The times., 1898-11-07
A HERO OF SANTIAGO
The Tale of a Man Who Was
Twice Wounded.
HOW OUR MEN SUFFERED
A Hartford Private Bears Out the
Worst That Has Been Told of the
Results of the Incompetency of
the War Department OMcials-No
Medicine But Quinine.

One of the American heroes who was
twice wounded In the trenches at Santi-
ago, one of the regulars who do not
complain" has told his story to the
Hartford Times, which says: "a modest,
retiring and plain-spoken young man is
Private Charles J. Miller, hero of San
tiago, who is at present at his home in
this city. He tells the story of his ex-
perience in Cuba In the way that fight
ing soldiers always talk His eyes light
up with enthusiasm, and a sort of un-
tutored eloquence characterizes his utter
ances. when he refers to the valor and
bravery of others. He hesitatingly speaks
OF his own deeds. and his interviewer
must draw him out 10 get any informa-
tion concerning his own part in the fight
with the Spaniards. Private Miller is
seven and twenty, and he left his home
In Hartford before he was old enough
10 vote, enjoying excellent health and the
vigor OF youthful manhood. He returns
suffering from two severe wounds one in
the hip, made by a Mauser bullet, and
the other in the side, caused by an ex-
ploded she'll
Mr.. Miller was seen Thursday evening
at the home of his friend, Mr.. Henry A.
Budde, by Times reporter. He was
member of Company ], Second United
States Infantry, located at Fort Keogh,
Montana when the war with Spain broke
out His regiment was ordered to Cuba.
There were several feet of snow on the
ground when he left Montana in April.
The regiment arrived in Cuba June %,
and on July they had their first taste
of lighting. On the two following days
they did more lighting, but the engage
ments on these three days were merely
skirmishes. 1t was not until the 10th
and the 1lth that they fought in earnest.
They were in the trenches before San
tiago on the two latter days.
Private Miller said that the newspa-
pers hadn't told half the truth about the
sufferings of the American soldiers and
the inadequate provision that was made
for their maintenance while fighting in
Cuba For days they had no food but
hard tack and coffee. The latter didn't
deserve its name. Even this scanty pro-
vision, barely enough to keep body and
soul together, was not given them regu-
larly. For few days at time they
were given no food at all.
Private AIillers statement in regard to
the treatment of sick soldiers corrobor-
ates the worst that has been said in the
papers and shows that the correspond
ents did not exaggerate the facts. II was
nothing unusual for an army surgeon TO
administer is grains of quinine three
times day, making 81 grains for the en-
tire day to fever stricken soldiers? These
excessive doses of the drug had the effect
of making the soldiers crazy and some Of
them stark mad. One poor fellow, who
was the victim of an overdose of quinine
was found saluting and speaking to a mule
with deferential respect, he thinking that
the animal was an officer. If one could
forget for a moment the suffering en-
dured by the poor fellow and the criminal
incompetency which was responsible for
his deplorable condition, the scene in the
Tanning of the Shrew,' where Katherine
the subdued wife, is made to show an af-
fection for the donkey, might be recalled.
He (Private Miller) was also victim of
too much quinine. His brain was affected
for time and he began TO tear down tents
until he was stopped by his comrades and
led back to his tent. He had a falling out
with doctor which nearly got him into
trouble. The doctor had been serving as
nurse in the hospital when he found favor
with the ruling powers. and was sudden
ly promoted to the position of surgeon or
assistant surgeon OF the regiment He
had no qualifications for the position other
than the experience which he had as a
nurse The doctor gave him eighteen
grains of quinine to take. He refused 20
take the quinine, and told the doctor that
he could not regard him as being compe-
tent to prescribe for sick men. You
were a nurse yesterday and you are a
surgeon today-how's that?' was the ques-
ton which Private Miller put to the new
ly-fedged surgeon, to the latter's embar-
rassment. The surgeon threatened to
have him court-martialed. but his threat
was never carried out. Perhaps the sur
geon would have found some difficulty in
proving his right 10 the title of NJ. D. be-