The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-18

ambushed vas due" he said, "enfirely 10 a
siemora!ized reporter, ard the demoraiized
adiatant OF the regiment, who LETT the ser
Vice aooa afterwards"
Gen. Youug said he had occupied the
enemys camp tina; date--.-and IL was
very good carp be added. naiveiy.
In reply 10 a question to what aid he
had secured from the Cubans In this fight.
ne replied none whatever. The Cuban
gusHes had deserted him upon the first nre.
Gen. Castillo, on the night before. had tod
him that he would send 800 Cubans with
him. but when the next morning came and
ne sen, 20 notify Castillo that he was pre-
pared 10 proceed. his messenger found
card on the Cuban commanders door say
ing that he mus. not be 1istur bed. He had,
therefore, proceeded without. the Cubans-
After the fight was over however, some or
the Cufans had come up under the COM
maDd az Frenchman. who saiuied very
traKicalIy with his sabre, saying that he
had been ordered by Gen Castillo to follow
the enemy and tight him wherever he could
find him. Gen. YouEg said he simply or
dered the Cubans to the rear. AID the only
service they had performed was to gether
up the baggage that the American soldiers
had discarded
Gen. Young said he had been the only
man in the command at La Quasima who
was mounted, and that ne rode q mule. He
carried no baggage except ruhber siicker,
a pa Jana and "A tooth brush. The wound
ed were carried back to Siooney, and while
the hospital was somewhat coagested, the
nen were well attended 10.
Gen Young said that Immediately after
the La Quasima fight ne had looked the
ground over toward Fl Caney and had in
formed Gen. Wheeler he was confident ne
could take the place that night with his
brigade IL allowed TO do SO.
Gen. Wheeler had replied that his orders
from Gen. Shafter were not to advance
without notifying him. and that he would
notify the general Of his tGen. foungD
wishes.
He had not heard anything more officially
In regard 10 the matter. With this Gen.
Youngs service In Cuba ceased, as he was
taken down with fever on June 30 and sent
back home. After "a period Of sickness he
was sent 10 Montauk Point to establish
Camp Wikoff. He detailed the difficulties
OF the preparation Of the camp. He said
it had been impossible TO get in floors and
that he had not considered them necessary.
either for health or comfort.
II gave them lumber. hammers and nails.
however. and told them TO make themselves
floors If they wanted them. ! thought they
were being treated too much like babies"
He regarded the commissary supplies, he
been allowed to spoil to feed 1.5l0 men daily.
The hospital and quartermaster stores were
also ample He had never in all his ex-
perience seen army hospitals so well sup
piled with medicines and stores OF all kinds.
The controlling motive In the selection or
Montauk was that OF selecting proper
quarantine, and very strict quarantine
was observed. He considered the camp
very heathful and the site very desirable.
las TO what was done there for the SOL
a.ers." he said II think I deserved more
credit for what I did at Montauk than
for what I did at La Quasima. think
more was done than should have been done
for the soldiers
Telling Of the hardships Of one command
which had just arrived from Cuba, he
SAID:
They were not the heroes. being only
regulars"
lie said the privations OF the war were
no, so serious as Indian campaigns he
had been engaged in.
There had been occasions when his COM
mand had 10 live on corn. and others when
there was nothing to be had except herse
meat or burro meat
But that" he said, was not IN the
newspap ers,''
lie was satisfied that most Of the COM
plants against the camp were unfounded.
Many OF these complaints were made by
men and women who had never seen men
in camp. Approaching the situation. the
soldiers had played 1t on the visitors.
| making complaints that were without foun-
! dat,on in order TO gel delicacies
soldiers like Ia be made babies Of" he
said land some Of them soon got so that
| they would no. eat their regular rations."
| Gen. Young concluded his testimony with
| the statement that the soldiers were far
! better cared for than they had been IL
l the civil war