Evening star., 1898-08-09
COULDN'T LAND SUPPLIES
Medical Department at Siboney Had Its
Hands Tied.
Report of Capt. Muason to the Sur
EeoR General of the
Army.

| Surgeon General Sternberg:
To the Surgeon General. United States
Army, Washington, D. c.:
| Sir: In view of the recent charges made
| affecting the efficiency of the army med-
| cal department at Santiago, and especially
| with reference to the conditions prevail
| ing on the hospital transports sent north
with wounded, l have the honor to submit
the followirg facts. believing that my po-
| sition adjutant to the chief surgeon,
9TH Army Corps and as the officer in
| charge of the Quitting OF the hospital
| transports Iroquois, Cherokee and Break
| water, may possibly give value to such re-
| pert.
Drugs, medicines. dressings instruments.
| hospital tentage and supplies were loaded
| on the transports at Tampa in quantities
| sufficient to meet the needs of the Santl-
| ago expedition. These supplies were di-
| vided up on the various vessels. each or
| gariZation having its equipment.
| While the bulk of the supplies with
| the organized hospitals, the reginental
| equipment was largely in excess of its
| needs and was intended to be called in to
| supplement, if necessary, the equipment Of
| these hospitals
The landing on Cuban soil was made as
| rapidly possible, eacn organization ac-
| ccmpaned by the medical attendance
| signed to it, and troops were pushed for
| ward with no other equipment and supplies
| than could be carried by the soldiers Hag-
| ing means OF Transportation iOr even
| their field chests the rcgimental medical
| officers had absolutely no resources at their
| command except such were provided by
| the orderly and hospital corps pouches and
| the first-ad packets carried by the sol
| d:ers. Having once left their ships the
| latter were promptly ordered out of the
| small bays al Siboney and Daiquiri TO per
| nit the unloading of other ships. These
| partially unlo&ded ships. in obedience To
| their orders, then proceeded to from
| five to fifteen miles, where they remained
| hove to indefinitely. Such orders were
| given the transports carrying the Reserve
| and the 1st Divisional hospitals. The one
| carrying the reserve hospital, in obedience
| to its orders, proceeded to join the naval
| blockading squadron off MORO Castle
| where it remained five days and nights; the
| other transport disappeared, if / was cor
| rectly informed. for an entire week
Couldn't Get 81 Launch.
During this time the fight at Guasima
| had occurred and large numbers of sick
and wounded were requiring treatment. II
| the meantime a report of the conditions
| prevailing on shore was made to the chief
| surgeon. who promptly laid the case be
| fore the commanding general; requested
| that a launch be placed under control of
| the medical department for the collection
of medical supplies from the various
| transports. 1t was also requested that a
pack train be organ lied in the proportion
of enc pack mule TO each regiment u
transport supplies. especially the field
chests. to the front for proper distribution,
! and l was suggested by the chief surgeon
| as available for the performance of these
| duties. The cxigency of the situation did
| rot apparently appeal to the commanding
general. and for two days the medical de-
partmeEt was unable to get transporta-
| ticn of any kind to the other ships or to
the shore, although there were large
rCmber of naval launches and boats en-
| ployed On various other duties On the
| third day, by order of the adjutaut gen.
| eral, rowboat was turned over to the
medical department for the purposes above
| iamed, and at the same time an order was
issued for land transportation to carry
| Iaeuical supplies to the front. mot to eX-
oeed one six-mule tenn" On getting into
| this boat with supplies from the head
quarters transport | was directed by suG-
| dry staff officers to take them on various
| errandS. On my refusal to recognize their
| authority the commanding general, who
| had appeared on the scene, personally re-
voked the previous order and directed after
| the landing of supplies already in the boat
| that it should return without delay. Pre-
| senting the order for land transportation
| to the quartermaSter on shore | in
formed that only pack mules had aS We.
been landed: that neither wagons nor kar-
ress had been brought ashore. and. finally.
| that the road WAS impossible for wagons
OTvette Finally Obtained.
After this boat had been taken away the
chief surgeon WAS without any means of
Communication with the medical officers on
| their wants or Of remedying the many al
ready known 10 eAist.
This condition of things remained until
after the fight at Las Guasma. at which
time there We're absolutely no dressings.
hospital tentage or supplies of any kind on
shore within reach of the surgeons already |
laEded. The news of the Guasima figh-
being reported to the chief surgeon. he
was finally able to get on board the Oil
Vette and send her to Siboney, where she |
received the wounded. Within the follow
irg day the transports carrying the
Reserve and 1st Divisional hospitals were
found and unloaded of their hospital con-
| tent' the latter hospital finally obtaining
limited transportation to the front After |
a couple of days duty on board the Oil |
Vette | was directed 20 put the Iroquois |
i'll condition to receive patients and to take !
the fun capacity of the ship on board. |
While doing this | was able to set ashore |
considerable hospital tentage and supplies |
found aboard OF her. and, having control |
of her boats. l was able TO visit other |
transports in the harbor and land medical |
supplies from them.
While subsequently outfitting the Chero- |
kee and Breakwater this work was con-
tinued well opportunity and limited |
facilities permitted. getting supplies from |
perhaps third of the transports compos- |
ing the fleet |
Medical Supplies on Board.
Outside of this it is believed that no |
other regimental medical property was ever |
unloaded up to the time of my departure |
with wounded on July 10. Appealing on |
several occasions for the use of a lighter or |
small steamer to collect and land medical |
supplies l was informed by the quarter |
masters department that they could rem
der no assistance in that way and the |
medical department was compelled to rely
entirely upon its energies and improvise |
It's own transportation. | feel justified in |
saying that at the time of my departure |
Ia iarge quantities OF medical supplies urgent |
iy needed on shore still remained on trans 1
ports, number of which We're under or |
GERS 10 return to the United States Had |
the medical department carried along dot1-
bic the amount of supplies it is difficult to |
see how, with the totally inadequate land |
and water transportation provided by the |
|