The times., 1898-12-03
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1895.
The Horror of 1t.

1t would be a very good thing for cer-
tain officials and officers concerned in
the Spanish-American war If they
could have Inuzzled all of the war cor
respondents. Despite all the efforts of
the Alger Relief Commission to cover
up the misdoings and incompetence of
political appointees. the irrepresslble
correspondent continues to tell the truth
in way most inconvenient and embar-
RAISING to the Whitewashers' Union
Sometimes the truths thus brought to
light are told with the evident inten-
tion of clearing up some misunder-
standing, and sometimes they simply
crop out by the way; but in either case
they serve TO enlighten the American
people. An example of the former kind
of correspondence is the stinging letter
of Richard Harding Davis, in which he
expresses, at length, his opinion of Cen
eral Shafter, giving reasons therefor;
but an article in some ways even more
convincing appears in the December
number of McClure's, under the title
The Night After San Juan
This paper is written by Stephen Bon
sal, who will be remembered as the au-
thor of very able book on the condi-
tions in Cuba, which appeared some
time before the declaration of war. Mr..
Bonsal writes with the evident purpose
of giving graphic picture of the scene
on the battlefield the night after the
battle. But incidentally he discloses
facts which are in themselvs grave
indictment against those responsible for
the hospital and commissary service.
What shall be said, for example, of
this Observation-Disclosures, as it is, by
other and previous reports?
1 believe ] am giving a moderate estimate
when / say that at least one-third of the men
wounded on July 1 received no attention and
were not brought back to the division hospital
until the afternoon OF July 3. This night we knew
nothing. and had not the slightest suspicion, OF
how numerous the undiscovered wounded were
Consider also that even with one-third
of the wounded lying neglected and
helpless upon the battle field, or in the
jungle, some never to be found until
they had died and were discovered by
the vigilant vultures, some never found
at all-even two-thirds of the men who
brayed wounds and death for this rich
country did not receive proper medical
attention. What shall be said of a Sec
retary of War who, knowing by experi-
ence in the Civil War the terrible re-
suits of inadequate hospital service, al
lowed such condition of things to ex-
ist and is now trying to cover up the
facts in the case? Mr.. Bonsal goes on
to say something about the field hos
pitals. He states that the regimental
surgeons, for want of Transportation
had been unable to bring their medi-
cine chests" Here we have a circum-
stance which. If it were not tragic.
would be ridiculous. An army surgeon
Is sent to the front, in the expectation
of great battle, and cannot bring his
tools for want of transpor ation,'' Tru-
'ly, some of these doctors deserve even
more honor than we thought in that
they were able to save any lives at all.
Another interesting fact is that there
were no garments for use in the hos
pitals, and the wretched khaki which
the men wore usually went to pieces
after having been worn in the drench-
Ing rain. so that the wounded were car
ried to hospital half naked or wholly
without clothing, and compelled In
many cases TO lie without clothing
or bedding, exposed to the blister
ing sun by day and the chill and damp
air at night. What sort of "civilized
warfare" was that?
AS Tor the army wagons which were
utilized as ambulances, they had no
partitions nothing for the wounded to
mold to, and the wretched men were
thrown from side to side and crowded
against each other during the ride from