Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-24
STATE. HOUSE.
General Richards Hears from the
Signal Corps.
Coming q Tho lst Maine Examination .
teachers A Woman Guide -Mstss.

szsajutant General Richards has re-
ceived letter. from Captain Butler Of
the Maine Signal Corps at Santiago.
Cuba. under the date OF August s..
Captain Butler says his men have had
a hard time but they are in much bet
ter condition than they were. only five
men being in the hospital, of which
number one is considered dangerous.
A week before that he had 81 men i'll.
One man. Private Parks, was sent
North, the rest OF the men are all
there. Eight of the men including
Captain Butler. have had yellow fever.
Lieutenant Steele. who was temporarily
stationed with the Maine Signal Corps
died. August 5, with yellow fever.
Most Of the illness Of the men has
been caused by rheumatism and fever
brought on by sleeping in wet clothes
and in marshy places.
The corps have had no trouble in
getting rations since the first few days
after landing. Since then they have
been more fortunate and have had
three meals day while for three or
four days after they landed they only
had two. The Cubans. however. man.
aged to secure three and four.
Captain Butler was greatly handi-
capped by the lack Of pack mules but
now has a supply. AS his men have
been scattered over a large extent of
territory he has had to send pack
trains with ratiOns, wire and telegra-
piers batteries for IA miles over the
mountains.
AS soon as possible he will have the
men sign the bounty rolls and return
them to Maine. He has had the rolls
some time but has been unable to
have them made out as he has been ill
with the fever.
In relation to the money raised in
the churches for the sick and conval-
escent soldiers, Captain Butler says
there is great need Of it and has used
some of his own money to provide
Injuries for the men and will replace
it when the money from the subscrip-
lions arrives. The men have little
strength and the nourishment that
can be procured by the extra money is
greatly appreciated and does vast
amount of good.
At the time the letter was written
Captain Butler expected to leave Cuba
for the United States In about two
weeks. AS yet no word has been re-
ceived that he had orders to sail or
that he had sailed.
General Richards received the fol-
lowing telegram from Gen. G. S.
Gillespie, commander of the DEPART
ment Of the East: THE State camp
ground is accepted for the use of the
LIST Maine Volunteers. Please do all
you can to contribute to the comfort
of the arriving regiment"
That General Richards will follow
out the latter part of the telegram and
in fact he was doing all he could. The
regiment will probably arrive some
time Friday and will pitch their camp
on the place they occupied when here,
last spring, the batteries being over on
the part of the ground usually occu-
pied by the End Regiment. II all come
back, taking out the men who are al
ready at home, there will be about 14O
more men to come back than left with
the regiment when it started for
Chickamauga. Some of the men have
been transferred to other regiments or
other duties and they may bring the
additional number down to 100.