The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-23
REPORTS OF
COL. ROOSEVELT
They Were Made Public by the War
Department Yesterday.
COMPLAINS OF NEGLIGENCE
Shown by the Department Not Supplying Food and Necessary
Medical Aid to the Wounded and Dying Who Felin
the Gallant Assault on thefnemyS En-
trenchments at Santiago

most excellent service. Inat night we aug
entrenchments across our front. At
O'Clock in the morning the Spaniards' made
another attack upon us, which was easily
repelled and at they opened the day with
a heavy rifle and shrapnel fire. All day long
we remained under this, replying whenever
we got the chance. In the evening at about
clock the Spaniards fired three guns and
then opened very heavy rifle fire, their
sxirmlshers coming we'll forward. 1 got all
my men down into the trenches and We
opened a heavy return fire. The Spanish
advance was at once stopped, and after
an hour their fire died away. This night we
coIapleted most of our trenches and began
to build bomb proofs. The protection al
forded to our men was good and next morn
ing L had but one man wounded from the
rifle and shell fire until IL o'clock, when
the truce came.
| do not mention the officers and men
who particularly distinguished themselves
as | have nothing to add in this respect to
what was contained by my two former let
ters There were numerous Red Cross flags
flying in the various parts of the city, two
of them so arranged that they directly COW
cred batteries in our front and for some
time were the cause of our not firing at
them.
Attacked the wounded
The Spnish gueriIlas were very active. es-
pee ally in our rear, where they seemed by
preference to attack the wounded men who
were being carrid on the litters, the doctors
and medical attendants with Red Cross
badges on their arms and the burial par
ties | organized a detail of sharpshooters
and sent them out after the guerillas of
whom they killed thirteen. Two of them
thus killed were shot several hours after
tho truce had been in operation because In
spite of this fact they kept firing upon our
men as they went to draw water. They
4. tha erfI0R 0RNtI-
las were generally, and owing to the dens-
ity of the foliage and to the use of smoke
less 5wder It was an exceedingly difficult
mattT.1 fba1ocate them.
Fornthe next seven days, until the tenth,
we lay In our lines while the truce contin-
ued., We had continually to work at addl-
tional bomb proofs and at the trenches, and
as we had no proper supply of food and ut
teriy inadequate medical facilities, the men
suffered a good deal AS for the sick and
wounded, they suffered so in the hospitals
when sent to the rear for the lack of food
and attention, we found Ii best TO Keep
them at the front and give them such at
tention as our doctors could bestow.
On the 10th the truce was at an end and
the bombardment reopened We suffered
no losses and speedily got the fire from the
trenches in our front completely under. On
the 18th we were moved three-quarters OF
a mile to the right, the truce again being
on.
No Supplies Furnished
Nothing happened here except we con-
tinued to watch and do our best to get the
men. especially the sick, the proper food,
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 means and by the exertions of the
officers we were able from time to time to
get supplies of beans, sugar. tomatoes and
oat cakes, while from the Red Cross people
we got our invaluable load of rice, corn
meal. etc. all of this was of the utmost
consequence as the lack of proper food was
telling terribly on the men. 1t was utterly
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 the best camp we
have had, but the march tod heavily upon
our men under the monday sun, particu-
lar,v the wounded. now have but half of
the 600 men with which l landed four weeks
ago fit for duty, and these are not fit to do
anything like the work they could do then.
Yesterday sent detail of officers to see
If they could not purchase proper food or
nrocure Il in some manner. even If we had
suffering has been due primarily to the
lack Of transportation and proper food,
sufficient clothing and medical supplies.
Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.