Evening star., 1898-09-20
An Address Issued to the Volunteer
Signal Corps.
RECITAL OF IT'S MANY SERVICES
First to Arrive at Santiago and
Last to Leave.
DESTRUCTION OF CABLES

The disintegration Of the Volunteer Sig
nal Corps was begun today, wher orders
were issued for the relief from active SER
vice of the 14th Company, with view to
its furlough and muster out. General
Greedy in issuing this order took advantage
of the opportunity to issue an address to
his men of whose record in the war he has
just reason to be proud. He says that
while detained himself by his many duties
from participating at the front he cannot
permit his men to return to private life
without acknowledging their loyalty, eff
cient and valuable services to the nation.
In reciting the services rendered by the
corps General Greey says:
In the Santiago campaign you were the
first of the army to arrive, as you were the
last to leave, destroying within range OF
Spanish guns the submarine cables that
gave the enemy daily information of inesti-
mable value When the occupation of San
tiago was ordered you repaired cables with
such celerity that you opened communica-
tions between the United States marine
camp at Caimanera fGuantanamo) and
New York city on June y, the day prior to
the landing of the 5th Army Corps off San
tidgo. Battles may be fought and cpl
denies spread, but speedy communications
must nevertheless be maintained, and ow
ing to your efforts the American army in
Cuba has not been isolated geographically
a single day.
In the Cuban campaign you arranged,
maintained and operated system of cable
and land lines-partly commercial, partly
war cables, partly flying telegraph lines
and partly telephone lines-ttat enabled
messages to pass in twenty minutes from
the Executive Mansion in Washington to
the headquarters Of the army before San
tiago and which offered the dir ect and i'm
mediate communications between the Sec
retary of War in his office and the Signal
Corps men in the rifle pits on the right. the
left and in the center of our intrencned
army within 400 yards of the enemy. When
the city fell our lines followed Immediate
ly American headquarters as it moved
therein.
No one will ever know the difficulties
physical and moral, climatic and service
under which you labored in Cuba Heat
and thirst, hunger and fatigue, these pres
ent sufferings with Impending disease and
death, you endured and faced uncomplain-
ingly with the rest of the army, but these
conditions never prevented the prompt,
cheerful and efficient discharge of the inn
pOrtant duties devolving unremittingly day
and night on the Signal Corps.
I'm Porto Rico you were ever with the
advance, participating as scouts and skirn1-
ishers in the capture and occupation cf
towns. From the beginning to the end OF
the campaign you kept each important
command in telegraphic or telephone ccm-
mUnications with the corps commanders
and also with the base of operations
I'm the Philippines you were always TO
the front oud throughout siege operations
constructed and maintained telegraphic and
telephone lines in the advance trenches at
Manila, remaining with the rest of the
army under fire daily, under conditions so
dangerous that five officers were brevetted
and several men recommended for medals
of honor
Less exciting, but scarcely second il.
Importance, were your duties at the great
camps of the country.
The connections by cable of the prin-
cipal forts in our great harbors and the
initiation and installment of an entirely
new electrical fire control system were also
your labors. While your service every
you have especially illustrated that devei-
opment of character necessary to expert
work by your devotion as officers and your
obedience as men, under the trying and
monotonous conditions of camp and garrl-
son life where the COLDER and officer are
fashioned day by day for the supreme mo-
ment of battle. The lessons there learned
have served you well.
THE Signal Corps has filled neither the
guard house nor the hospital. Serving in
the field in Cuba. in the Philippines and in
Porto Rico and in home garrison at Tampa,
Chickamauga Camp Alger, Jacksonville
and Montauk, yet your total aggregate OF
over 800 has lost by disease in camp and
field to date only five-officers and men in
cluded
las our roads part and the greatest num-
Der of the Signal Corps go back to the
paths Of civil life, the chief signal officer
of the army gives you all God speed, hop
ing that the hardships of war, while max
ing YOU advocates of all peace that is not
shameless and unpatriotic, will ever make
YOU mindful of the value and welfare or
the regular Signal Corps, of which you
have been SO great part In the war, TO
ha ulp Of 40 American army,