The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-30
TO BE BROUGHT HOME
REMAINS OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED
ABROAD TO BE DIsINTERRED.
Arrangements Completed for Bring
Hawaii and the Philippines.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-General Luding-
ton, quartermaster general, has completed
arrangements for bringing back to this
country the bodies of American officials and
soldiers inferred at and in the vicinity of
Santiago de Cuba, Ponce and other points
in Porto Rico. Manila and Honolulu. The
graves have been carefully marked by Of
ficials of the quartermasters department
who have gone over the several fields and
have succeeded in Identifying nearly all of
the American dead. A large number of
metallic caskets are being manufactured
The shipments of the caskets will begin
about Jan. TO- and a force of skilled men
will go with them to attend to the work of
disinterment, Theoretically sealing the cas-
kets and shipping them back to this coun-
try. They will be brought on the govern
ment transports, and the first caskets will
begin arriving about the end of January
They win probably be brought to New York,
and from that point sent to relatives and
friends. In order that people throughout
the country may make suitable preparation
for securing the bodies of friends and rela-
tives the quartermasters department to-
day made the following statement
''Under a recent act of Congress, the
quartermaster general is now making prep
arationS for the removal of the bodies of our
officers and soldiers inferred at and in the
vicinity of Santiago, Cuba, Ponce and other
points in Porto Rico, Manila and Honolulu
Duly authorized relatives or representatives
of the families of the deceased soldiers who
wish the remains sent to their homes are
requested to at once notify the quarter
master general of such desire, stating in full
the name of the soldier, the company and
dress of the town, county and State to
which the remains are to be forwarded,
and the name of parties in whose care the
a n no Skinned IN
be advised of the date of shipment when
made.
The act of Congress referred to appro-
PIRATES 100000 for the purpose. 1t seemed
at one time that the return of the bodies to
American soil would be impossible, as it was
thought to be an undertaking attended with
too many difficulties and dangers. A strong
popular sentiment on the subject developed,
however, and in response to this Congress
made the provision of law for the return of
the bodies. At the time of the act, last
July, the summer heat made the removals
tnexpedient, but now that the cold winter
months are on the danger of infection is en-
tirely removed.
To prepare for the work of removal, Mr..
Rhodes. of the quartermaster's office, was
dispatched to Cuba, where he spent some
time in making ground maps showing with
the greatest minuteness the location of
entire Santiago field shows the scattered
centers of American interment. from
Sboney to the westerly limits of the city.
Besides this, there are detailed maps of all
parts of the field, showing groups of graves.
The map including General Lawton's head
quarters shows one of the most numerous
centers of death. MIR. Rhodes marked each
grave, so that Identification can easily be
made. Until this was done many of the
graves were marked only by sticks. with
rough pencil marking 1t is believed that
the few unidentified dead viii be identified
when the disnterments begin by means of
bottles inclosing slips of paper, which it
was the habit TO put in the graves. Similar
care has been shown i'm identifying the dead
in Porto Rico and the Philippines The ag
Is ff.ata ~.
death list Throughout the army was
1880. which is a remarkably low percentage.
considering the number of men engaged. Of
this number many of the dead have been
brought back to this country for interment.
so that the number remaining is consider
ably below the original number of dead BY
far the larger part Is about Santiago. al
though the number is considerable In Porto
Rico and the Philippines.