The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-11
THE MICHIGAN IN BAD SHAPE.
SECOND ILLINOIS MEN HAVE a
ROUGH TIME IN PROSPECT.


tiOn-Lfeut. Col. HOtehEiss Pro-
tested strongly TO the Adjutant-
General Against Being Sent on the
NcsseI-Whcn the situation Was
Explained the Men Readily Agreed
to Go-Troops Needed in Havana Mt
Cncc and the Need Would Admit OF
No DeIny-sccOnd Illinois Men
Made of the Right Subtitle Band
Refused to 60 ON Account of II
Lack of Quarters. but Was Taken
80 Tybee Last Night an Tug.
The transport Michigan got off on the
tide yesterday afternoon with two bat
talions OF the Second Illinois Regiment
bound for Cuba.
The failure OF the Michigan to leave on
the early morning tide was due to the
fact that she had not finished loading.
The pilot slept aboard the vessel and the
intention was 10 get her off early. 1t is
possible. however that she might not
have gone in the early morning even had
she been loaded on account of a protest
flied with Inspector General Guild of Gen,
Lees staff by Lieut.. Col. Hotchkiss, com
manding the two Illinois battalons the
ground Of the protest being that the ship
was in no fit condition to be occupied by
troops.
The protest came very near delaying
the departure of the troops in
definitely and had it not been for the fact
that Gen. Lee was under orders to hasten
the movement of troops to Cuba the two
battalions might have been allowed to
await a later transport. There was no de-
NAL of the fact at headquarters that the
ship was not in good condition and but
for the pressing orders to hasten troops
to Havana the Michigan would not have
been made use of.
Lieut.. Col. Guild inspector general on
Gen. Lees staff, made a statement of the
matter at the request of a Morning News
reporter, which gives the correct idea of
the situation. The Michigan was sent
here" said Lieut.. Col. Guild, by the
quartermaster general. Gen. Lee was told
20 put 500 men and SOC animals aboard.
This he declined to do, but on orders
from the Secretary of War TO push over
men TO Cuba as fast as possible to put
stop to the riotfng which has already be-
gun, he decided to make use of the
Michigan. There were 772 men and $40
animals placed aboard, a considerably less
number than was first ordered by the de-
partment. This was a lighter load than
usual for the Michigan, as was evidenced
by the fact that the vessels load line was
stil several feet above the water The
Michigan has been used as a transport
all summer, but always heretofore by reg
ular troops who have made no complaint
She has water tight decks of steel and the
story that there was any leakage through
these decks is pure fiction. The quarters
are not comfortable and the boat is one
of the least agreeable in the government
service. The lieutenant colonel and some
of the other officers thought they could
get on the Mobile or one of the other
transports and pulled the adjutant general
out of bed at 1870 o'clock this morning
with this idea in view. Gen. Lee sent
the adjutant general and the inspector
general down this morning 10 investigate
the situation. A very short examination
Of the enlisted men disclosed the fact
that they were willing to go Cuba and en-
dure the discomforts which confronted
| them aboard the transport when they I'M
derstood that their services We're needed
by the government. This being under
stood there was no further trouble and on
being informed that they would sail by
the next tide the men cheered roundly.
| Their only request was that they be got
a'1NAA 49, tCt--r-
bic"
''The Michigan is not good vessel for
| transporting troops" said Col. Guild, "and
was only used under a pressing emergency.
| The men accepted the situation as soon as
they understood il. ana readily agreed 70
! bear the hardships of the voyage. AS the
Michigan passed down the river this after
noon the men caught sight of Gen. Lee
on the bridge of the Mobile, and gave three
rousing cheers as they departed for Cuba.
The Second Illinois men undoubtedly had
a rough time of it. They broke camp Fri
day afternoon and marched through tbs
| rain 10 the wharf Arriving there they
found half their baggage SAN to be loaded
and they were lined up on the wharf
where they remained for some time. ThC
who went aboard found a state of affairs
which was not at all to their liking. Ths
large hatchways of the Michigan had bees
! left open during The several days of baC
weather which have prevailed. during tn
| loading of The vessel which, by the way
has been remarkably slow. The quarters
of the Michigan never very desirable, Were
damp and sloppy, and not especially clean
many of the men thought. The poin
which most troubled them. however, wal
that the large number of animals on boarC
had been loaded on the upper decks below
which were the sleeping quarters of tn
men, The men did not know
of course. that this is the usua
method of carrying stock aboard tn
transports. When some of them declares
that the filth from the stalls of the horse
was leaking down through the decks int
the quarters of the men their dissatisfac
ton was complete. 1t was this belief NOR
than anything else that caused Lieut.. Col
Hotchkss to demand another vessel 10
his men.
The men were late in getting aboard an
having broken camp without dinner am
having had no supper they We're natural,
= not In a very happy frame of mind. Can
ned goods and hard tacks We're distribu
r ted. however, after the men get aboard
about 10 o'clock.
The members of the band were the mos
dissatisfied of the lot. The other me-
had hammocks, but il seems no hammock
had been provided for the band. Neithe
could they get anything 10 eat. Ate
sizing up the situation the members o
? the band came ashore in a body, no ef
fort TO prevent them being made nv III