Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-08
THAT ROUND ROBIN
General Skaters Report on Health
Conditions at Santiago--Excite-
ment Unwarranted.
NODANGER TOFRESH TROOPS
Sickness Caused by Exhaustion Seventy
five Per Cent of Command III with Ma
laria Resulting from Exposure and
Insufficient Food.

Washington, Aug. 5.-General Shaft
er has telegraphed the president re-
garding the publication of the ''round
robin, signed by the general officers of
his command, as follows: Il can very
readily see what intense excitement the
publication must have occasioned; a
great deal more than the situation war
ranted. The situation is greatly aggra-
waited from the fact that before any Of
the men were taken i'll, they were thor
Oughly exhausted. At least Is per cent
of my command had been down with
malaral fever, from which they recover
slowly and are in no condition to stand
an attack of yellow fever or dysentery.
If they were placed here now in the
condition in which they were when they
came here, do not believe they would
be in any particular danger.
The regiment of immunes that re-
Gently arrived is not suffering at all and
do not believe they will. They can
keep out of the sun and are well clothed
and well fed What put my command
in its present condition was the 20 days
campaign when they had nothing but
meat, bread and coffee withouta a change
of clothes and without any shelter what
ever during period twice as stormy as
it has been since the surrender.
Fresh troops reaching here in the
middle of August with good camps,
good water and with an abundance of
tentage which they will find here, need
not apprehend serious danger. | thank
you for the high regard in which you
hold my command and your value of the
service they rendered. 1t pays for all
the suffering we endured Generals
Wheeler, Lawton, Bates and Kent con
cur with me in the view expressed
above"
Shafter Makes an Emphatic Denial.
Washington, Aug. s.--General Shafter
in his report to the War department
denies he is responsible
for the inadequate provision made for
the sick and wounded brought from
Santiago to the United States on the
Seneca and Concho. Everything pos
sible, he says, was sent with the sick
and wounded. The shortage of water.
he says, is ineXcusable. He concludes
his report as follows:
"There is no excuse for the lack of
food as there has at all times been
plenty of that. l have no doubt that
many more men were put on the ship
than should have been, owing to the
great desire to get home as they had fear
of the yellow fever and were almost Who'll
ly without hospital accommodations.
The sick and wounded had only the
on that they wore in the battle
and of course that was ragged and worn
out by the time they reached home.
There was none to issue them at the
time they left and their own extra
they could not get at.
"There has never been case of suf-
fering here that could be remedied by |
the means at hand that was not attend
ed to. The surgeons worked as well as
any men that ever lived and their com
plaint has been universal over the lack
of means and facilities.
II do not complain of this, for no one
could have foreseen all that would be
required, but l will not quietly submit
to having the onus laid on me for lack of
these hospital facilities.