Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-08-25
LETTER FROM ALCER
The Secretary Of War Tells Of the
Work Of Ills Department.
TIE SICKNESS AMONG VOLUNTEERS.
Many Commanding Onhcers Responsible
for Much Of It-Whst thu surgeon Gen.
srsi, Com missary General and Quas.
termaster General Have Done.

0I2le NDWlWth%WAy V~'s"-"' $500 ~
termaster General Have Done.
New York, Aug. 22-Chauncey M.
Depew has received the following let
ter from the secretary Of war and has
consented to its publication. 1t was
written in reply TO request for in'
formation:
NY Dear Mr. Depew; The great pressure OF
business has up to now prevented mt from
sending TO you the statement you were KIND
enough to ask for. as 10 what had been accom-
plished In the way Of Quitting the army for
the field. the conduct OF campaign ETC. Also,
the chiefs Of divisions have been too mucn
driven with work to compile the data required.
One not In the midst OF the work can hardly
realize what On undertaking 1t Is to call l2S0O
men Into the field Of one time, coming from OIL
the states, and to have them mustered and
gathered In camps on 80 short notice. and this,
too, when we had scarcely any camp outht for
their accommodation. all having to be provided
for by the war department
As you know. when the war was declared
there was no equipment whatever Tor the VOL
unteers In store This was successfully &c
complished with very few accidents, as maj
t-r Of record Subsequent calls Including the
regular army (which numbered about H,VW
men when war was declaredD. made total OF
2b8, nov men. To accomplish oil In so short
time hos been great work.
Thus, from the homes Of 2l6 900 volunteers has
been constant and great anxiety as to what
might happen TO their soldiers and hundreds
Of Inquiries, made by letters and telegramS
have been received every day concerning In
dividual soldiers The feeling on the part OF
these individuals that the war department is
responsible for the care OF their men individu-
ally has naturally aroused sympathy In case OF
sickness and death. and has created much sor-
row.
Every effort has been made from the begin
ming TO furnish every camp with oil appliances
asked for, but Of course the commanding ON
GERS In the field are the ones who have direct
charge Of these men For instance one army
corps commander has division orders and en-
forces them, respecting sanitary affairs, and
he has to-day but fraction over two per cent
on the sick list Others have not been success
, full and the consequence Is that typhoid and
other feyers have been bred and spread 70
considerable extent One regiment in the
ChlckamauQa camp has colonel who enf0rces
sanitary rules In his regiment, obliging the
men to boil oil the water they drink. keeping
,ha nv, o,oar and Tho result ia that there are
,a.s ,har n s,cr and the camn too Ia in o.
nnsovor"h,s Mace 40 INV in the command
Others more fsvorably situated have ten times
thut number on the sick list One OF the reg'-
n,o,. sa,is h,,,.r comn,alnts NJ tvnhoid fever,
c"no"rnjns ,he Santiago camnaiun. when the
.s,,,s ,.,, S,omr, ,hev md m hoard three
1.op,,a, nror,sIors and m abundance Of hos
n,,., srnn,,os Thsv had LIGHTERS to unload
,.,,h =, nn,n, =, daharLotion THESE lighters
WV WIN u" ~ p ~ so,ora s,orms nm the wav As
.oo, 40 M. woro ro,jeed NJ tho fact two lows
y, ,,ch,ors woro SAINT from Mobile and New Or
T., 49," ..hI,h rroro also overtalen hv storms
a ,," To-, mo novv sunn,ed us with lighters
s s"s am" =, .hosa wos yracled me army dis
am,h o oottng m n nort,on NJ It's supplies
s saa ,."a,"o, s,oros md immadiatelv marched
-, .'t ,,o ION, IN eaht tbe snaniards The great
S,rnv,.n -, ,"ndins s,rnlIes consequently was
h"oanso y, ,he wind which snrane up every
,,orr,na n, ION and made n high surf render
Ing almost impossible the use OF small ooaIs,
with one lighter, which was OIL they hAa iei'
for this purpose
OF the packers who were employed o' pr
svarv dov tho roads m thev could he called
s,o os s"o, ,,nnossah,e ,or vehicles pack
animals haI tn h smnloved To carry food to
the army being extended to the right around
Santiago, Increased the distance from the coast
every day and made the task more dinicult
When yellow fever broke out and the fever
list increased into the thousands 1t was ior o
time supposed that 1t was principally yellow
fever The bringing Of troops north at once
after the surrender under such conditions
would have been certain death TO q vast num-
ber but, upon inquiry, 1t was ascertatned that
very few Of these cases. comparatively, we're
yellow fever, when It was Of once decided to
bring the army home as speedily as possible
To give you little Idea Of the work that has
| r Al. S1lt1