The Red Cloud chief., 1898-08-12
TO SHIFT BLAME
SKATER DENIES RESPONSE
BlLlTY FOR CONDITIONS.
h Army Has Never Had Proper Medical
supplies Surgeon General S%ternburg
Declares the Fault IL with the Officers
An Inquiry Probable.

Declares the tauIt IL with the Oh'cerS
An Inquiry Probable.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 9.--Owing to the
d~isagreeable impression caused by the
affairs of the Concho and Seneca, the
transports that arrived North with tho
wounded in n wrctched condition. Sec.
rotary Alger has been making q most
careful inquiry into the conditions at.
tending the transportation of the sick
soldiers from Santiago &c the United
States. The secretary of war first made
an inspection of the data held by Sur.
geon General Stcrnberg, to learn If IL
was possible that the fault was due to
any Encouragement by the officer OF
the medical department. lie then
cabled Major General Shaftcr at San
tiago, asking for n full explanation in
regard to the Seneca and Concho. Gen.
cral Skaters attention was called to
the fact that those two vessels left
Santiago without attendants and a
proper supp ~ Of medicines and also
lacking a plentiful supply of water.
In reply General Shafter says the
Concho and Seneca were ordered to
stop at ~Siboney and report to'the chief
med nj officer there and carry con-
valescents home to the United States.
DR.. Iagardc had full charge Of the
movement OF the sick and wounded.
Colonel Humphrey. chief quarter.
master, looked after the water supply.
General Shafter says Colonel Humph-
rap,rta chat tI, ,,,.. A..
two vessels made no request for water
SO it was taken for granted by him
that the ships were fully supplied
with water.
DR.. Lagarde states that Surgeons
Hicks and Bird, the medical officers on
the Seneca, were furnished with such
medicine as could be spared. Accord
ing to DR.. Largarde there were con.
valescents and walters enough to look
after the sick on n short voyage. This
applies to the Seneca. Red Cross Sur.
geon Lesser and four female nurses
were or tho Concho. DIR. Lagarde
states that he did all in his power to
supply the sick on the Concho with
sufficient medicines and attendants.
lie vas handicapped by his lack OF
help and also his lack OF sufficient
quantity of medical supplies. In his
report General Shaftcr speaks Of DIR.
Lagarde as a man in whose ability he
has every confidence. lie says DR.. La.
Nude has been working under the
most disadvantageous circumstances.
General Shafter further states in his
official report that from the day the
expedition left Florida up to the pres.
ent time there has never been suf-
ficient medical attendants or medicine
for the daily wants of the command.
Three times, says General shaftcr,
since leaving Cuba the command has
been almost entirely without medi
cincs. The want of medicines was SC
great at one time that General Shaftcr
says the advisability of taking medi'
cal supplies from the Spanish hospital
vas seriously considered. This prop.
osition was made To him by the medi
cal directors at Santiago.
General Shaftcr denies in the most
emphatic manner the statement thai
he or his officers are in any way re
sponsible for the disgraceful condition:
which existed on the Seneca and Con
cho. Everything possible, he says
was done for the sick and wounded
Evidently fault would not be placed a
the door of General Shaftcr.
This extract from General Shaftcr'
report is self-cxplanatory: There i
no excuse for lack OF fool rs there ha
at all times beon plenty of that.
have no doubt hat many more wer,
put on the ships than should hav'
| been, owing to the great desire to &c
home as they had fear Of yellow feve
and were almost wholly without hos
pital accommodations, The sick anC
wounded had only the clothing
on that they wore int
battle and of course tina
was ragged and worn out by the tim
they reached home. There was non
to issue to them at the time they lief
and their own clothing they conld no
get at. There has never been Il cas-
of suffering here hat could be rem
cdied by the means at hand that wa
not attended to.
THE surgeons have worked as wei
as any men hat ever lived, n thei
complaint has been universal of lac
of means and facilities. don't CON
plat n OF this, for no one could hav
foreseen all that would be required
/ will not quietly submit to having tn
, blame laid on me, for the lack of thes
} hospital facilities"
Surgeon General Stcrnberg Ina
, many times stated that If there wa
any fault attending the transfer c
, the sick and wounded from Santiag
, to the United Stat es that the blam
should be laid upon the officer
in charge at Santiago. Genera
Skaters report to Secretary Alge
does not uphold this statement. VIVA
action Secretary Alger will take is nj
known. That he will take deinin
. action is not doubted by the oficia
: in the War department.