The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-18

Apollinaris water that 1t was in the way
and when nurse came for a bottle they
would offer her case. He said the news
paper men at the camp were gentlemen.
but they appeared to be under orders TO
cIiticise the camp. He knew of two instances
IN which the reporters had received orders
10 roast everything He had tod them
not 10 spare where they found criticism JUS
titled In conclusion DR. ForwOod said that
many patients who had been removed by
their friends had often died ard that in
many instances their deaths were due 10
the kindness OF those who had taken them
in charge.
Or. Richard a. Py.es: surgeon Of the FIRST
District of Columbia Regiment TOD
the experiences of those troops at Camp
Thomas and Tampa. Cuba and at Montauk
Point. Re said the troops had camped at ri
Caney and on San Juan Mill and had found
the region malarous. At first the health of
the was good but later the sickness
increased from eight cases 10 $50 in five
days. There had been fewer than twenty
FIVE deaths in the regiment At Montauk
the tents were without floors. compelling the
men to lie on the ground. causing sickness.
Major General S. B. Young was before
the commission ut its Afternoon session re-
lating in detail his experience at Santiago
and vicinity: and afterwards at Montauk.
He said he had landed at Daiquiri on the
DIST of June and that by the morning or
the 23d his entire brigade had been put
ashore He had notified General Wheeler
Immediately and had received orders to
move four five miles and secure a
good camp. He accordingly had pushed on
TO Siboney He had asked Wheeler where
the good camping ground was and ne had
replied that the Spanlards occupied II: II
then" said General Young, asked permls-
sion to go out to see the ground, saying L
should like to get it for our own troops. TO
which General Wheeler aSSented. In accord
ance with this arrangement he moved out
at o. clock next morning to fight the battle
of Quasimas. sending the volunteers, the
Rough Riders, by one road. and the regu-
lars by another. He declared that there was
no surprise in this fight and no ambuscade
the Spanish camp with glass for half an
hour before the fight began and he had at
tackled the Spaniards and no. the Spaniards
NM NO AMBUsCADE.
Speaking of the Rough Riders he said
there had been no greater percentage of
casualties among them than among the reg
ulars, and that they were not led into any
situation not to be expected in war. The
report that they were allowed to be am
buscaded was uue." he said. entirely to the
demoralized adjutant of the regiment, who
had left the service soon afterwards Gen.
Young said he had occupied the enemy
camp that day, and it was very good
camp" he added. naively.
In reply to a question as to what AID ne
had secured from the Cubans in TINS nght
he replied none whatever me Cu pan
guides had deserted him upon the flrst nre;
General Casino on the night Eefore mao
told him that he would send nVe nuhureu
Cubans with him but when the rSAS SastlIo
that he was prepared to proceed, MS mes
senger had found a card on the cuban com
nanders door saying that he must not pS
disturbed He had, therefore, procceeoed
without the Cubans. After the hgnnI was
over, however, some OF the Cupans nau colIe
mn under the command of a Frenchman,
who saluted very tragcally with his saOer;
saving that he had been ordered by General
Castillo to follow, the enemy ana lgn Yo n,rn
said he simply ordered the CubanS 70 the
rear and the only service they had per.
formed was to gather up the baggage thdl
tf,o American soldiers had discarded.
General Young said he had been the only
man in the command at La Suas .,.,1a VIC He
carried no baggage except a rubber shcker,
. nviama and toothbrush. The Wouhueu
were carried back to siboney ana wIiiad the
hospital there was somewhat conSeSteu'o
men were well attended 10. ,e.
General Young said that Immediately aIteT
the Quasimas fight he had looked the groundd
over towards FL Caney and had lnIormso
General Wheeler that he was connd.eent ne
could take the place that nlgnt VIII WIhao IaS
had replied that his orders FROM GeneIal
Shafter were not to advance wlthout hou-
general of his General Young's) wishes; he
had nos heard anything more oihclaly IN
regard to the matter.
TOO MUCH LIKE BABIES.
with this General Young's services IN
Cuba ceased, as he was taken down with
fever on June 80 and sent back home AFTER
a period of sickness he was sent to MontauK
Point to establish Camp Wikon lie oe-
tailed the difficulties of the preparation OF
the camp. He said it had been Impossible
to get i'm floors, and that he had not con-
sidered them necessary. either for health or
comfort. 81 gave them lumber and ham,
mers and nails, however. and told them to
make themselves floors If they wanted
them. 1 thought they were being treated
too much like babies" He regarded the
commissary supplies. he said, as album
dant, and that enough had been allowed 10
spoil to feed fifteen thousand men daily.
The hospital and Quartermaster's stores
were also ample. He had never in all MS
experience seen army hospitals so well sup
pIied with medicines and stores of all kinds.
The controlling motive in selecting Mon
tauk was that of securing proper quaran-
tine and a very strict quarantine was op-
served. He considered the camp very
healthful and the site very desirable. AS
to what was done there for the soldiers, ne
said. Il think l deserved more credit for
what l did at Montauk than for what did
at La Quasimas. l think more was done
than should have been done for the sol
diers."
Telling of the haGdships of one command
which had just arGved from Cuba, he said:
They were not the heroes, being only reg
ulars" He said the privations of the war
were not so serious as Indian campaigns ne
had been engaged in. There had been occa-
slons when he and his command mad mad 10
live on corn and others when there was
nothing to be had except horse meat or
burro meat But that" he said, was not
He 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 III
camp. Approaching the situation the sol
diers had ''played it on" the visitors, maxi
ing complaints that were without founda-
tion in order to get delicacies. soldiers
like to be made babies Of he SAID, ana
some of them soon got so they would not
eat their regular rations.
General Young concluded his testimony
with the statement that the soldiers were
far better cared for than they had been in
the civil war.
Who Located the Camps.