The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-09-08
Sick in Various Cam ps

One of the worst pest-holes seems TO be
at Camp Thomas, On the site Of the old
battlefield Of Chickamauga, which was
chosen GS the site of camp of instruc
ton early in the war on account of its
supposed sanitary advantages. Here the
number of sick, in hospital and outside,
is estimated at nearly $500, while nearly
as many have been sent home to hospitals
or their friends. Camp Wikoff is filling
up daily with accessions from the troops
returning from Santiago or Gen. Miles
army in Porto Rico. Loud complaints are
made of the need of nurses and proper
food, and yet it is not many weeks since
some of the officials of the medical depart-
ment were protesting against the employ
ment Of Red Cross nurses, although they
have shown themselves most efficient both
at the front among wounded men and in
the fever hospitals.
The tales Of horror which have been re-
lated by soldiers arriving on pest ships in
weeks past were repeated Sunday, when
the Yucatan got to the pier at Camp Wi
koff, Montauk Point, and began to dis
charge the troops who came from San
tago. She had on board six companies
Of the Seventh regular infantry. The
shocking condition of the men and the ap-
palling scenes through which they passed
can be imagined from the fact that seven
men were starved to death on the passage,
and three more died while in the harbor
before they could be landed, because the
ship left Santiago without proper food or
supplies for the sick or anything else but
the regular army rations, salt hors-, sow
belly and shingles" as the soldiers call
the corn beef, salted pork and kardtack,
which the sick were unable to eat.
When the Eighth Ohio landed from the
Mohawk Sunday, 800 were reported sick
and were carried in ambulances to the
hospital, but it was soon discovered that
ITO of them were only suffering for food,
and as soon as they had drank glass of
milk or two and had got something whole
some in their stomachs they were able to
go to their camp. If the vessel had been
delayed three or four days more the
Eighth Ohio would have lost 100 men
from starvation, for many OF them had
been ill with fever and their stomachs re-
jected the only food that WAS provided
for them.
Before Secretary Alger left Camp Wi
koff he ordered the surgeon general to
send Immediately twenty-four physicians
and eighty more nurses to assist and re-
lieve the devoted women serving as vol.
unteers, who have been working night and
day, week after week, until thei, strength
is exhausted. Some of the Red Cross
nurses have not had their clothes off for
ten days, and there are no accommoda-
tions for them to rest and refresh them
selves.
The regulars who have returned from
Santiago are in excellent condition COM
pared with the volunteers. This is partic-
ularly true of the negro troops. They
seem as strong and hearty as they were
when they left for Cuba, although they
have endured the same hardships and
have eaten the same rations. This is ac-
counted for by the ability of the negro
race to endure hot weather and to resist
miasmatic poisons. 1t is also true and no.
ticeable everywhere that the regular SOL
dier knows how to live in camp and how
to take care of himself on the march much
better than the volunteer. He is hard
ened to hardships and exposure. He is
accustomed to his rations, while the great
majority of the volunteers have been fed
all their lives upon a different diet. The
experience of the regular has taught him
to take care of his health and to make
himself comfortable by little tricks that
the volunteer knows nothing about This
difference is very noticeable in making
camps. The regulars will march to a va
cant piece of ground, and have their tents
up, their kitchens located, their dinner
cooked and stretch themselves out under
the canvas to rest before the average vol
unteer realizes what is necessary to be
dnna