Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-04
Excursion CR Htddd

and four wounded out of 81 men, which
shows that we were in a pretty warm
place. Well, I did not go to the hos
pital about my injury until July IA,
and / was then so weak I could scarce
ly walk. The surgeons at the field
hospital placed me in an old army
wagon without springs at o'clock one
night to DE taken to another hospital
seven miles away, over the worst road
in the world, without doubt. We had
gone about half a mile when the wagon
turned completely over, the wagon
body catching my neck under it's side
and the corner of a box catching me in
the abdomen. ! was unconscious for
two hours. My neck is still very sore.
When / regained consciousness i was
placed in the wagon, but the dumping
over the ruts and rocks fairly drove me
mad, and 1 said could not stand it.
was told that / could walk, which
did. The wagon went on. / reached
the hospital at o'clock the next morn
ing, after a night of agony. AT this
hospital I was told that l was injured
internally and that they could do moth
ing for me. that l would have to go to
the United States for an operation and
here / am"
Although / was not an eye witness
/ have taken the trouble no ascertain,
the true facts in the case from officers
who were ON the ground at the time,
and whose veracity cannot be ques-
toned. Fit] nc Hi'@'ff 700
1.-The true facts of the case are as
follows: Sergeant Boone is not Ser
geant' Boone at all, but Corporal
Boone. He was never in the balloon
basket, not even when itrested upon the
ground. Before the expedition started
for Cuba, Corporal Boone was de-
of being telegraph operator, and or
dered to report at the signal camp at
Tampa, and was assigned to the bal
loon detachment until such time as he
could be attached to a volunteer conf
pany of signal men. Before any vol
unteer company arrived there, the de-
tachment was ordered to Cuba. Cor
poraI Boone of course went with them.
While on the transport, Boone went
to Major Maxfield, the ranking signal
officer, and told him he was unable TO
do any heavy duty on account of rup-
ture. Major Maxfield accordingly re-
quested Lieutenant Bunne.l to give
Boone some hight duty. which he did.
When the first ascent was made with
the balloon it did not go up on the fir
ing line as stated by Boone, bur two
the car were Lieut.. Colonel Derby OF
the engineers, and Major MaXlield of
the Signal Corps.
This balloon under the most favora-
bic circumstances had lifted only two
persons. and after being inflated le
days would lift only one.
Major Maxfield needed no Telegraph
operator in the car as he is an expert
operator himself. Even had he needed
one, and the balloon been able to lift
I'm, he would have taken one of his
trained sergeants who had years Of eS-
perience with both balloons and teles-
raphy.
Boone says three of the men were
killed and four wounded. The fac: Il
none were killed or wounded, until at
ta. they had left the place, taen one
rran was slightly wounded in the foot.
Boone says when the balloon .aniei in
tee he was pitched out and held sus-
penGed for a moment on the anchor of
the balloon thus injuring his ab1omen..
His, abdomen may have been injured
in some way, but UP to THE time of his
last writing his gall was evidently still
uninjured.
lie also says that he fell into the
water of the creek where lit was up. .
certain: He is either very s1or. or I
am very tall, for l have OTTER waGed
the creek at that point, and the water
lid not reach TO the tops OF my boots.
After this the balloon was not used
and the detachment was ordered TO
Siboney. A part of the men rode down
in an army wagon IT'S true the wagon
was overturned but the corporal was
| not near it at the time. After reach-
| ing Siboney, Boone went to the hospf-
tai hut was immediately sent back.
After reaching the camp he informed
sdme Of the men that he was rurturei
ard the surgeons told him he could
get d pension
] have two objects in writing this