The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-26
bitter complaints of typhoid fever.

Concerning the Santiago campaign,
when the ships left Tampa they had
on board three months provisions
aud an ahuu' ance of hospital sup.
plies. They had lighters to unload
with at the point Of debarkation.
These lighters wore lost in severe
storms on the way. AS soon as we
were notified of tho fact the two tows
Of lighters were sent from Mobile
and Now Orleans, which were also
oveitahen 10y storm and lost. The
navy supplied us with lighters, and
one of them were wrecked. The army
disembarked, getting off portion of
it's supplies and medical stores, and
immediately marched to the front to
fight the Spaniards. The great
difficulty of landing supplies subse
quently was that the wind spraug up
every morning at 10 aud made
high surf, rendering almost impossi-
ole the use Of small boats with ono
lighter, which was all they had left
for this purpose OF the packers
who were employed GO per cent soon
fell sick, and heavy rains falling
every day, the roads (if they could
be called such) became impassuble
for vehicles, pack animals had to be
employed to carry food to the army,
which being extended to the right
around Santiago, increased tho dis
tance from the coast every day, and
made the task moro difficult. How
ever, the result and the subsequent
sickness that has broken out in the
army showed the great wisdom Of
Gen. Shaftcr in moving forward to
make the attack while his mon were
in vigor. II was Il movement bor.
dering on audacity, but it succeeded,
and the persistence of the attack, +
have no doubt, greatly dishcart> ned
the Spauiards. 1t resulted in ono
OF the greatest victories, for men en-.
gagged, OF modern warfare. The
number of prisoners taken exceeded
the attacking force by nearly two to
one. When yellow fever broke out,
and the fever list increased into the
thousands, it was for n time SUP.
posed that it was principally yellow
fever. The bringing troops north at
once after the surrender, under such
conditions, would have been certain
death to n vast number, but, upon
inquiry, 1T was ascertained that very
few of these cases comparatively
were yellow fever, when it was at
once decided to bring the army bone
as speedily as possible Everything
that human ingenuity could devise
has been done to succor that army
not ingenuity Of tho Secretary of
War, but the result of the combined
council Of those who have had life.
ong experience in the fold. That
some men have been neglected on
transports coming home, there is
doubt-all against positive orders,
and due, perhaps, 10 carelessnesS
and nogligeuce, but largely on &C
count Of not having the medical
force to spare (many of whom were
slck) from the camp ut Santiago.
Many transports were taken i'll on
the way home.
10 give you little idea of tho
work that has been d,ne append
the following:
The work of the adjutant generals
department has been to muster and
order to their station, to be precise,
2l0, 400 volunteers, and 2l,000 for
tho regular army. This, with re-
duccd force, rs many staff officers
from all of the departments had been
promoted and ordered to tho field.
The chief of engineers reports an
expenditure of $5,S3O,0O for harbor
defences, building emplace ments of
heavy guns, mortar batteries and
mines.
The surgeon general has had the
enormous work of fitting up hospit-
als, organizing the medical corps,
employing male and female nursos;
contract surgeons, beng surgeons
who are employ cd from civil life, be.
sides those commissioned as CORPS,