Wood's　rough　riders。　　We　are　very　welcome　and　Roosevelt　has　us　at　　Headquarters　but；　of　course；　we　see　the　men　we　know　all　the　time。　You　get　more　news　with　the　other　regiments　but　the　　officers；　even　the　Generals；　are　such　narrow　minded　slipshod　men　that　we　only　visit　them　to　pick　up　information。　　Whitney　and　I　were　the　only　correspondents　that　saw　the　fight　at　Guasimas。　　He　was　with　the　regulars　but　I　had　the　luck　to　be　with　Roosevelt。　　He　is　sore　but　still　he　saw　more　than　any　one　else　and　is　proportionally　happy。　　Still　he　naturally　would　have　liked　to　have　been　with　our　push。　　We　were　within　thirty　yards　of　the　Spaniards　and　his　crowd　were　not　nearer　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　which　was　near　enough　as　they　had　nearly　as　many　killed。　　Gen。　Chaffee　told　me　to…day　th