The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-08-26
LETTER FROM ALGER
The Secretary Of War Tells Of the
Work Of His Department
5tupendous Amount OF VFork Had Co Bs
Carried Out-FIeld COumandeEs Re-
sPOnsIbls for Much sIoknsaa-sanI-
tar7 Rules were Not Oburved-

j
New York, Aug. s2.-Chauneey NJ.
1 Depew has received the following let
/ ter from the secretary Of war and has
consented to its publication It was
written in reply to a request for in-
formation:
Ny Dear Mr.. Depew: The great pressure Of
/ business has up to now prevented me from
/ sending 70 you the statement you we're kind
| enough 20 Gsk for, as to what had been accom-
plished in the way CT Quitting the army for
/ the field. the conduct OF campaign, etc Also,
/ the chiefs Of divisions have been too much
driven with work to compile the data required
/ One not In the midst OF the work can hardly
realize what an undertaking Il IS to call rs, 900
men into the field at one time, coming from Gil
/ she states, and to have thea mustered snd
/ gathered IN camps On SO short notice, and this
/ too when We had scarcely any camp outfit for
/ their accommodation all having 70 be provided
| for BY the war department
/ As you know when the var was declared
| there was no equipment whatever for the vol
| unteers IN store This was successfully 40
1 complished, with very few accidents, as mat
| ter OF record Subsequent calls, including the
/ regular army (Which numbered about 200
mon when war was declared, made total Of
i 26S 500 men To accomplish all IN 50 short q
/ time has been great work.
/ Thus from the homes OF 216 900 volunteers has
| been constant and great anxiety as 70 what
/ might happen TO their soldiers. and hundreds
| Of inquiries, made BY letters and kilograms,
/ have been received every day concerning in"
| dfviduaI soldiers The feeling on the part Of
/ these individuals that the war department is
/ responsible for the care Of their men fndfTidu-
I ally has naturally aroused sympathy in case Of
sickness and death. and has created much sor-
row
l ming 70 furnish every camp with all appliances
/ asked for, but. OF course, the commanding ON
! GERS in the Geld are she ones who have direct
charge Of these men For instance, one army
| corps commander has division orders and en-
forces them, respecting sanitary affairs, and
! he has to-day but a fraction over two per cent
/ on the sick list Others have not been success
/ ful and the consequence is that typhoid and
| other feTers have been bred and spread to .
| considerable extent One regiment In the
/ ChickamauEa camp has q colonel who eufOrces
sanitary rules in his regiment, Obliging the
/ men TO boil all the water they drink, keeping
the camp clean, aud the result Is that there are
/ less than - sick. and the camp. too. IS IN as
unfavOrable place as any in tho command
| Others more favorably situated have ten times
| that number on the sick list One Of the reEi-
/ ments OF the last call. not yet moved from 3
state. sends bitter complaints Of typhoid fever.
/ Concerning the Santiago campaign, when the
| ships left Tampa they had on board three
! months provisions and an abundance Of hos
I pital supplies They had lighters 70 unload
with at point Of debarkation- These lighters
we're lost in severe storms on the way As
/ soon as we were notified Of the fact. two tOWs
| OF lighters we're sent from Mobile and New Or
/ leans. which we're also Overtaken b storms
/ and lost The navy supplied Us with lighters
| and one Of those was wrecked The army dis
! embarked, getting on portion Of its supplies
/ and medical stores and Immediately marched
i to the front to fight the Spauiards- The great
/ difhculty Of landing supplies subsequently was
/ because Of the wind, which sprang up every
/ morning at ten and made q high surf render
| ing almost impossible the use Of small boats,
with one lighter, which was all they had ieft
/ for this purpose
or the packers who were employed, 90 per
| cent soon fen sick, and heavy rains falling
/ every day, the roads (if they could be called
| suChl became impossible FOR vehicles Pack
animals had 70 be employed 70 carry food 70
/ the army, being extended 20 the right around
4 Santiago, increased the distance from the coast
every day and made the task more dificulL
/ When yellow fever broke out and the fever
/ list increased into the thousands, It was for 3
| time supposed that It was principally yellow
/ fever The bringing Of troops north 1t once
/ after the surrender, under such conditions
/ would have been certain death TO q vast num-
/ Der, but. upon inquiry. It was ascertsined that
/ very few OF these cases comparatively. were
/ yellow fever, when IL was at once decided to
/ bring the army home as speedily as possible
| To give you little idea Of the work that has
/ been done 1 append the fOllOEings
The work Of the adjutaut generals depart
| ment has been to muster and order 70 their
| stations. to be precise, 2i6 800 volunteers and
"A 800 for the regular army-this- with re-
| duced force. as many stat officers from all q
i the departments had been promoted and
ordered to the field
| The chief OF engineers reports al expenditure
L Of Is. $50 600 for harbOr defeuses, building en-
/ placements Of heavy guns, mortar batteries
L and mines
! The surgeon general has had the enormous
work Of fitting up hospitals, organizing the
/ medical corps, employing male and female
/ nurses contract surgeons, being surgeons who
/ are employed from civil life, besides those
/ commissioned as corps. divisions and brigade
l surgeons furnishing medical supplies and an
/ sFering the demands from all over the country
Il and from camps at Santiago Porto Rico and
L Manila The work done in this line Is almost
/ beyond comprehension
/ The commissary general had purchased and
/ distributed up to August ilO.9O7r2s pounds q
Il rattOns- which have been transported and dis
4 tribGted to all armies IN the field here and az
| Santiago. Porto Rico ana Manila. besides the
] large quantity distributed among the destituts
Cubans-
/ The uuartsrmaster generals report IS too
! long to give an approximate idea Of his work
/ In the way Of transportation 70 Honolulu. Ma
i Mia, Santiago and Porto Rico and return home,
there have been sent g., 0SS men, with artillery
/ equipment and supplies By rail In this coun-
I try there have been transported 800 officers
20 go enlisted men, also % 50 animal, besides
[ thousands OF wagons artillery and other quar-
| termaster. commissary. ordnance, medical and
[ signal service stores The total NUM-
/ Der Of articles Of clothing and camp equipaEs
/ distributed to the army By the quartermaster' 3
/ department has been {. "a. 81 OF which can
! only mention q few articles. as follows.
I Blankets. Es5Ts97 blousss. %. TO-: trousers.
90 -. hats 80 100. canvas feld uniforms g.
30. shoes pairs 81. rs undershirts, 736- $50
tents f73. ~. etc, etc
The total weight Of foOd and forage dis
trfbuted daily 70 the army is, approximately,
I 20 tons
ADDED 70 this is the large feet Of transports
chartered and purchased the management q
1 the same IN conveying troops. supplies ana
i ammunition
The signal corps has provided most emcEeut
/ service furnishing cable. telegraph. telephone
I and signal services 70 The different commands
/ IN che field
/ II you had day or two 70 spare, would ike
80 sandwich in q little work for you would
! Ike 20 send you these statements In detail
I which I think would beEiider you II anything
l can Sincerely yours R A AL7EB-
May said 90 Favor AnnszstIon-
London, Aug. 29--The Times this
morning publishes a letter from Has
Fana dated July q IN which the writer
says The civil population have arrived
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