Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-05
WANT TO COME HOME.
OFFICERS AT SANTIAGO Ask ron
RETURN OF ARMY.
FEVER EPIDEAIC IHHIHEET.
Men Must Be Moved mt Once or
Perish--Roosevelt Eloquent ON the
subject-Round-Robin to shafter-
Removal Ordered.

! eu Dy MaJqr-General Shafter, q meeting
was held here this morning at headquar-
ters. and in the presence Of every COM
manding and medical officer OF the Fifth
Army Corps. General Shafter read ca
BILE message from Secretary Alger, order
ing him, on the recommendation OF Sur
geon-General Sternberg, TO move the army
into the interior, to San Luis, which is
much higher than Santiago. AS result
OF the conference. General Shafter will
insist upon the immediate withdrawal of
the army north within two weeks.
AS an explanation of the situation, the
following letter from Colonel Theodore
| Roosevelt. commanding the First voun-
teer Cavalry, to General Shafter, was
handed by the latter to the correspondent
here of the Associated Press. for publica-
ton:
| NO REASON FOR DELAY.
| "Major-General Shafter:
| "Sir,-In a meeting of the general and
medical officers called by you at the
| palace this morning, we were all, as you
know, unanimous in view OF what should
be done with army. TO keep us mere, IN
the opinion Of every officer commanding
a division or a brigade will simply In
volve the destruction of thousands. There
is no possible reason for not shipping
practically the entire command north at
! once Yellow-fever cases are very few in
| the cavalry division, where / command
| one Of the two brigades. and not one true
| case of yellow-fever has occurred in this
division, except among the men sent 10
the hospital at Siboney, where they have,
| j believe, contracted II. But in this divl-
sion there have been 1900 cases Of mala-
rial fever. Not man died from IT, but
the whole command is so weakened and
shattered as to be ripe for dying like rot
ting sheep when a real yellow-fever epi-
demic, instead of a fake epidemic like
the present, strikes us, as 1t Is bound 10
do II we stay here at the height of the
sickly season, August and the beginning
OF September.
NO QUARANTINE EFFECTIVE.
Quarantine against malarial fever Is
much like quarantining against the tooth
ache. All of us are certain that as soon
as the authorities at Washington fully
appreciate the condition Of the army we
will be sent home. III we are kept here
it will, in all human possibility mean an
appalling disaster, for the surgeons here
estimate that over half the army, If kept
here during the sickly season, will die.
This is not only terrible from the stand
point of the individual lives lost, but IT
means ruin from the standpoint Of the
military efficiency of the flower of the
American army, for the great bulk Of the
regulars are here with you.
"The sick-list large though It is. ex-
ceedng 1900. affords but faint index OF
the debilitation of the army. Not 10 per
cent. are fit for active work. Six weeks
on the North Maine coast, for instance,
or elsewhere, where the yellowfever
germ cannot possibly propagate, would
make US all as fit as fighting cocks, able,
as we are eager, to take a part in the
great campaign against Habana, in the
fall, even II we are not allowed to try
Porto Rico.
REMOVAL SAFE.
1--WE can be moved North, II moved at
once, with absolute safety TO the country.
although of course, it would have been
infinitely better if we had been moved
north or TO Porto Rico two weeks ago.
If there were any object in keeping US
here we would face yellow-feVer with
as much indifference as we face bullets,
but there is no object I'm it. The four
immune regiments ordered here are suffl
cient 10 garrison the city and surround
ing towns, and there is absolutely no.
thing for us TO do here, and has not been
since the city surrendered 1t is impos-
sibe to move into the interior, and any
how the interior Is rather worse than
the coast, as / have found by actual re-
connoissance. Our present camps are as
healthy as any camps at this end OF the |
island can be.
r
men, who have fought so brayey and |
who have endured extreme hardships |
and danger so uncomplainingly, go TO !
destruction without striving, 80 far as |
lies in me, 10 avert a doom as fearful |
as it is unnecessary and undeserved. |
Yours respectfully,
(signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Colonel Commanding First Brigade"
ROUND-ROBIN TO SHABTER.
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the
initiative. all the American officers united
In a "round-robin" addressed TO General
Shafter. 1t reads as follows:
1--WE, the undersigned officers, COM
manding the various brigades divisions,
etc., of the army Of occupation OF Cuba,
are Of the unanimous opinion that this
army should be az once taken cut OF the
Island of Cuba and sent TO some point
on the northern coast OF the United
States; that il can be done without danger
TO the people Of the United States; that
yellow-fever in the army is not epidemic;
that there are only few sporadic cases,
but that the army Is disabled by mala-
rial-feVer to the extent that It's eihcency
is destroyed, and that it is in condition
to be practically destroyed by an cpl
demic of yellow-fever, which Is sure TO
come in the near future. We know, from
the reports of competent officers and per-
sonaI observation that the army is un-
able to move into the interior; that there
are no facilities for such m9ye. IL at
tempted. and that 1t could not be at
tempted till too late. Moreover, the best
medical authorities Of the island say that
with our present equipment We could not
live in the interior during the rainy sea-
son without loss from malarial-fever,
which is almost as deadly as yellow
fever.
REMOVAL OR DESTRUCTION.
"This army must be moved at once or
perish. AS the army can be safely moved
now. the persons responsible for prevent
ing such a move will. be responsible for
the unnecessary loss of many thousands
Of lives.
"Our opinions are the result Of careful
nersonal observation, and they are also
based on the unanimous opinion OF our
medical officers with the army, who un-
1erstand the situation absolutely"
Major NJ. Wood. the chief surgeon OF !
the First Division, said: 'The army must I
he moved north" and added with en-
60 ,,.gtf no ,tpahia IN r,o.r. 81 |