Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-20
A FEVER VICTIM TIN
Or. Butler Recuperating From Effects
Of Coast Fever.
Was liembss Of Wanderer Expedltlens liis
Opinion Of Our Cuban Allies.

Ter Of the Kennebec Arsenal. member of
the ard u. 8. Cavalry who enlisted for the
war is at the Augusta house recovering
from the effects of a low coast fever Of
the common malarlal type which he con-
tracted while on the fllibustering steamer,
Wanderer. or the coast of Pinar Del Rio.
He has 30 days furlough and will re-
join his regiment at the expiration OF that
time
DR.. Butler enlisted at Albany. N. T.. in
June and was sent to Tampa where part
Of his regiment was stationed. the rest
having gone to Cuba. He was chosen
with nine other men and lieutenant to
go on the Wanderer to land arms and
supplies in Cuba. On the vessel there
were 30 Cubans who 1t was supposed were
to remain on the island.
The first landing was made In the Prov
ince OF Pinar del Rio. One third of the
supplies were landed when a force of
Spaniards came down and for half an
hour there was sharp engagement In
which three Cuban scouts were killed
and the mate Of the Wanderer, a deck
hand and four Cubans were wounded.
None of the American troops were in
jured in the least. DR.. Butler had to drop
his rifle and attend to the wounds of the
men as he was acting surgeon of the ex-
petition.
The landing party returned to the small
boats as quickly as possible and put off
for their ship and sailed to Key West
where the wounded were placed in the
hospital.
AS soon as the wounded were landed the
expedition again started for Cuba and
made for the same spot. They had put
down six horses when firing was heard a
mile away, the Spaniards having en-
gagged the Cuban scouts. They ;mmedi-
ately put off for the steamer and sailed
toward Porto Podro, Santiago province,
where all the remainder of the supplies
were landed.
While lying over night in small river
near the first landing place where DIR.
Butler says the mosquitoes were extraor-
dinarily thick the fever broke out. 1t was
simply a low coast fever with the symp-
toms something like yellow fever. DR..
Butler was taken i'll. and while so weak
that he could hardly move he would
crawl out of his bunk and minister to the
wants of one Of the men who had typhoid
fever. The expedition returned to Key
West where they were ordered to proceed
to Tampa. They We're here kept in quar-
antine one day and then released. DR..
Butler was so weak from the effects of
the fever that he could not walk without
assistance.
His father met him and obtained per-
mission to bring him North. The North
ern air is already beginning to show its
good effects for DR.. Butler while confined
to his room the greater part of the time
is able to eat two meals of the day in the
dining room and can get up and down
stairs without aid.
In regard to the Cubafs DR.. Butler has
nothing good to say Of the men but says
that many of the officers are men Of
courage and determination. In the en-
gagement at the landing of the first ex-
petition the Cuban officers stood up be-
hind their men and made them stand up
to fight. If man would turn In the
ranks to flee an officer would grab him by
the back of the neck and kick him back
into line or take his machete and strike
him anywhere with 1t.
The men are excitable-in-a action having
very little conception of where they were
fighting. Some were firing out into the
harbor and only very few of the shots
fired were effective. The range was 1GOO
yards and the Cubans were armed with a
mixture of Springfields. Winchesters and
Spencers. The Spaniards had the Mauser
while the men OF DIR. Buffers squad had
the -Jorgensen which he regards as
effective as the Mauser and the wound
inflicted is much larger.
1.-THE Cubans are dirty and are eating
all the time and they had two cooks with
them who were busy the greater part of
| the time mixing various dishes for the
| men," said DIR. Butler. They are very
lazy according to DR.. Buffers story for
when the vessel arrived at the place for
the unloading of the supplies they made
the "niggers" do all the work, they SIM
ply laying back eating most of the time.
When the landing party returned to
the ship from the first landing they found
a Cuban captain and lieutenant down in
the coal hole where they had fed at the
first signs of action.
DIR. Butler is heartily in favor of the
canteen as by means of it his company
were able to have the delcacies Of the
season in abundance and were not forced
to live on the regular army rations alone.
There was fund of several hundreds Of
dollars in the company treasury at the
opening Of the war which was not mate
rally diminished.
When the expedition on the return ar
rived at Tampa Is Cuban officers. who it
was supposed would remain in Cuba
when the expedition started but who evil
IDENTIFY changed their minds at the bark
of the Spanish guns and returned with
the expedition. jumped into boats and
sailed away to the shore and disappeared
before the health officers had a chance to
examine them.
A soldier was in Haag's tobacco
store, last evening, and purchased