The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-22

sickness that broke out in the army
showed the great wisdom Of General
shafter In moving forward to make the
attack while his men were in vlgor. 1t
was movement bordering on audaclty,
but 1t succeeded and the persistence of
the attack, have no doubt, greatly dis
heartened the spanlards. The result
was one OF the greatest victories for the
men engaged in modern warfare. The
number Of prisoners taken exceeded the
attacking force by nearly two to one.
When fever broke out ana the fever list
increased into the thousands 1t was for
time feared that 1t was principally
yellow fever The bringing of the
troops north at once, after the surren-
der, under such conditions, would have
been certain death to vast number
but, upon inquiry is was aseertainet
that very few of these cases compara-
lively were yellow fever. when It was at
once decided to bring the army home as
speedily as possible.
Everything Possible Done.
''Everythlng that human ingenuity
could devise has been done to succor
that army-not the ingenuity of the sec
retary of war, but the result Of the
combined counsel Of those who have
had Mfe long experience in the field.
That some men have been neglected on
transports there is no doubt-sGi against
positive orders, due perhaps to care
Eessness and negligence, but largely on
account OF not having the medical force
to spare (nany OF whom were slck)
from the camp at Santiago. Many med
icaa offlcers sent with transports were
taken III on the way home.
ITO give you q httle idea Of the work
that has been done, append the fol-
lowing:
''The work OF the ad1utant generals
department has been to muster and or
der to the various stations, to be pre-
Cise, 2l6, 400 volunteers and 1880 for the
regular army, this with O reduced
force, as many star officers from an Of
the departments have been promoted
and ordered to the field.
The chief of engineers reports an ex-
penditUre Of $5,S3O,00O for harbor de-
fence, butld4ng emplacements for heavy
guns, mortar batteries and mines
The surgeon general has had the for
mtdable work OF fitting up hospitals,
organizing the medical corps, employ
ing male and female nurses, contract
Burgeone, being surgeons employed
from civil life, besides those commits
stoned as corps, division and brigade
surgeons, furnishing medical supplies
f11n damn F1Yle1 fTOnN all
over the country and from camps at
Santiago, Porto Rico md M1nila. The
work done in this line Is almost beyond
comprehension.
The oommIssary general has pur-
chased and delivered, up to August ],
III, ,9OT,2S5 pounds OF ratiOns, which have
been transported and distributed to all
arrlIes in the field here and at Santiago,
Porto Rico and Manila, besides the
large quantity distributed among the
destitute Cubans.
An Immense Task.
The quarteruaste. generals report Is
too long to even give an approximate
idea OF his work. In the way Of trans
portlng to Honolulu, Mania, Santiago
and Porto Rico and return home, there
have been sent S2,GSS men with artillery
equipment and supplies BY rail In this
country there have been transported
300 officers, 233962 enlisted men, also
A0,6S2 animals, besides thousands OF
wagons, OrtNlery- ard other quarter
master, commdssary, ordnance, medical
essentials and stores. The total number
OF articles OF clothing and camp equip
page distributed to the army by the
QuartermasterB department has been
6.274,4S2, OF which can only mention a
few articles as follows: Blankets. 2ss,-
T39; blouses, 2S3,762; trousers. 4O6,42S;
hats, 3S4, ,106; canvas fleid uniforms. S3,-
200: shoes, pairs, bl1,3 ,3fS; undershlrts,
736, ,965; tents, 179,l42, etc.
The totaN weight Of food and foraGe
distributed daily TO the army is approx
imately 800 tons, Added to this is the
large fleet OF transports chartered and
purchased. the management Of the same
in conveying troops, supplies and am
muhuon.
The paynaEter has promptly paid the
army and is deserving OF very great
credit for his work
The signal corps has provided more
efficient service, furnishing cable, tele-
graph, telephone and signal service to
the different commands In the field,
II you had day or two to spare,
would IKE to sandwich in q httie work
for YOU. would IKE to send you these
gtatements in detail, which 1 think
would bewIider you, II anything can.
Sincerely yours, r. A ALGER
Hon. Chauncey n. Depew, New York,
Y