Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-08-11

shipping practically the entire command north
ut once Yellow fever cases are very few in
tEhe cavalry division, where 1 command one OF
'EiHe two brigades. and not one true case of yell
low fever has occurred in this division. except
among the men sent to the hospital at Siboney,
-Utserc they have, 1 believe, contracted it
hut In this division there have been
I.5t9 cases OF malarial fevers. Not a man has
lied from it. but the whole command is so
weakened and shattered to be ripe for dying
like rotten sheep when a real yellow fever cpl
ecemic, instead of fake epidemic like the
present strikes US; it is bound to IL stay here
at the height of the sickness season, August
and the beginning OF September
Quarantine against malarial fever Is much
like quarantining against the toothache- All
OF as are certain, as soon IS the authorities at
Washington fully appreciate the condition of
the army. TO be sent home. Ii we are kept here
fr viii, in all human possibility, mean
IAN appalling disaster, for the surgeons
hero estimate that over half the army, IL
Kept here during the sickly season. will die
Thts Is not only terrible from the standpoint
OF the Individual lives lost, but it means ruin
from the standpoint of the military efficiency
Of the flower OF the American army, for the
>grcat bulk OF the regulars are here with you
The sick list, large though It Is, ex-
~ceeding 1000, affords but faint
index of the debilitation of the army. Not ten
per cent are 1T for active work. Six weeks on
the Rorth Maine coast, for instance, or else
where, where the yellow fever germ can not
sdgtating cocks able as we are eager. to take a
leading part in the great campo ign against Ha-
Vana in the fall. even if we are not allowed to
TRY Porto Rico
We can be moved north, IL moved at once
VITA absolute safety to the country, although,
OF course It would have been infinitely better
r We had been moved north or to Porto Rico
sEEo weeks ago. II there were any object in
'faeeRing US here. we would face yellow fever
with rs much Indifference as we faced bullets,
but there is object In it. The four
fmMuEe regiments ordered here are sufficient
10 garrison the city and surrounding towns, and
-Ehere Is absolutely nothing for US to do here,
and there has not been since the city Surren-
stfered 1t is impossible to move into the in
terrier. Every shifting of camp doubles the
sick rate in our present weakened condition. and,
Aayhow tile Interior is rather worse than the
coast, as have found by actual reconnaissance
Our present camps are as healthy as any camps
at this end of the island can be-
write only because 1 can not see our men
Who have fought so bravely and who
have endured extreme hardships and
danger so uncomplainingly. go to de-
sGruction without striving, so far as lies in
me TO avert a doom as fearful as it Is unneces-
=sary and undeserved- Yours respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Colonel Commanding First Brigade.
After Col Roosevelt had taken the
Initiative, all the American general Of
4icers united in a Round Robin" ad
dressed 20 Gen. Shafter. 1t reads:
The Round Robin.
We the undersigned officers commanding the
various brigades. divisions etc, of the army
ut occupation in Cuba. are OF the unanimous
opinion that this army should be at
.7ace taken out of the island OF Cuba and
sent to some point on the northern SeacoaSt
ut the URlted States; that it can be done with
,1utdanger to the people Of the United States;
that yellow fever In the army at present Is not
sssdemic; that there are only few sporadic
eases, bat that the army Is disabled by malarial
lever to the extent that its efficiency is de-
stroyed. and 1t Is in q condition to be pracd
sally destroyed by epidemic OF yellow fever,
which is sure to come in the near future.
We know from the reports OF competent Of
dcers and from personal observations that the
army Is unable to move into the interior. and
chat there are no facilities for such a move il
attempted, and that 1t could not be attempted
szntiI toe late Moreover, the best medical
aHfks<tties OF the island say that with our
pcc~ent equipment we could not live in the
interior during the rainy season without losses
from malarial fever which Is almost deadly
as yellow fever.
Tnfs army must be moved at once or perish.
As the army can be safely moved now, the per
sous responsible for preventing such a move
xiu be responsible for the unnecessary loss of
tD7ny thousand lives
,Ouar opinions are the result OF careful per-
7ssxnaa observation. and they are also based on
the unanimous opinion of our medical officers
with the army. We understand the situation
absolutely.
TSignedl J. FORD KENT.
Mxfor-Csenerl Volunteers. Commanding First
Division. Fifth Corps
J. c. BATES,
TMalur-General Volunteers Commanding Pro-
viSioaal Division.
ADSA R ,;HAFFEE,
nEa5or-Generai Commanding the Third Brigade,
Second Division
SAMUEL - SUMMERS,
Brfgadier-GenerA Volunteers, Commanding
Fist Brigade Cavalry.
WILL LUDLOW.
xzrsxadier-General Volunteers. Commanding
FS~Sf Brigade, Second Division
ADELBERT AMES.
Acknowledgement Volunteers
LEoNARD WOOD,
Brigndier-General Volunteers
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
sCaEonsg, COMMANDING Second Cavalry Brigade