Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-08-06

In this he was unsuccessful. At the
headquarters of Gen. Coppinger. corps
commander. he was Informed that the
men could not he discharged wncn the
Illinois officers had failed TO leave the
necessary signed blanks for use when
the discharge forms should he received
ut corps headquarters.
Actual want. the men say. faced them
when Captain Brown departed. The
little money possessed by two or three
was divided for the common good.
Much of 1t was spent in kilograms ask
ing assistance. Personal appeals were
made at headquarters and they failed.
No officer could give orders to the ont.
casts or order them to take off the uni.
form they wore. Neither was any one
empowered to issue them rations or to
send n physician to treat their diseases.
Nearly half the twelve were victims of
dysentery. two were slowly GONZALES.
cling from attacks Of pneumonia. and
one was sick with appendicitis. In addi-
tion to the two brain sufferers. who
needed constant attendance. Even the
dress was improper. being that. 1t Is
asserted. which the men wore when
they were living In the chill of an iii.
nois spring.
AS last resource the discharge
blanks were forwarded to Cuba for the
signature of the regimental officers.
Nothing was heard from them. In n
week the decision was reached to separ.
ate and strike for Chicago. By this time
those who had homes here received
some money for transportation. Mrs.
Brown. wife of Captain Brown. wired
also In response to n message that
money would De soon on the way. At
the time of the breaking up of the party
the relief. however. had not come.
Private Moss. through the intervcn.
ton of government secret service
agent. was given transportation for
himself and Corporal Burnett. whom nc
accompanied home ms an attendant
The men said to have "trnmped II"
were Prlvates Brigham. Reynolds.
Nunamnker and Chrltton.
81 am out of II alive" said one of the
twelve last night. land am thankful.
II battle II worse than what We passed
through. may heaven pity the poor fel.
lows mt Santiago. We were left there
AZ Picnic Island twelve sick men. Fri.
vate Heine. who II n dentist ut home,
was comparatively well. only his eyes
troubling him. PrIvatcs Reynolds.
Hooker. Nunnmnker. Chrltton and
I.nnglnnd were down with dysentery.
Prlvatcs Moss and Boycsen were re-.
covering from pneumonia. Private
smith was III with appendicitis and
needed treatment badly. while Corporal
Burnett and Private Caldwell needed
to be guarded much Of the time. We
had no proper food or clothing. We
might rs well have been deserted on n
barren island. They could do nothing
for us Mt headquarters. and we don't
blame them. II we had been under reg.
ulnr army officers the thing would new.
or have happened. We suffered beca use
our officers didn't know how to take
care Of their men.
I'VE finally chose one OF our number
rs n lender, and We even tried 10 get
our transportation by getting up fake
discharges. They wouldn't 20. The
blanks came nll right. hut there was
no one to sign them. The papers IRE
chasing the officers Of the First around
Cuba to-day. We sent them to Santa.
20 for the signatures. but we knew Il
would be weeks before we ever heard
from them. We couldn't stand It that
long. SO we broke, each man for him.
self In theory, though some hung TO.
gether.
II understand the boys are all back
now. Four OF them. Brigham, Reyn.
olds. Nunamaker. and Chrltton. maybe
others, beat their way along The rail.
roads. ! haven't seen them. but I
would like to take a look mt their uni. |
forms. ! wonder what people along
their route thought. anyhow.
1.-THE only thing We heard from any
official aid organization In Chicago was
a message from Mrs. Brown, President |
OF one wOmen's auxiliary. She tcle.
graphed that money was coming. I
suppose II We could have waited from
the middle of July to the LIST OF August
we would have all Of us been able to
ride home. But we couldn't wait"
When Corporal Burnett reached the
city II was only TO find that his family
had been turned out OF the home ut
1851 state street for non.payment OF
rent. ana his plumbing business ruined.
He himself was too weak TO seek work. |
Instead OF the greeting from his wife
and children that he had been expect
Ing. he found the house empty and a
ITO let" sign In the windows. None
of the neighbors could tell him where
the family had gone, and weak and
sick he sat down on the steps till he
could get strength to go In search of
them. In the two weeks of his desti-
tuition on Picnic Island ana In Tampa
he had been unable to get word from
or to them.
Burnetts young daughter, Josie.
works at the Fair store, and when he had
recovered enough strength to start out
again he went to look for her. When
he finally arrived downtown and con-
frOnted her he was not recognized NJ
first. Then there was mournful |
between the little girl and the
father In the office OF Manager Jacob |
Kestner, and Burnett was told how
his family had been forced to move and |