Wayne County, NC GenWeb

Camp Cuba Libre Jacksonville, Fla. Co. B 1st Reg. N.C.V. June 12, 1898

Dear Argus: We do not know whose time it is to write to you, and as volunteers are needed again, and I am in the habit of such, here goes.

Since your paper first came, the camp has grown to be quite a city. Troops come in every day or two. The majority of them are well equiped, but all are like the North Carolina boys in one respect: they have that "gone expression," and there is but one thing that could possibly correct it, and until that cause is remedied, a great many will continue to wear that "gone" appearance. Our dear Uncle Sam has forgotten to pay us.

The boys of North Carolina were given shoes, etc. today. Some looked pleased with their new "brogs," while others wanted to don their bare feet until pay day. It was amusing to see Tom Slocumb, Frank Freeman and Paul Hutton after getting their brogans. They looked down on their newly dressed pedal appendages with an admiring air that would cause desertion to be a thing of the past. Capt. Bain's and mine will be in some time to-morrow.

Sunday, some of our boys went out to the beach. Among the wonderful discoveries was a life preserver found by Lieut. Guiick. It was of special interest on account of being one belonging to the fillibustering boat "The Tree Friends." It was too large to bring back whole, so the Lieutenant cut off a souvenir. Several of the boys have pieces for "luck," I guess they will use it in place of a North Carolina rabbit's foot.

Some people would think the Goldsboro company was a company of regulars now. They are decidedly the best drilled, and can stand more than any other company in the regiment. It is a source of much displeasure to us to know of the deserters from our ranks, but believe that after the court martial gets through with some already captured, they will realize then that desertion is of the same class of murder, at least the punishment is death. This will stop it.

The two Wiggs boys were caught near Savannah this morning, and that good, true soldier Sergeant W.G. Lewis, Jr., with private F.M. Watson went on the noon train with hand cuffs etc. to bring them in. Sgt. Jim Baker says: "I tell you, whenever a piece-of-a-man sees so many soldiers, so many guns and so much ammunition it causes him to kind of droop all up, then the next thing you know - he's gone." He pointed out several of the "drooping" kind as the boys from different companies passed. Jim is a good soldier, too.

General Lee reviewed the North Carolina regiment at dress parade Sunday afternoon. It was his first appearance in an official capacity, so North Carolina is honored again. It was a time; after the companies had been dismissed, there was a continuous cheering so long as he was visible.

This little extract is taken from a beautiful piece of poetry written by our devoted friend Sgt. Fred McDonald. Any one wishing a copy may enclose $1.00 to the author and receive it by return mail with his thanks and with the thanks of every man in the company. Money orders will do.

Besides rain and hot sun, we have at night whip-poor-wills and some charming owls, who howl all night. The nicest point about the owl is that he takes his position in a tall tree near the hospital. This accounts for the wonderfully small amount of sickness in camp. One of our men, whose name we will withhold, became suddenly ill yesterday morning just before drill; so went to the hospital. This morning he was well. I was surprised, so asked him how it was. He simply replied that he'd rather drill all the time than spend five minutes in the hospital when that -- owl was around. He hasn't seen the joke yet. I think Dr. Wilder has trained nurses and owls, too.

Colonel Armfield is a fine man, and a soldier every inch, and I might add, for the interest of the girls, is single. He is very good to every man in his regiment and especially so to Company B. If there is an opening for special duty, he sends to Company B for a man. Today we have quite a number doing extra for the Colonel.

The boys are anxious to go to Cuba now, and are expecting to leave just as soon as they get over their vaccination. By the way, Sgt. P.C. Hutton, as a special detail at the hospital, vaccinated about 400 men. Paul is all right, too. He has been appointed as the representative from our company in the recruiting corps, to go to N.C. in a few days. I hope he will go to Goldsboro before returning, so he can tell the home people how it is here.

Soldiers are always too tired to write; then another thing, talk is cheaper than stationery.

Send the Argus every day, we like to hear from home. Come down and spend Sunday sometime, invite a few others, too, and bring your meals. We have plenty of good water to drink.

Yours truly,
L.D. Giddens, Jr.

"I shall never forget the day his body arrived. We lived, as I have said, within a few hundred yards of the Potts' burying ground, so the family had gathered at our house to wait for the arrival of the funeral cortege. When it arrived, it was accompanied by two soldiers in uniform, who stood guard over the flag draped casket; this proved to be fortunate, for there were one or two in the family who thought the casket should be opened, as aunt Mary, in her deep grief, had expressed her desire to see her boy. When it looked like the Army would lose the battle, and was ready to give in to the request, the soldiers told the women and children to leave the cemetery so that they would not be exposed to the dreaded plague yellow fever. This seemed to be more effective than the orders not to open the casket had been, so it was not opened. Newman Potts Jones was laid to rest to become a family hero of the Spanish American War." From Jennie Jones, his first cousin.