The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-23

men as they went to draw water They
were stationed in the trees, the gueTril-
las We're generally, and. owing to the
smokeless powder rifles. II was an exceed
ingly difficult matter to locate them.
SUFFERING WAS GREAT.
For the next seven days, until the 10th.
we lay in our line while the truce continued.
We had continually to work at additional
bomb proofs and at the trenches, and as we
had no proper supply of food and utterly
inadequate medical facilities. the men suf-
fered a good deal The officers Clipped to-
gether, purchased beans, tomatoes and sugar
for the men, so that they might have some
relief from the bacon and bareback With
a great deal of difficulty we got them coffee.
As for the sick and wounded, they suffered
lack of food and attention that we found II
pest TO keep them at the front and give
them such care as our own doctors could
ASH mentioned in my previous letter, thir-
teen of our wounded men continued to fight
through the battle in spite of their wounds,
and of those sent to the rear many both OF
the sick and wounded came up TO re1oin us
as soon as their condition allowed them to
walk, most of the worst cases being ultf-
mately sent to the States.
ION the 10th the truce was at an end and
the bombardment reopened. AS far as our
lines were concerned 1t was. on the Span
.iSh part, very feeble We suffered no losses
and speedily got the fire from their trenches
in our front completely under On the 18th
we We're moved three-quarters of a mile TO
ing happened here, except we continued to
watch and do our best to get the men, eS-
pecially the sick, properly fed, and having
no transportation and being able to get
hardly any through the regular channels,
we used anything we could find. captured
Spanish cavalry horses. abandoned mules,
which had been shot. but which our men
took and cured, diminutive, skinny ponies
purchased from the Cubans, etc. BY these
we were able from time to time 10 get sup
plies of beans, sugar, tomatoes and even
oatmeal while from the Red Cross people
we got our invaluable load of rice, corn
meal, ETC. AL of this was of the utmost
consequence, not only for the sick, but the
nominally well, as the lack of proper food
terly impossible to get them clothes and
Shoes those they had were in many cases
literally dropping to. pieces.
'On the 18th the city surrendered. On the
18th we shifted camp to here, the best camp
we have had, but the march hither under
the MONDAY sun told very heavily on our
work and the next morning 123 cases were
reported to the doctor, and / now have but
half of the 6G0 men with which / landed
four weeks ago fit for duty. and these are not
fit to do anything like the work they could
do then.
necessitated leaving much of my stuff be-
hind, with night of discomfort, with
scanty shelter and scanty food for the most
of the officers and many of the men. Only
the possession of the improvsed pack
train alluded to above saved US from being
worse. Yesterday I sent in a detail of six
officers and men to see If they could not
purchase or make arrangements for a supply
of proper food and proper clothing for the
men, even if we had to pay for it out of our
own pockets. Our suffering has been due
primarily to lack of transportation, and of
proper food sufficient clothing and or
medical supplies; We should now have
wagon sheets for tentage. Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT