The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-03
Lesg Statement by the Famous Cav
airy Leader.
AN ANXIOUS PARENTS LETTER
TAKEN AS TEXT.

Complaints Have All Been Made by Out
siders and None by Men-There Has
Eeen Much Suffering But Few II Any
Cases of Neglect-soIdfers in Hospitals
Given Every CaEo and Attentfon-Lux-
uries Provided for All.
Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, L. L.,
September 2.-Major General Joseph
Wheeler gave the following to the Associ-
ated Press today:
Headquarters U. S. Forces, Camp
Wikoff, l.. l., September !, 1885,
"The following is q sample OF the let
ters we are constantly receiving regard
ing the soldiers in the camp:
I'm regard to my step-son, we feel
very uneasy about him on account of the
newspaper reports of the privations and
suffering inflicted on the private soldiers.
Although he has never uttered COM
plaint since he has been in the army, we
hear from other sources of the cruel and
horrible treatment inflicted on our
soldiers under the pretense of humanity
for our neighbers. and the whole country
is in a state of terrible excitement. I
should not be surprised If the feeling
should lead to a revolution of some kind,
for I assure you I hear on all sides the
most violent and bitter denunciations of
the war department and the administra.
tion.
q 1T is indeed great pity that the
glory of our triumph should be dimmed
by such a shameful thing as the ill-treat-
ment and starvation of our own brave
soldiers while the Spanishsprisoners have
the best treatment the country can
afford
sit will be seen that this letter says
that not word of complaint has been
received from this soldier, and SO far as
my investigation goes, no complaint has
teen mads by any of the brave soldiers
that have added glory to our arms in the
Cuban campaign. A great many anxious
fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters arrive
here from parts of the United States to
look after their relatives whom they say
the papers tell them,, are suffering, and
many of them have heard that their rela-
tives are in condition of starvation.
Most of these people are little able to ex-
pend the money for such journey, and
they are surprised when they come here
to find their relatives surrounded with
erything to eat which can be procured
by money; and if sick in the hospital,
they are gratified and surprised to find
that they are given every possible care
In reply to direct request that l will
give the exact facts as see them, Will
state: Every officer and soldier who
went to Cuba regarded that he was given
great a special privilege in being per-
mitted to engage in that campaign. they
knew that they were to encounter yellow
fever and other diseases as we'll as the
torrid heat of the country. and they were
proud and glad to do SO. They knew 1t
was impossible for them to have the ad-
vantage of wagon transportation which
usually accompanies armies, and yet
officers and men were glad to go, to carry
their blankets and their rations on their
backs, and to be subjected without any
shelter, to the sun and rains by day and
the heavy dews by night. They certain-
1y knew that the Spaniard had spent
years in erecting defenses and it was their
pleasure to assault and their duty to
capture tho Spanish works. They were
more than glad to incur the hardships
and the dangers. They went there and
did their duty; each man seeming to feel
that American honor and prestige was to
be measured by his conduct. The brave
meu who won the victories did not COM
plain of the neglect .of the government.
but on the contrary they seemed grateful
to tine President and Secretary of War for
giving them the opportunity to incur
these dangers and hardships. They real
ized that, In the hurried organization of
an expedition by government which
had no one with any experience in such
matters, 1t was impossible to have every
thing arranged to perfection; and they
will testify that under the circumstances
the conditions were much more perfect
than any one had reason to expect, and
that the President and the Secretary of
War and others who planned and dis
patched this expedition, deserve high
commendation.
Zone reason why our army was lacking
in some respects in equipage was that a
telegram was received from Admiral
Sampson stating that if the army reached
there Immediately, they could take the
city at once, but II there was delay the
Qualifications of the Spaniards would be
so perfected that there might be great
difficulty in taking it. On receiving this
dispatch from Admiral Sampson, the war
department. directed the army to move at