The times., 1898-09-06
LOST IN THE HOSPITALS
Long Search For a Missing
District Soldier.
FOUND - MERE ACCIDENT
Thomas Sheaffer, With Many Other
Sick Men, Hurried From Camp
WiiSoff to New York on Account of
the Presidents Visit-Were Uni
Identified In Faulty Army Records.

This is a story OF the search of bro
ken-hearted mother and an anxious sister
for a son and brother who marched away
with the District regiment to fight for
his country, returned week ago a
broken down wreck of his former SELF
sick unto death and was lost by the Off
cials at Camp Wikoff in their hurry to
remove the very sick men and prepare
for the inspection of the camp by Presi-
dent Mckinley.
After a long and tedious search he was
almost miraculously discovered in a hos
pital in Brooklyn. n. Y, by his mother
and sister and brought home by them,
and is now lying i'll at his mothers home
in Tenleytown.
Thomas o. Sheaffer is young man just
entering his twenty eighth year. and is
we'll known in Washington. When the
war broke out he caught the fever and
enlisted with Company B, First Battalion.
| of the District National Guard, being one
of the first to offer himself under the call
for volunteers.
He was mustered in as an assistant
quartermaster's sergeant, and served in
this capacity until the regiment left Tam
pa, when he was transferred TO the ranks
and offered a corporalship, which for
many reasons he refused to accept.
| He was with the regiment during the
entire campaign in Cuba, serving in the
| trenches before Santiago. Ten days be-
fore ne regiment left for home he was
stricken with fever, but buoyed up with
| the hope of an early return, refused to
report sick and be sent to the division
hospital. preferring to perform his work
and take chances on recovery.
When the First Battalion finally left
Santiago he was taken aboard the trans
port Minnewaska and there his condition
became so serious that he was put in the
| sick quarters.
The Suffering En- Route.
What the sick men on that transport
suffered can never be told, he says and
many times during the journey the ill
soldiers almost prayed that death might
come and relieve them. During the trip
Sheaffer had hardly any nourishment, his
stomach being unable to retain the food
given him. Private Bahlman died on the
next COT 10 LttH lIlc JOuIiiGS anu
was buried at sea.
Sheaffer says that the devotion of the
brother to the sick man was the most
beautiful and touching incident he ever
witnessed, and that he scarcely left the
bedside of his sick charge until the poor
fellow died, and then he had TO be led
away. overcome by grief. Such scenes
| Rel ha their
hearts nearly failed them a number of
times before the journey was concluded.
When the transport reached Montauk
Point Sunday a week ago the sick were
removed and held in the detention camp
| until Monday Sheaffer was one of the
yellow fever suspects but an examina-
ton proved that he was not sufferer
from that dread disease.
On Monday d large nu;noer of men, over
thousand, according to his account.
were taken from the detention camp and
the general camp and hurried to New
York This was done. he says. TO give
the camp healthier appearance for the
visit of the President and Secretary OF
War These men were loaded in baggage
and freight cars with the floor covered
with straw and transported to New
York This journey consumed many
hours, Rs the trains bearing the sick ~eTs
/ SlGeIraCked 10 MAKE way Lux C-aSoASAci
trains.
The general order under which thi
journey was made was that the mel
should be taken to the hospitals in New
| York. These institutions We're almos
totally unprepared to receive such
number of patients and no facilities wer
provided at the point of debarkat1on L
convey the sick to the hospitals.
Ambulances. carriages, and even under
takers wagons were pressed into service
and citizens and policemen came to tn
assistance Of the sufferers and helpe'
them out of the crowded and uncomfort
able cars. The citizens especially wer
! aroused over the treatment of the men
and came to their rescue in such a wa,
that the boys will never forget II.
Lost in New York.
When Sheaffer was taken away from
Montauk Point he was told that n
would be taken Immediately to Bellevu
Hospital, in New York city, and hi
bunkmate Immediately telegraphed t
Shea\7s home that he was critical,
i'll at Bellevue.
His mother, and his sister, Miss Juli
Sheaffer. left at once for New oYrk- ar
irving there last Thursday afternoon
They went to Bellevue Hospital and wer
, ! informed that the records showed n
| such arrival at the hospital, Dut II Wa
possible that the one they sought Nigh
be there. as some were unidentified. The
walked all over the hospital, inspecting
every bed, but found not the one the
J ! sought
They went to several other hospitals il
| New York, begging permission TO looi
| for their sick soldier, and until almos
midnight they searched the wards. fear
ing, hoping, and shuddering every tim'
a dviD soldier
> Worn out, they went to hotel and tn
next morning took UP the labor of low
again. They were directed to go to tn
: armory next morning, where DR.. Appe
was in charge, he who had the records o
all the sick soldiers sent away from Mon
tauk Point They found this official IL
his office He searched his records an
/ assured them that no such man as the.
sought had been brought away from th
: camp, and consequently must still b'
there. Again communicating with th'
|