Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-03

The writer had the privilege to operate
IN All OF the hospitals. and was always
able 70 nnd the essential antiseptics and
dressing material required In military
practice, and this was at time when
the supplies were at the lowest. There
was no lack at any time Of stimuIants
and anaesthetics.
Iheree IL no use in denying the fact
tnat Immediately after the battle the
tent and blanket supplies were inade-
quate. but those defects were corrected
promptly. War always has had its hard
ahips and discomforts. 1t cannot be
prosecuted in parlor-cars and lighthouses.
Our soldiers expected deprivation end
unavoidable discomforts. but on the whole
they were subjected TO less actual suf-
fering than they had reason 10 look for.
To the credit OF the medical officers IL
must be said that they shared the nevi-
table hardships in common with the SOL
diers. They lived on the same food,
drank the same water, and made the
moist ground their beds"
RED CROSS TESTIMONY.
DR.. A. Monae Lesser, of the Red Cross
Society, who came back from Santiago on
the transport Concho, talked yesterday
of the condition OF the hospital and COM
missary departments of the army. He
said:
while / was at siboney and Santiago
saw nothing but disease and devasta-
ton. No words can describe the horrf-
BILE conditions resulting from the battles.
SO numerous were the wounded that they
lay on the ground for hours, not only
on the field and in the trenches, but in
the field hospitals, before any attention
could be given to them. At Siboney out
Of the whole number of Red Cross physi-
clans and nurses only three were at one
time in condition to attend to their
work. So far, Major Lagarde, who was
in charge of the Red Cross force in the
hospital at siboney, is the only one who
has escaped the fever. His two assis-
tants were stricken before 1 came away.
mo fault can be found with the men
and women intrusted with the work, for
they were short OF medicines all the
time. We lacked everything, even to the
cots for the fever patients and food and
fee. There was enough work TO be done
among the wounded alone, but when the
fever came II was thousand times
worse. have stated these things in my
report to the society, and have recon-
mended that the management of the hos
pita and commissary departments be
investigated, so that the conditions In
Cuba may be improved, and not permit
ted to grow worse from day to day, as
they are doing.
Nearly all the sisters Of the Red
Cross being down with fever, IL was
necessary to nurse them instead OF their
being able to attend to the wants OF the
soldiers. II is not true that Miss Barton
refused to give food. except to the sick
and wounded In the tents. She gave to
all that needed It, and did a vast amount
Of good.
During the fight at Santiago Miss Bar
ton went to the front and with her
own hands ministered to the urgent
wants OF we'll and wounded alike. She
prepared food and coffee and gave them
to the men who were fighting in the
trenches and who were furnishing, and
hundreds OF soldiers who would other
wise have succumbed TO exhaustion not
only were able to keep their places In
firing line but actually owe their lives
to Miss Barton. There was no moment
when Miss Barton hesitated TO expose
herself freely under fire, and on one occa-
sion she continued at her work for
twenty-four hours without rest"
Dr. Lesser denounced the stories OF
cowardce among mepbers of the
Seventy-first Regiment as absolutely un-
true and said that of the many men of
the regiment whom he had seen in the
hospitals there was not one who did not
have his wounds IN front.