The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-04

ty-second and Tenth Regular Infantry were
assembled without arms. About 5000 men
stood in close order.
General Wheeler said: "The President of
our great country has come here to greet
the soldiers that marched so gallantly up
San Juan hill on July /. He comes here to
express the Nations thanks to those brave
men. I wish to tell you that when the
President sent me here, two weeks ago, to
command this camp. he enjoined me in the
most emphatic language that I should,
without regard to expense, exercise any
and every authority necessary to make
comfortable this body of brave men. who
by their courage have raised this Republic
to the highest position among the great
nations Of the earth. I have the honor and
pleasure OF introducing to you the President
of the United States"
MKINLEYS SPEECH.
President Mckinley said: General
Wheeler. soldiers of Camp Wikoff, soldiers
of the Fifth Army Corps, 1 trust that you
will put your hats on-I am glad to meet
you. I am honored to stand before you to-
day. I bring you the gratitude of the Ma
ton to whose history you have added by
your valor new and glorious page. You
have come home after two months of severe
campaigning which has embraced assault,
| siege and battle so brilliant in achieve
ment, so far-reaching in results as to COM
mand the unstinted praise of all your coun-
| trymen. You had the brunt of the battle
on land. You bore yourselves with supreme
courage, and your personal bravery, never
before excelled anywhere. has won the adj
miration of your fellow-citizens and the
genuine respect OF all mankind, while your
endurance under peculiar trial and suffering
1 I, erfx,a doH t0
Your exertiors made easy the conquest of
Porto Rico under the resistless army COM
manded by Major General Miles, and be-
| hind. you to proceed at moments sum-
mons were more than 100000 of your COM
rades ready to support you, disappointed
| that the opportunity which you had did
not come to them, yet filled with pride at
your well-earned fame and rejoicing upon
| your signal victories.
"You were on the line of battle; they, no
| less than you, were in the line of duty. All
have served their country in its need, all
| will serve 1t so long as they may be re-
| quired, and all will forever have the thanks
and regard of a grateful people.
I'VE cannot bid YOU welcome here to-
| day without our hearts going out to the
heroes of Manila sea and on land. whose
| services and sacrifices, whose courage and
| constancy in that far-distant field of opera
| tions have never been surpassed by any
| soldiers or sailors the world over. To the
| army and the navy, to the Marines to the
regulars, to the volunteers and to that
| Providence which has watched over them,
all the Nation to-day is full of thanks
| giving and praise. The brave officers and
| men who fell in battle and those who have
| died from exposure and sickness will live
| in immortal story and their memories will
| be perpetuated in the hearts and the histo-
| ries of a generous people, and those who
/ are dependent upon them will not be neg
| lected by the government for which they so
freely sacrificed their lives
| Tie soldiers cheered many times The
| part of the field where the Eighth Ohio
| stood. the regiment which is sometimes
called "The Presidents own" was particu-
larly noisy. The party then went to the
| detention hospital by. road that passed
in the rear of the general hospital The
graveyard, in which sixty or seventy plain,
new. wooden crosses Stood was near the
road. on the left. The President solemnly
| raised his hat.
Mr.. Mckinley went through all the wards
of the detention hospital in the same care-
full way in which he had gone through those
| Of the general hospital. When he came to
the last ward. Maj. r. T. Ebert said This
is dangerous ward and, turning to Sec
retary or War Alger, inquired do you
| think the President had better go in here?"
| DID NOT HESITATE.
/ Mr.. Mckinley. without waiting to hear
what General Alger's reply would be-
| started into the ward. General Alger and
the others of the party remained outside.
The presidential party then drove through
| lines of cavalry drawn up on either side of
| the road. Among them were the Rough
Riders, the Second, Sixth, Ninth Tenth and
First Regular Cavalry. The Third regu-
| lars were still acting as the Presidents es-
| cort. Mr.. Mckinley then drove to General
Wheeler's headquarters and sat under the
| shade of a tent fly for while. Secretary
Alger and General Wheeler were with him.
The President saw Col. John Jacob Astor
| in group a few yards away and he beck
cned to the colonel. who went over, shook
| hands with the President and sat few
minutes in the party.
The President and those with him took
| lunch with General Wheeler and his staff
After lunch the President. Secretary AIger,
| General Wheeler and Colonel Hard, of the
| Eighth Ohio were photographed in a group.
| The President issued an order directing
| that the regular troops at Camp Wikoff
| whose posts are east of the Mississippi
should return with the least possible delay
| to their posts.
| President Mckinley was in camp but few
hours when he decided that the best thing
| to do was to get the troops away from
Montauk Point as soon as possible. The
volunteers will be sent home on furloughs
and some of the regulars will be disposed of
| as follows
| Third cavalry, Fort ethan Allen. VT. and
| Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Sixth Cavalry, to
Fort Wadsworth, N X; Third Infantry, to
Fort Smelling. Mimi: Fourth Infantry, to
Fort Sheridan, ILL.,; Sixth Infantry, to Fort
| Thomas, KY: Ninth Infantry, to Madison
| Barracks, N. Y; Thirteenth Infantry to
Forts Columbus. Porter and Niagara, N
": Seventh Infantry, to Columbus Bar
racks, o.; Twentieth Infantry. to Fort
Leavenworth Kan. Twenty-first Infantry
| to Plattsburg Barracks. N. Y.
| Generals Wheeler and Ames. while they
| favored sending the troops home as rapidly
as possible. told the President that they did
not believe the sanitary conditions of the
camp were as bad as had been reported.
| The presidential party then went down to
the station and left on special train at 1:50
On the train Mr.. Mckinley made this state
ment:
II was very much pleased to meet the he
roes of Santiago and to observe their splen-
1 = I Of he nf he