Jewels from Jane - March 7
MARCH 7
Matanzas, Cuba
March 7, 1899
Dear Rev. Mother [Agatha Guthrie]:
A few lines today to say we are getting along nicely and Sr. Rudolph [Meyers] is better. Sr. Delphine [Dillon] has rheumatism in her limbs but keeps up and attends to her duties. I think the trouble is we are all getting homesick like the soldiers. Every day there are rumors of every size. By the last of March the regiments will know when they will be mustered out. Rumor has it that the 12th New York will be retained. But it will be a hard matter to hold them as they are all disgusted with their officers and the Army. As long as peace is proclaimed they want to go home. Our sick patients are doing nicely, thank God. The number is increasing. The Hospital Ship will be in in a few days and take the sickest patients on board. The officials are trying their very best to keep Typhoid Fever down. All the patients that have any symptom of Typhoid they are put on board and taken out to sea. Some went on the Steamer to New York. Those men who were strong enough came back to their regiments. Archbishop Chappell came Wednesday at 3 p.m. and took the morning train to Havana. Father Bader said he is going very slowly. Would say nothing definite until he would return. It is quite cool today. It is very refreshing after so much heat. I hope you have had no severe cold weather. We are coming close to the rainy days in Cuba. I am anxious to see the rainy season. The Major has cleaned the Sisters of Charity's Hospital for them, built outhouses, erected tents, each tent holding ten patients. When the patients were moved to their new quarters and the poor soldiers were so pleased to fix for them everything nice. One of the Sisters came to the Major and said to him in Spanish to send some one down to take care of the patients for them. The Major was quite disgusted with the Sister, so much so he jumped in his saddle and rode away. He told me he had hauled 100 loads of dirt out of their back yard. It is no wonder the patients die there if they are so careless about the sick. Love to you and all the Sisters. Thank you for papers and Ave Maria's.
Yours affectionately,
Sr. Liguori [McNamara]
Spanish-American War correspondence
