The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-04

gallantly up San Juan hill. He comes
here to express his thanks to these
brave men. / wish to tell you that
when the president sent me here two
weeks ago to command this camp he
enjoined me in the most emphatic lam
guage that / should without regard to
expense exercise every authority nee
essary to make comfortable this body
of brave men. who by their courage
have raised this republic to the highest
position among the great nations of the
earth. I have the honor and pleasure
the United States"
President Mckinley said: General
Wheeler, Soldiers of Camp Wikoff, Sol
diers of the 5th Army Corps: i trust
that you will put your hats on. / am
glad to see you. l am honored to stand
before you to-day. | bring the graft
tude of the nation. to whose history you
have added by your valor a new and
glorious page. You have come home
after two months of severe campaign
ing. which has embraced assault, siege
and battle. so brilliant an achievement,
so far-reaching in results, as to com
mand the unstinted praise of all your
countrymen. You had the brunt of the
battle on land. You bore yourselves
with supreme COURAGE, and your per-
sonal bravery, never before excelled
anywhere, has won the admiration OF
your fellow citizens and the genuine
respect of all mankind. while your en-
durance under peculiar trial and suf-
fering has given added meaning to
your heroism. Your exertions made
easy the conquest of Porto Rico. under
the army commanded by General Miles,
and behind you. ready to proceed at
moments summons, were more than
20c, 900 of your comrades. ready to sup
port you. disappointed that the oppor-
tunity which you had did not come to
them, vet filed ith pride at YOUR we'll
earned fame and rejoicing upon your
signal victory.
''You were on the line of battle; they
no less than YOU were in the line or
duty. All have served their country in
it's need. and will serve 1t so long as
they may be required. and all viii for
ever have the thanks and regard of a
grateful people.
eve cannot bid you welcome here to-
day without our hearts going out to
the heroes of Manila, on sea and land,
whose services and sacrifices, whose
courage and constancy in that far-dis-
tant field of operations have never been
surpassed by any soldiers or sailors the
world over. To the army and the navy,
to the marines. to the regulars, to the
volunteers, and To Providence, which
has watched over them all, the nation
to-day is full of thanksgiving and
praise. The brave officers and men
who fell in battle and those who have
died from exposure and sickness will
live in immortal story and their MEM
ories will be perpetuated in the hearts
and history of a generous people, and
those who are dependent upon them
will not be neglected hv the govern
ment for which they so freely sacrificed
their lives"
The soldiers cheered many times.
The part of the field where the Sth
Ohio stood the regiment which is
sometimes called the Presidents own,
was particularly noisy. The party then
went to the detention hospital by a
road that passed in the rear Of the
general hospital. The graveyard in
which 60 or 20 plain new wooden
crosses stood was near the road on
the left. The president solemnly raised
his hat.
Mr.. Mckinley went through all the
wards of the detention hospital in the
same careful way i'm which he had gone
through those of the general hospital.
When he came to the last ward, Major
r. T. Ebert said:
This is a dangerous ward" and
turning to Secretary of War Alger, in
quired: do you think the president
had better go I'm here?'
Mr.. Mckinley, without waiting TO
hear what General Alger's reply would
be. started into the ward. General AL
ger and the others remained outside.
The presidential party then drove
through lines of cavalry drawn up on
either side of the road. Among them
were the rough riders. the I'd, 9Th. 10th
and 1st regiment cavalry. The Sd regi-
ment were still acting as the presi-
dents escort. Mr.. Mckinley then
drove to General Wheelers headquar-
tiers and sat under the shade of a tent
for while. Secretary Alger and Gen
eral Wheeler We're with him. The
president saw Col. John Jacob Astor
in a group a few yards away, and he
beckoned to the colonel, who went
over, shook hands with the president
and remained a few minutes in the
party.
The president and those with him
took lunch with General Wheeler and
his staff. After lunch the president
Mr.. Alger, General Wheeler and Colo
mel Hard of the Sth Ohio were photo
graphed in a group.
The president then issued an order
directing that the regular troops at
Camp Wikoff whose posts are east Of
the MISSISSIPPI river should return with
the least possible delay to their posts.
The doctor reports there were 1.1S0
patients in the general hospital to-day.
During the past "a hours 400 convales-
cents have received furlouehs. There
to-day. There were 3l5 men in the
detention hospital. Three hundred and
fifty convalescents from the City of
Berkshire were landed to-day and are
now in the hospital.
The United States fish commission
boat Grampus arrived to-day, bringing
1000 pounds of fresh fish for the hos
pitfalls.
Water is still scarce in the camp
and as a result there is much suffer-
ing.
The presidential party then went
down to the station and left on spe-
cial train at 1:50. on the train Mr.. Nc
Kinley made this statement:
Il was very much pleased to meet
the heroes of Santiago and to observe
tnei- splendid spirit What l saw OF
the care of the sick men in the hospital
by those in charge and by the noble
women engaged in that work was espe-
piallv gratifying 10 me-