The times., 1898-12-11

greasing, / thought Then suddenly the
moon came sailing out from behind the
forest trees, and / shall try and tell you
something of what 1t disclosed. some
thing of what saw in the one moment
had the courage and heart to look upon
the blood-curdling spectacle. Having no
way of retaining their positions through
all the jolting and the jarring, the sliding
backward and forward, the wounded,
whom, but half an hour before, had seen
each in his place and as far as space was
concerned comparatively comfortable,
now lay all huddled together in inde-
scribable confusion. There they lay, n
squirming, writhing mass of naked, blood
stained. and bandaged limbs. 1t
was hard indeed to realize. as heard their
pitiful cries, that these were the same
brave, patient fellows who had smiled so
cheerfully as we helped them into the
wagon half an hour before, with the
thought that. at least for the present.
their greatest sufferings were at an end.
You would have been moved to indigna-
ton HAD the bodies that were heaped to-
gether in this way been the bodies of the
dead. But when you heard the low
moans the pitiful groans, and caught
glimpses now and again of the pale, dis
tracted faces, and the arms and hands
stretched from out the writhing mass of
men fruitlessly struggling to extricate
themselves from their horrible position,
you could hardly restrain yourself from
knocking some one down, the teamster
or the attendant, whoever was nearest at
hand, before proceeding to do the little
that here upon this lonely trail 1t was
possible to do to help the sufferers.
'.it is only right and fair to say that
did not see single instance of negligence
or carelessness on the part of the team
sters and the hospital attendants who
were in charge of this melancholy train.
The teamsters were fully occupied in driv-
ing their mules along a dangerous and
unknown road, with every now and then
shell coming unpleasantly near and
causing the mules to balk and sometimes,
as the teamsters graphically described the
strange cry to howl with terror. There
was only one attendant ito each wagon;
and as the wagons had no tail boards, all
these men could do was to sit at the end
of the wagon and try and keep the wound
ed who were slipping and sliding about
the floor from falling out altogether.
Several of them l saw endeavoring to
straighten out their patients, to get each
man back to his place. but 1t was a hope
less task; and besides, the orders Were to
drive straight down to the hospital with
out stopping, and so get out of the range
OF the Spanish fire as quickly as possible.
~ iaSi tHc illlit JuSI west OIL
the hospital was reached. Here the road
was blocked, and there was much DELAY in
getting the wounded out of the wagons
and into the hospital inclosure. The hospi-
tai authorities had received no information
that led them TO expect the arrival of
wounded in such great numbers, and, of
course, they were found only half pre-
pared. But there were many willing
hands here. and we went from wagon to
wagon helping the wounded to release
themselves, .and repairing as far as 1t lay
IN our power the damage. in some in
stances irreparable damage which the
Journey down to the hospital under these
circumstances had occasioned. Not n few
men were taken out of the wagon dead.
Many who had been placed in the wagons
with the assurance from the surgeons at
the front that they would be up and about
in few days and could return to the
colors. We're found detrIous and shriekIng
with horror. and living over again the
scenes of suffering which they had wit
messed and in which they had participated
in the journey down from the 'front.'
Later Mr.. Bonsal gives a graphic pic
ture of a field hospital, In which this pas
sage occurs:
Our regulars. our own people, the
blacks who have won today In every
| quarter of the extended field a fame
that will never die. and the Cubans who
| have done what they could do, follow one
another across the operation table show
| ing upon their torn and mutilated bodies
every conceivable wound that man can
| suffer. And not from single one of them
| Is heard word of complaint or a ma
| tural anxiety as to their individual
chances they gave no signs, but lay there
quietly and still, with that peace of mind
FRI.
| duty that has been well done. Now and