The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-15

wits by making special reference in the
prayers to his preservation from the dan
gers of war, and the people thronged
around him to offer their congratulations
upon his record and return. Mr.. Astoc is
very modest man. When out of his or
binary surroundings, he Is diffident,and the
honors the people have attempted to pay
him have been very embarrassing. He
hasn't been to the club nor 10 the casino
for that reason, and hasn't accepted any
of the invita- tons that have been show
cred upon him since his return. He has
attended family dinner parties and has
lunched with one or two intimate friends
and to keep himself in training goes out
for horseback ride every day. The rest
Of his time is spent in loafng and max
ing up for the hardships he has endured
in Cuba. But he says they didn't amount
to much, and but for the wounded and the
dying and the poor fellows that We're bur-
led by the roadside around Santiago MI
Astor thinks that war is great fun. He
was under fire several times and on the
third day of the battle handled a musket
in the trenches for several hours with
the Rough Riders, several of whom were
his intimate friends. He would liked to
have brought a scar home with him, just
as a souvenir, but is willing to endure
that disappointment. A Spanish bullet
went through his tent and wounded his
orderly in the foot, which was the nearest
approach to damage that he suffered.
Mr. Aston says that while the heat was
terrific at times he did not suffer from it,
and the only real privation he felt was
the lack of bathing facilities and scar
city of uLuerclothes. But you get used to
anything in time. he says and other peo-
pie had SO many serious sufferngs that
he considered his own trifing.
Mr.. Astor's explanation of the difficulty
of getting medicine and proper supplies
for the sick and wounded is much more
simple and satisfactory than anything We
have heard either from Santiago or the
surgeon generals office. He stands 10y
ally by Gen. Shafter, his chief, and says
that it was nobody's fault In particular.
There were very few boats attached to
the transports for landing, the lighters
which were to have been used for that
purpose having been lost az sea during
the voyage from Tampa. With these few
boats the soldiers We're taken ashore as
rapidly as possible. The next thing in
importance was the ammunition and pro-
visions, which were absolutely necessary,
and as the men pushed on toward Santi-
ago il required every resource at the
command of the quartermasters to supply
them with food. For several days they
were very short. The roads We're impass-
able for wagons, pack mules were scarce,
and everybody connected with the quar-
were working day and night to push for
ward the ordnance and commissary sup
plies. They were, therefore, deaf to the
clamors of the surgeons who came ashore
without their instruments and medicines
and then had no means of going back for
them. AS fast as a transport was I'M
loaded 1t was sent away IN order that an
other might take its place. In that way,
Col. Aston says, the surgeons and their
supplies became separated. but il was not
their fault any more than it was the fault
of other staff officers. The facilities were
very limited, but everybody did the best
he could.
Col Astor expects 10 return to Santiago
In about two weeks and his duties as aide
de-camp to Gen. Shafter. The republi-
can machine of New York is talking of
running him for Congress in the Twelfth
or tenderloin district in opposition to
George B. Mcclellan. He tells me that he
does not know anything about 1t and ism t
a party to the plan. He has never had
any ambition for political life. and thinks
that he might make it go after getting
a little experience.