The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-03

once, and, as all connected with the army
Will recall, the orders were received after
dark, and the army was in motion, had
travelled nine miles and was On the ships
at daylight. When the expedition sailed
| Ior cuba it went there escorted by large
| neet OF war ships.
Az tnat blme 1T was regarded as i'm
| possible for q merchant ship to sail on
the ocean safely from any American port
10 santiago, but as soon as the Spanish
| Iieeu was destroyed so that it was possible
Ior unarmed ships to sail safely to Santi-
ago. the generous people of the United
otales subscribed money without limit
ana dispatched ship after ship. loaded
| with Injuries and delicacies for the san
| Jlago army and everything that could be
accomplished for their comfort was done
py the PRESIDENT and Secretary of War.
AFTER the surrender had been COM
| pleted and arrangements perfected for
| transporting the Spanish army to Spain,
the President and Secretary of War sent
shipping to Santiago and transported our
army to one of the most healthfuI locali-
| ties In the United States. The point
selected by the Secretary of War was so
situated that thorough protection was
given the people of the United States
from the danger of yellow fever con-
taglon. The soldiers upon their arrival
at this place received every care and
| bounty which could be procured by
money. The President and Secretary of
War directed that their health and COM
forts should be cared for without reference
to expense and in addition the people
within circuit of the one hundred miles
Wed with each other In shipping to them
carloads and steamboat loads of luxuries
of all kinds
II have just finished my daily in
spection of the hospitals. With rare ex-
ceptions the sick are cheerful and i'm
proving. have nurses and doctors to care
for them, and in all my many tours l
have not found single patient who made
the slightest complaint. 1t is true there
has been suffering and great suffering.
The climate of Cuba was very severe on
all our soldiers, but instead of complain
ing, the hearts of those brave men are
filled with gratitude to the people for the
generosity which has been extended to
them.
"There is no doubt that there have been
Individual cases of suffering and possible
neglect among the soldiers, not only in
Cuba, but since their arrival at this place.
Nearly twenty thousand men were
brought from yellow fever district to
the United States. 1t would have been
criminal to have landed them and allowed
them to go promlscuously among the
people, 1t has been stated by physicians,
that if that had been done, yellow fever
would have spread through many of our
states.
: "To avoid such a catastrophe, point
which is more thoroughly isolated from
the people than any other locality which
could be found was selected. By these
wise means the country has been saved
from the soourge of this fearful disease.
Every one will realize that to land
eighteen thousand men and put them on
the fields without any buildings what
ever, could not be done without some
hardships. Over 5000 sick men have been
received in the general hospital and as
many more sick have been cared for in
the camps, and yet only about sixty
deaths have occurred in these hospitals.
Clients had to be erected and hospitals
constructed and preparations to supply
these eighteen thousand men with whole
some water, food, medicines, physicians,
nurses cooks, hospital furniture, wagons,
ambulances and the other needs essential
to caring for the men, fully half of whom
are very sick or in a feeble physical con-
dition. In addition to this, most of the
bedding and much of the clothing was
left in Santiago to prevent yellow fever
Infection. All of these deficiencies have
had to be supplied. We had but one line
of railroad to bring these supplies and
sometimes there have been delays.