The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-08-10
WILFUL
- = NEGLECT. i &c
Terrible Arvazgwmemt
Of the offers at
Santiago.
Gen. Sha11er Mdlr1ct.
" Scored by Sur:
g<om Muuson.
Sent by the Associated Press.

sent ny the Associated Pre9As
WASHINGTON, Aug. a.-Surgeon General
Sternberg has received the following report
concerning the conditions existing at San
tiago, medical supplies, transportation and
other features connected, with the exception
| OF the expedition to Santiago under Gen.
Shafter. The report explains what has been
done by the medical department, and gives
the disadvantages under which the depart
ment operated in Cuba.
Tampa Heights, Fla, July 20, 1S9S.-To the
Surgeon General, United States Army,
Washington-Sir: In view of the recent
charges made affecting the efficiency of the
army medical department at Santiago, and
especially with reference 10 the conditions
prevailing on the hospital transports sent
north with wounded, l have the honor to
submit the following facts, believing that
my position as adjutant to the chief sur
geon, fifth corps, ana as the officer in
charge of the outf1tting Of the hospital
transports Iroquois, Cherokee and Break
water, may possibly give value to such re-
port.
Drugs, medicines, dressings, instruments,
hospital tentage and supplies were loaded
on the transports at Tampa in quantities
sufficient to meet the needs Of the Santiago
expedition. These supplies were divided up
on the various vessels, each organization
having its own equipment. While the bulk
OF the supplies was with the transports,
eacn reglmental equipment was in excess
OF its needs and was intended to be called
IN to supplement if necessary the equipment
of these hospitals.
The landing on Cuban soil was made as
. rapidly as possible, each organization ac-
cOmpanied by the medical attendance as
signed to it, and troops We're pushed for
ward with no other equipment and supplies
than could be carried by the soldiers Hay-
Ing no means of transportation for even
their field chests, the regimental medical
officers had absolutely no resources at their
command except such as were provided by
the orderly and hospital corps pouches and
the first jackets carried by the soldiers
Having at once left their ships the latter
We're promptly ordered out of the small
bays at Siboney and Daiauiri to hermit tho
unloading of other Ships These partiall1,
unloaded ships, in obedience to their orders
then proceeded to sea from five to fifteen
miles, where they remained hove to in
definitely. Such orders were given tho
transports CARVING the reserve and the first
divisional hospitals. The one carving the
reserve hospital, in obedience to its orders
proceeded to join the naval blockadino
squadron off MORO Castle, where if 70,
mained five days and nights. the otper
transport disappearing, if 1 was co~rectI,
Informed, for entire week Durinc this
time the fight at Guasima had occurred and
large numbers of sick and wounded wera
requiring treatment.
In the meantime report of the condi
tions prevailing on shore was made to the
chief surgeon, who promptly laid the coco
before the commanding general reoun,+ir
that launch be placed under the control of
the medical department for the collec-;on
of medical supplies for the various trans
ports. 1t was also requested that a mack
train De organized IN the proportion Of pack
mules to each regiment to transport s1,n-
plies, especially field chests, to the front fpr
proper distribution; and it was suppeStea
by the chief surgeon available for tbo
performance of these duties The exigenn,,
of the situation did not apparentIv nnnoo,
to the commanding general, and for two
days the medical department was unan1o ~
get transportation of any kind to the otbor
ships or to the shore, although there ,,,oro
large number of naval launches and
boats employed on various other duties. On
the third day, by order of the adiutant-
general, one row boat was turned over ~
the medical department for the nurnoso
above named, and at the same time an order
was issued for land transportation to carry
medical supplies to the front mot to ex-
ceed one siX-mue team
On getting into this boat with sun,1;
from the headquarters transport, 1 was d.
rected by sundry staff officers to take tben,
various errands On my refusal TO recoo-
niZe their authority the commanding gen
eral who had appeared on the scane nor
Ii
rected, after the landing of the supnlies NJ.
ready in the boat that it should return with
out delay. Presenting the order for land
transportation to the quartermaster on
shore l was informed that only pack mules
had as yet been landed, that neither wagon
or harness had been brought ashore ana
finally, that the road was impassable for
wagons. After this boat had been taken
away the chief surgeon was without anv
means of communication with the medical
@f3So how
of finding out their wants or Of remedying
the many already known to him. This con-
ditiOn of things remained until after the
fight at Las Guasimas, at which time there
were absolutely no dressings, hospital tent
age or supplies of any kind on shore within
reach of the surgeons already landed The
news of the Guasima fight being reported
to the chief surgeon, he was finally able
to get on board the Olivette and send her
to Siboney, where sle received the wounded
Within the following day so the trans
ports carrying the reserve and first dlyis-
ional hospitals We're found and unloaded of
their hospital contents; the latter hospital
finally obtaining limited transportation to
the front
After couple of days on board the
Ohvette was directed to put the Iroqrfeis
In condition to receive patients and to take
| the full capacity of the ship on board
| While doing It l was able to set ashore con-
| siderable hospital tentage and supplies
| found aboard Of her, and, having control OF
| her boats / was able to visit the Other
| transports in the harbor and land medical
| supplies from them. While subsequently
| Quitting the Cherokee and Breakwater,
| this work was confined as we'll as oppor-
| tunity and limited facilities permitted, get
! ting supplies from about a third of the
transports composing the fleet Outside Of
This no other regimental property was
ever unloaded up to the time of my depar-
ture with wounded on July 10. Appealing