Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-09-24
WARM PRAISE FROM GREELEY.
Chief of tho Signal Corps Compliments His
Men for Their EHicient Service During
the War

CHIEF OF tho Signal Corps Compliments His
Men for Their Emcient Service During
the War.
Washington, Sept. 21.-The disinte-
grafton of the volunteer signal corps
began Tuesday when orders were is
sued for the relief from active duty of
the Fourteenth company with view
to its furlough and muster out. Gen.
Greeley in issuing this order issued an
address to his men, of whose record
in the war he has just reasons to be
proud. He says that he cannot permit
his men to return to private life with
out acknowledging their loyal, eff
,cient and valuable services to the ma
ton" In reciting the services render
ed by the corps, Gen. Greeley says:
"In the Santiago campaign you were
the first of the army to arrive, as you
were the last to leave. Destroying
within range of Spanish guns the sub
marine cables that gave the enemy
daily information of inestimable value,
when the occupation of Santiago was
ordered you repaired cables with such
celerity that you opened communica-
tion between the United States marine
camp at Guantanamo and New York
City on June 81, the day prior to the
landing of the Fifth army corps off
Santiago. Battles may be fought and
epidemics spread, but speedy commun-
ications must never the less be main
tanned, and owing to your efforts the
American army in Cuba was not iso-
lated Geographically single day.
I'm the Cuban campaign you arrang-
ed, maintained and operated n system
of cable and land lines, partly CONNER
cial, partly war cables, that enabled the
messages to pass in 20 minutes from
the executive mansion in Washington
to the headquarters of the army before
Santiago, and which offered direct
communication between the secretary
of war in his office and the signal corps
men in the advanced rifle pits on the
right, the left and in the center of our
entrenched army, within 400 yards of
the enemy.
No one will ever know the difficult
ties-physical and moral, climatic and
service-under which you labored in
Cuba. Heat and thirst, hunger and
fatigue-these present sufferings with
impending disease and death-you
endured and faced uncomplainingly
with the rest of the army. but these
conditions never prevented the prompt,
cheerful and efficient discharge of the
important duties devolving unremit.
tingly day and night on the signal
corps.
I'm Porto Rico you were ever with
the advance, participating as scouts
and skirmishers in the capture and |
occupation of towns. From the begin |
ming to the end of the campaign you |
kept each important command in tele- |
graphic or telephone connection both |
with the corps commanders and also |
with the base of operations.
I'm the Philippines you were always |
ito the front, and through siege opera
tions constructed and maintained tele-
graph and telephone lines in the ad-
va2ced trenches at Manila, remaining
with the rest of the army under fire
daily, under conditions so dangerous
that five officers were breveted and sew
eral men recommended for medals of
honor. The connection by cable of
the principal forts in our great harbors
and the initiation and installment of
an entirely new electrical fire control
system were also your labors.
''The signal corps has filled neither
the guard house nor the hospital. Serv-
ing in the field in Cuba, in the Philip
pines, and in Porto Rico and in home
garrisons at Tampa, Chickamauga,
Camp Alger, Jacksonville and Mon
tauk, yet your total aggregate-over
1 1,3O0-has lost by disease in camp and
field to date onlv fvar