The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-14

Who is to Blame for Holding the Troops in
Camp to Die Of FeverP
Atlanta Constitution.

Everybody rejoiced when the proto-
col was signed and peace was made.
But our troubles seem to have just
begun. The quarrels between gene
rails and cabinet officers and the doe
tors and newspapers are bad enough,
but when arc our soldier boys to quit
dying and so home? Some say the
camps are unhealthy, and even Mon
tauk Point has been condemned by
DR.. Sem, who says it will soon be a
camp Of horrors. Chickamauga was
condemned and now it is said Hunts
Vile is no better. Tampa had to be
abandoned, and the dcath-rate Of
Porto Rico is increasing every day.
1t makes one sick to read the chapters
of misery in the daily papers. Some
lay all the blame on Alger and some
charge it upon the unfccling doctors.
Some say it is homesickness that
causes the great mortali and others
declare it to be the result Of climate
changes sudden transition from
Chickameuga to Tampa and Cuba and
Porto Rico. Whatever it may be, the
present condition is awful. The SOL
dier boys have brought back with
them the germs Of malarial diseases
and are dying by thousands. 1t will
take good beds, good rooms, good
nourishment, good nursing and the
constant care of kind parents or sis
ters or some near kindred to save any
OF them. We know ell about it at our
house, for my wife and I nursed one
Of our boys in Florida for three long,
anxious months and barely saved him.
1t took him two years to recover after
we got him home. He wae strong and
healthy, and went to Florida in June
to work on railroad and she fever
took hold of him and wasted all his
flesh away. or course, he would
have died but for our constant care
and tender nursing. What then, can
be expected Of these boys taken from
stores and Offices and shady homes TO
the siokly heat Of tropical sun?
Major Bacon, our Senator, visited
Washington and begged Mr.. Mckinley
not to send the boys to Tampa or
Cuba until the fall Of the year, but
the administration was in hurry and
paid no heed to him. He is states
man, if we have got any, and foresaw
just what has happened. Three OF
four thousand killed in battle, or died
from their wounds, and IL, 900 already
dead from fevers. If DR.. Sonn and
other surgeons are to be believed the
number will be doubled or trebbled
before the year closes. Somebody has
blundered, and the maledictions Of
thousands OF bereaved parents are
upon the blundcrers. Even Florida
summer sun is carefully avoided by
Floridians and the army tents at Tam
pa are poor protection.
During the four years of our civil
war there died Of disease in tho federal
army 10000 men out Of an aggregate
of 2,750,000, being about Z per cent,
and yet within four months out of
less than lOO,O 900 men sent to Florida
and Cuba and Porto Rico, 1900 have
already died, and they are now aver
aging over 200 day-can't get doc
tors enough, Tor nurses enough, they
say.
Our navy has proved to be won
derful success, for it was already
oficered, but the management of our
army has been series Of blunders,
and but for the experience Of General
Wheeler and few others, would have
been q miserable failure. AS it is,
the poor soldier boys arc suffering and
dying like sheep, and there seems to be
no remedy. Verify, it is as was SAID
by the duke of Wellington Nothing
except battle lost is half so melan-
choly as battle won."
And now the investigation is going
on, and it is searching. The republi-
can papers are more clamoring for it
thar the democratic, and they do not
spare the president. His blunder is
In not ignoring the pressure Of politi-
cal officc-seckers. The republican
press seems divided as to Alger's fit
ness, but most Of their papers look
upon the fight between Alger aud
Miles aud Shafter as a cat and dog
business all round. The genera! YER
dict is that partisan politics and polit-
ical favoritism is at the bottom Of
all this shameful neglect of the poor
nrivataa in the ranka Of conrno Al q