"Ships are going
to Key West daily." Then Chadwick repeated that he thought I had
better stay another day, and made a motion to me to do so. So I said I
would, and now I am waiting to see what is going to happen. Outside,
Chadwick told me that something in the way of an experience would
probably come off, so I have hopes. By this time, of course, you know
all about it. I shall finish this later.

We began bombarding Matanzas twenty minutes after I wrote the above.
It was great. I guess I got a beat, as The Herald tug is the only one
in sight.

DICK.

Flagship--Off Havana

April 30th, 1898.

DEAR FAMILY:

You must not mind if I don't write often, but I feel that you see The
Herald every day and that tells you of what I am seeing and doing, and
I am writing so much, and what with keeping notes and all, I haven't
much time-- What you probably want to know is that I am well and that
my sciatica is not troubling me at all--Mother always wants to know
that. On the other hand I am on the best ship from which to see things
and on the safest, as she can move quicker and is more heavily armored
than any save the battleships-- The fact that the admiral is on board
and that she is the flagship is also a guarantee that she will not be
allowed to expose herself. I was very badly scared when I first came
to Key West for fear I should be left especially when I didn't make the
flagship-- But I have not missed a single trick so far-- Bonsal missed
the bombardment and so did Stephen Crane-- All the press boats were
away except The Herald's. I had to write the story in fifteen minutes,
so it was no good except that we had it exclusively--

I am sending a short story of the first shot fired to the Scribner's
and am arranging with them to bring out a book on the Campaign. I have
asked them to announce it as it will help me immensely here for it is
as an historian and not as a correspondent that I get on over those men
who are correspondents for papers only. I have made I think my
position here very strong and the admiral is very much my friend as are
also his staff. Crane on the other hand took the place of Paine who
was exceedingly popular with every one and it has made it hard for
Crane to get into things-- I am having a really royal time, it is so
beautiful by both night and day and there is always color and movement
and the most rigid discipline with the most hearty good feeling-- I get
on very well with the crew