Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-21
RHEUMATISM
MILES DECLINES
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Ger said he thought he had enough
medical supplies for the temporary SER
vice on which we thought we were des-
tined. Even this proved. however, that
the surgeon was mistaken. The am
munition supply was ample"
las to supplies. Gen. Shafter said
there was nothing essential left be-
hind.
.edsGh. Beaver. ~
.S.sA to the drnbulances,' said eGn..
Shaa&er, II take the. whole RESPONSE
Ebf,ity myself. l ordered hnJ superyis-
ed sxheir loading. After 'evepts proved
that It would have been better to take
10 or Is additional ambulance$ and left
that many wagons behind. But wag
ons can be used for two purposes and
ambulances can be used for but one,
took the wagons and the wounded
had to be transported in them after the
first days lighting.
Il must say that on rocky, muddy
road, such as we had there, there IS
little difference in comfort between an
ambulance and an escort wagon. The
men We're put on straw in the bottom
of the wagons and we did the best we
could for them. Ambulances would
nave been better but then hindsight is
always better than foresight
Considering the landing facilities
with the expedition, Gen. Shafter said
they had two large barges, one of
which was lost en- route and small
tug, the Captain Sam" whose cap
tain deserted during the night. The
boat capacity of the transport fleet
was sufficient for the landing, as events
proved.
An interesting incident of the land
ing was brought out by Gen. Shafter,
who said he had arranged with the Gu
ban General CASTILLO, the day previ-
Gus, to landing to have 1000 men back
of Baiquiri to catch the SpaniarGs
when they were shelled out by the
navy. Castillo was three hours late,
however, and all the Spaniards got
away.
How about getting supplies to the
front for the men?" asked Gen. Bea-
yer.
1T was the one problem of the cam
paign and it taxed us to the utmost"
said he IF it had not been for the
DdCh tILliil We tOoId ilt't HoNC aoiAO ~
and the expedition would have been a
failure"
Gen. Shafter said he regarded the
landing of the expedition eminently
| successful They lost only two men
and 30 animals out of total of 20
600 men. 1t was remarkable record.
There has been considerable criti
cism from the medical officials about
getting their medical supplies ashore.
said Gen. Bower. Were any such
complaints brought to your
"A majority of the regimental sur
geons left their medical chests on their
vessels When l found this out l put
| Dr. Goodfelow aboard the Mantee and
had him collect the chests.
| LAS soon as they were landed they
were put on four wagons and distribu-
| ted at once to the men,"
AS an additional explanation of the
difficulty in furnishing supplies ashore
| Gen. Shafter said he had at one time
! with an army of $1,000 men, he had
| to issue rations to 10000 people, the
excess being the refugees from Santi-
ago, women and children for the most
part, whom he could not allow TO
starve.
AS to the care of the wounded Gen.
| Shafter said they were cared for as
| carefully as the circumstances would
| permit.
| THE doctors worked like Trojans.
| They deserved and received commen-
| dation from every one. They worked
| till they were sick and work out.
| The doctors were mostly young men.
| You can't get very old and expert
enced surgeons to go on summer
! campaign for 500 a month. But they
We're splendid fellows. Compared with
thebCivil War the wounded We're bet
ter cared for in Cuba than they We're
then