The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-24
Fearful Condition Of Spanish
Prisoners in Santiago.
THEY ARE DYING BY
THE DOZENS.

CdutidSO Uo OuOo, AuSuSV Ao'
Since the surrender Of Santiago one
thing has been uppermost in oul
minds, namely, the health and condi
ton of the brave American soldiers
who fought and were victorious
And this was very proper the men
certainly deserve whatever could be
done for them upon this score In
consequence of protest from COM
manding officers. the orders from
Washington as to the disposition oi
the army were changed and our
troops are embarking daily for the
bealth-giviDg breezes Of the north.
To day the first of our Spanish
prisoners were put on board the
transports we have hired to take
them home. Ten thousand of these
men have been in camp for more than
three weeks, just outside of the city
limits They were much nearer to
the palace than our own men they
were our prisoners, and we, one and
ali, avoided the roads that led near
their camps because of the vile odors
that arose therefrom
To day as the Spaniards passed
through the city on the way to the
docks, we saw sights that brought
tears to the eyes of men who are not
readily moved to tears. Down on the
docks, in a narrow strip of shade
from a warehouse, some 200 Spanish
soldiers waited orders to move on to
the lighter which would convey them
to the mucb talked of Spanish hos
pital ship Alicante. These men were
thin and of a sickly pallor, hollow
checked and weak
Eve are the we'll men who brought
the sick into town on iitters," they
explained
Down on the wharf, being loaded
Oh the steam lighter Bessie. were
long lines of stretchers. each with
it's pitifuI burden Faces that looked
like death heads, every line of the
skull marked on the yellow skin,
protruding teeth over which lips
would not close One man grasped
in claw that had crushed them
three American hardtack. Others had
food hidden under their scart cover
ings. Their weight was as nothing,
yet four we'll men staggered under
the burden of one stretcher Down
the city streets came other process.
sions Of stretchers vanquished and
sick. weak, pitiful, moaning. stag
gsring, they drifted into town all day
long When the city surrendered,
the prospective return to Spain
brought JOY to many hearts the full
fllment of the promise was sad
Ten American ambulauces have
been detailed to help carry in those
unable to walk, and we have erected
tents on the dock where the sick can
wait until the lighter is ready for
them
1T was not camp out there"
said a Spanish officer, ''it was a
graveyard. Between 200 and 800
went into the hospital daily hos
pitaI? 1t was not a hospital, there
were no medicines there were no
attendants Forty are dying every
day, and the trenches are full of the
dead We have saved you many a
$40 for passage money to Spain
There are 5000 out there yet, only a
1000 came in TO day, but they won't
last long. Dysentery, camp dysep
terry we call it, and it is worse than
the plague. is carrying them of, "
& white haired officer, with stars
and bands on his sleeves, but so thin
and weak and pale that he looked
more like skeleton than man,
walked down the wharf, supported
by his wife, who was as much in
need of support as he was himself
Over loose board they both tripped
and fell There are two young chill
dren in the party who cry almost
continually. Finally they all got on
board; the women to spend ten days
on filthy, horrible troopship There
are many women going thus, wives
OF officers who cannot pay for a
passage These Spanish troopships
bid fair to rival old time slavers in
the misery and suffering that will be
confined within their sides on the
voyage back to Spain.
Our own soldiers were sick, but the
condition of the Spaniards is 80 many
times worse, that our men seem
strong and healthy compared to
them The Spaniards were not in
this condition when they moved 10
their death camp three weeks ago