The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-03
Both officers and Men Considered 1t N
Great Privilege to BE In the
Cuban Campaign.
SITUATION IN THE CAMPS
GEN. BRECKINRIDGE ORDERS IN
vEsTIGATION AT CAMP THOMAS.
Secretary Alger Directs All States to
cents and Send in the Bill.

| CAMP WIKOFF, Montauk Point, L. l.,
Sept. 2.--AIaj Gen. Joseph Wheeler gave the
following to the Associated Press to-day:
Headquarters United States Forces,
Camp Wikoff, l.. l., Sept. l. 1898.
"The following is sample of the letters
we are constantly receiving regarding the
soldiers in the camp:
9 In regard to my stepson, we feel very
| uneasy about him on account of the news
paper reports of the privation and suffering
inflicted on the private soldiers. Although
he has never uttered a complaint since he
has been in the army, we hear from other
| sources OF the cruel and horrible treatment
inflicted on our soldiers under the pretense
| of humanity, for our neighbors and the
whole country is in state of terrible ex-
citement. ! should not be surprised If the
| feeling should lead to revolution of some
kind, for assure you / hear all sides
the most violent and bitter denunciations of
the War Department and the administra-
ton. 1t is indeed a great pity that the glory
| of our triumphs should be dimmed by such
a shameful thing as the i'll treatment and
starvation Of our own brave soldiers while
the Spanish prisoners have the best treat
ment that the country can afford
ut will be seen that this letter says that
from this soldier, and, so far as my investi-
cation goes, no complaint has been made
| by any of the brave soldiers that have
| added glory to our arms in the Cuban cam
| paign. A great many anxious fathers,
mothers, brothers or sisters arrive here
i from all parts of the United States to look
| after their relatives, whom they say the
| papers tell them are suffering, and many of
| them have heard that their relatives are in
| a condition of starvation. Most of these
people are little able to expend the money
| for such a journey, and they are surprised
| when they come here to find their relatives
surrounded with everything to eat which
can be procured by money, and if sick in
the hospital they are gratified and sur
| prised to find that they are given every
possible care.
A BLESSED PRIVILEGE.
I'm reply to direct request that I will
give the exact facts as l see them, / will
state: Every officer and soldier who went
to Cuba regarded it as a great and special
privilege in that he was permitted TO en-
gage in that campaign They knew they
were to encounter yellow fever and other
diseases, as we'll as the torrid heat of the
country and they were proud and glad to
| do so. They knew that it was impossible for
them to have the advantage of wagon
| transportation which usually accompanies
armies, and yet officers and men were glad
| to go, to carry their blankets and their
| rations on their backs and to be subjected
| without any shelter TO the sun and rains
by day and the heavy dews by night. They
certainly knew that the Spaniards had spent
| years in erecting defenses, and it was their
pleasure to assault and their duty to cap
ture the Spanish works.
''They were more glad to incur the hard
ships and these dangers. They went there
and did their duty; each man seeming to
| feel that American honor and prestige was
to be measured by his conduct. The brave
men who won the victories did not complain
of the neglect of the government, lut on
the contrary they seemed grateful to the
President and secretary of war for giving
| them the opportunity to incur these dam
gers and hardships. They realized that in
| the hurried organization of an expedition
| by a government which had no one with
| any experience in such matters it was inn
| possible to have everything arranged 10 per-
| fection, and they will testify that under the
| circumstances the conditions were mucn
more perfect than any one would have rea-
| son TO expect and that the President and
secretary of war and others who planned
and dispatched these expeditions deserve
high commendation.
lone reason why our army was lacking in
some respects in equipage was that tele-
| gram was received from Admiral Sampson
stating that if the army reached there inn
| mediately they could take the city at once,
but If there should be delay the fortfica-
tions of the Spaniards would be perfected,
thai there might be great difficulty in TAX
ing it. On receiving this dispatch from Ad-
| mrai Sampson the War Department di-
rected the army to move at 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 for Cuba it went
| there escorted by large feet of war ships.
| AT the time 1t was regarded as impossible
| for a merchant ship TO sail on the ocean
! safely from any American port to Santiago,
but as soon as the Spanish fleet was de-
| stroyed, that ii was possible for un-
armed ships to sail safely to Santiago the
| generous people of the United States SUBJ
scribed money without limit and dispatched
| ship after ship loaded with luxuries and
| delicacies for the Santiago army. and ev-
srything that could be accomplished for
| their comfort was done by the President
| and secretary of war.
PROTECTION FROM FEVER.
after the surrender had been completed
and arrangements perfected for the trans
porting of the Spanish army to Spain. the
President and secretary OF war sent ship
| ping TO Santiago and transported our army
| to one Of the most healthful localities in
! the United States. The point selected by
the secretary Of war was so situated that