The herald., 1898-08-22
GENIAL CHAUNCfY
GIVES ALGER A CHANCE FOR
EXPLANATION
oUTflTTING The ARMY
WAS A BIGGER JOB THAN PEOPLE
SUPPOSED
BLAME is LAID ON OTHERS
For Shortcomings Popularity Supposed
70 Be Chargeable to an 1ncompe-
tent Secretary Of War

70 Dc OuhIkcdO4o " 0AA 4AAsoAAAHS-
tent Secretary Of War
Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Aug. N.-Hon. Chauncey
NJ. Depew has received letter from the
secretary Of war and has consented to It's
publication. The letter, which was written
in reply to a request for information on the
subject referred to. is as follows:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 49, 1898.
My Dear Mr.. Depew-The great pressure
OF business has prevented me sending to
you the statement you were kind enough
TO ask for, as to what had been accom-
plished in the way of Quitting the army
for the field, conduct Of campaign. etc.
|. Also, the chiefs of divisions have been too
much driven with work to compile tie
data required. One not in the midst OF
work can hardly realize what an under
! taking 1t is to call $4,000 men into the field
at one time, coming from all the states, and
to have them mustered and gathered In
camps on so short notice, and this, too,
, when we had scarcely any camp outfit for
their accommodation, all having to be
provided for by the war department. AS
you know, when war was declared there
was no equipment whatever for the volun-
teers in store.
That this was successfully accomplished,
with very few accidents, Is matter of rec
ord. Subsequent calls, including the reg
ular army (Which numbered about 1900
men when war was declared) made total
Of 26S, 800 men. To accomplish all In SO short
a time has been a great work. OF course,
gathering this vast number Of men togeth
er, In a large measure under unframed
regimental and company commanders-I
mean in actual field duty-the lack OF
knowledge as to the sanitary conditions to
be observed, the carelessness in not OBJ
serving instructions which were furnished
as to the proper use of them, added greatly
to the work Of the medical department
Thus, from the homes Of $4,000 volunteers
has constant great anxiety been felt as to
what might happen to their sons, and
hundreds Of inquiries made by letters and
kilograms have been received every day
, concerning individual soldiers. The feel
ing on the part Of these individuals that
the war department is responsible for the
care Of them individually hns naturally
aroused sympathy In case of sickness and
death and created much sorrow. There is
nothing young men in robust health are so
prodigal of as their health until 1t is gone
Men go into camp feeling that they can
stand everything and cannot be made 10
believe to the contrary until stricken with
disease. Every effort has been made from
the beginning to furnish every camp with
all appliances asked for but, of course the
commanding officers in the field are the
ones who have direct charge of these men.
For instance, one army corp commander
has division orders and enforces them re-
specting sanitary affairs, and he had today
but fraction over per cent on the sick
list. Others have not been successful and
the consequence is that typhoid and other
fevers have bred and spread to consider
able extent. One regiment in the Chicka-
manga camp has a colonel who enforces
sanitary rules in his regiment, instruct.ng
the men to boil all the water they drink
and to keep the camp clean. and the result
Is there are less than twenty-five SICK and
the camp, too Is In az unfavorable locaM-
ty as any In the command. Others more
favorably situated have ten times the num-
Der on the sick list. One regiment Of the
second call. not yet removed from Its state,
sends bitter complaints of typhoid fever.
Concerning the Santiago campaign,
when the ships left Tampa they had on
board three months provisions and an
abundance Of hospital supplies. They had
lighters to unload at a point Of debarka-
ton. These lighters were in severe storms
on the way. As soon as we were notified of
the fact that two lows Of lighters sent from
Mobile and New Orleans were overtaken
and lost by storms, the navy supplied us
with lighters and one of these was wrecked.
The army disembarked. getting off a por-
ton of its supplies and medical stores, and
Immediately marched to the front to fight
the Spanish. The great difficulty of land
Ing supplies subsequently was that the
wind sprang UP every morning at 10 and
made high surf, rendering almost i'm
possible the use Of small boats with one
lighter, which was all they had left for
the purpose. All the packers who were
employed. sixty or more, fell sick, and
heavy rains falling every day the roads
III they can be called such) became i'm
pnssable Tor vehicles. Pack animals had to
be employed to carry food to the army
which being extended to the right around
Santiago increased the distance from the
coast every day and made the task more
oimcult. However, the result and the SUBJ
seQuent sickness that has broken out in
the army showed the great wisdom of Gen.
shafter In moving forward to make an
Attack while his men were in vigor. twas
movement bordering on audacity but II
succeeded, and the persistence of the at
TACK, l have no doubt greatly disheart-
ened the Spaniards. The result was one of
the greatest victories for the men engaged
OF modern warfare. The number of pris-
oners exceeded the attacking force by near
~ Two to one. When yellow fever broke