Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-08-18
BAD CONDUCT OF WAR
BOSTON PEOPLE ARE AROUSED.


Worked Mt Cross Purposes.
Chicago, Aug 1G.-The Boston CORE
spondent of the Record tclegraphs:
The people of New England are in a
state of fevcrish Indignation toward
the War Department because OF the
tales that are told by Massachusetts
volunteers that have returned from
Santiago. This Indignation is aggra-
waited by the recent death of Colonel
Began, popular Irish politician who
went out to command the Ninth regi-
ment, and was seized with fever mt
Santiago and sent home as convales-
cent upon one of the transports con-
ccrninS which so muck complaint has
been made. His death. which oc-
Cured ten days after his arrival In
Boston, is attributed by the local ply
sicians TO lack of care. medical treat
ment and proper food while on the
transport: they say he literally died
from neglect, for which the army Otfi-
GERS at Santiago are responsible. Col
oncl Began was known TO everybody
In Boston. He has held Office here con-
tinuously for mnny years, was menu
Der of many patriotic societies and po-
liticnl organizations and highly re-
spectcd by all classes. His body has
days and thousands of people have
come to pay their homage to the ashes
Of n martyr Of patriotism. His funeral
was public function under the aus
plccs of the municipal authorities, and
the officials, rs well as the public at
large, have endcnvored by attentions
to the dead to atone for the neglect to
the living.
Every day other officers and privntes
of the Second and Ninth Massachu-
sets regiments which participated In
the Santiago campaign are arriving In
Boston and the neighboring towns,
whose wan faces. emaciated bodies and
trembling limbs testify OF their suffer
same tale. They We're all right rs
long as they Were with their COM
rades at the front, In camp or In the
trenches, but when they were sent to
the hospitals their experience was con-
tinual neglect, discomfort and starva-
tion. II is an awful story OF confusion
and incOmpetcncy on the part Of the
military authorities. lightcncd only by
energy. the patience and the sweet
sympathy of the Red Cross. There is
no complaint Of long marches or cx-
pos,irc to danger. fighting in trenches
full Of water, or wearing clothing satu-
changing, or half-rations or sleeping
In the mud: all that IL part of the
soldiers glory. but when they had to
crawl five and half miles In search
Of n surgeon and lie by the roadside
for forty-eight to sixty hours. too III
and weak from fever to walk: when
they appealed In vain for medicines,
and rs one OF them expressed 1t.
found the hospitals worse than hell
and the transports worse than the hos
pitals," they felt ut liberty to find
fault
One OF the officers OF the regular
army. who brings back half-henled
wound from SaniAgo. says thnt the
confusion there was not due to any
lnck of energy. industry or patriotism.
but solely to the lneNpcrience OF tho
medical officers and the quartermnsters
and the lack of adequate facilities for
unloading the transports.
Everybody was working night and
day as hard rs they could, but they
didn't accomplish much.' he says, ''be-
cause there was no competent head to
give direction and no cooperation be-
tween the several branches of the SER
vice.
"Thc fact OF the matter is" he con-
tinucd. that General Shafter has not
KNOWN what was gong OIL nalI tne
time, and all the subordinates have
been working NJ cross-purposcs be-
cause of the lack of orders. The gen.
eral has been hors dc combat from the
heat almost continually since his ar
rival at Santiago. 1t was great mis-
take to send n man Of his girth TO
command an army In n tropical cOun-
try. During two or three days fight
Ing General Shnfter was in n tent three
miles to the rear, overcome with the
heat. There was no lee for his head,
SO his attendants could only fan and
rub him and apply hot-watcr COM
presses TO relieve the congestion.
..Since the surrender he has been
able to keep out of the sun under the
roof of the palace In Santiago and Is
able to tend to business.
General Wheeler who commanded
our corps, has been as clipper and as
lively as II cricket from the beginning.
and although he had touch of the fe-
Yer. lie has been on duty every day.
Being short of stature like Znccheus.
he did climb n tree during the battles
and was able to overlook all the in
trenchments. 1t was the funnies.
thing that ever happened in military
history-a commanding general direct
ing his troops In battle from II trcetop
but there is nothing the matter with
old joe"