Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-09-09
CHEERS THE MANY SICK SOLDIERS
BY HIS PRESENCE.
He IS GIVEN A ROYAL WELCOME.
Goes Through the Hospitals and After
ward Addresses Heroes Of the
Santiago Campaign.

urday, bareheaded most OF the time,
visiting the sick in the hospitals and
inspecting the we'll in their canton
ments. He made a speech to the as.
sembled infantrymen, reviewed the
cavalrymen, expressed his opinion Of
the camp to the reporters and issued
an order directing the regulars to re-
turn to their stations east Of the Mis-.
sissippi.
With the president we're Vice Presi.
dent Hobart, Secretary Of War Alger,
Attorney General Griggs, Senator
Redfeld Proctor, Of Vermont; Driga.
der General Regain, commjssary Of the
army; Brigadier General Ludington,
quartermaster OF the army; Colonel
Henry Hecker and Secretaries to the
President Porter and Cortelyou. The
ladies Of the party were Mrs. Alger
and Miss Hecker, daughter Of Colonel
Hecker. -
General Wheeler, his staff and near
~ every officer Of prominence in the
camp met the president at the station
except General Shafter, who was still
in detention, and General Young, who
fell and broke his arm Friday night
After greetings and introductions on
the railway platform, the president
took General Wheelers arm and went
to carriage.
Mr.. Mckinley drove to General
Skaters tent in the detention camp.
The general, who was flushed and
weak from O mild case Of malarial
fever, was in full uniform, sitting in
chair at the door OF the tent. He
tried to rise, but Mr.. Mckinley said:
''Stay where you are, general. You
are entitled to rest"
The president congratulated General
Shafter on the Santiago campaign and
after a few minutes rest proceeded to
the general hospital. The soldiers
recently arrived on transports and de-
tanned in the detention section Of the
camp lined up irregularly on each side
OF the road and cheered. Mr.. Nc.
Kinley took off his straw hat then, and
scarcely put 1t on for more than
minute or two at time during the
remainder Of his progress through the
camp. Miss Wheeler, q daughter Of
the general, happened to be in the
first row Of the hospital tents and
she showed the president through her
division.
General Wheeler announced in each
ward:
"Boys, the presidsnt has come to
see YOU" or Soldiers, the president
Of the United States"
Some OF the soldiers slept uncon-
scious, some listlessly raised upon
their elbows, others feebly clapped
their hands. Mr.. Mckinley gently
shook hands with many, and at every
cot he paused an instant, and IL be
saw the sick man looking at him he
bowed in direct and personal way.
From here the president proceeded
to the infantry plain, as it Is called.
The men Of the Ninth Massachusetts,
the First Illinois, the Eighth Ohio,
the Thirteenth, Twenty-arst, Twenty
second and Tenth regular infantry
were assembled without arms. About
90 0 men stood in close order. Gen
eral Wheeler said:
"The president Of our great country
mas come here to greet the soldiers
that mnrched SO CALAMITY up San
Juan hill on July LIST. He comes
here to express the nations thanks to
these brave men,"
The president then addressed the
men in touching manner, eliciting
cheers at frequent intervals.
The part of the field where the
ElsAth Ohio stood, the regiment which
is sometimes called "The Presidents
Own, was particularly noisy. The
party then went to the detention hos.
pital. The graveyard, in which sixty
to seventy 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 in which he had gone
through those of the general hospital.
AhS piSsAVShe uhu tuooo Will uifl
took lunch with General Wheeler and
his staff. After lunch the president,
General Alger, General Wheeler and
Colonel Hard, Of the Eighth Ohio,
were photographed in group.
The president issued an order direct
ing that the regular troops at Camp
Wikoff whose posts are east Of the
Mississippi should return with the
least possible delay TO .heir posts,
When the president reached Long
Island City he took the government
ferry boat, General Meigs, and was
taken around the lower end Of Man
haitian island to the Jersey shore on
his way to the vice presidents, at Pat
terson, N. j., where he spent Sunday.