The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-11

large body of men. He also thought
decaying fruit and the canteen beer
had had an influence in producing dis
ease.
General Dodge read a letter to the
witness form a member Of the Second
New Jersey regiment, saying some of
the regiment were dying of starvation
and others were completely broken
down.
Captain Baldridge said there had
been a great deal of complaint from
this regiment. They received their full
rations and he attributed their
troubles partially to the fact that they
had an inexperienced man as commits
sary of subsistence. The regiment had
also made a contract with an outside
baker which gave each company only
forty-one and onehalf loaves of bread
per day The full ration would have
given them twice as much Captain
Baldridge said he had no complaint TO
make of the officers of this regiment,
except that they were without expert
ence He instanced the fact that when
the regiment was ordered to Pablo
Beach, with the exception of two COM
panies, the main body took all the
rations, leaving nothing to eat for
those left behind.
Captain Baldrdge said that when he
first went to Jacksonville. the pota-
toes were small and were not good, but
afterward the quality improved. The
commissioners here adjourned.
OUR NAVAL CASUALTIES DURING
THE WAR.
Seventeen sailors killed and eighty
four casualties, all told, was the total
loss suffered by the United States navy
during the war. The figures have just
been compiled at the navy department.
In Dewey's great fight in Manila bay
not a man was killed and every one of
the nine men wounded was able and
did return to duty. In the battle of
July 3rd off Santiago, one man was
killed and there were eleven casual
ties altogether. In that fight also ev
cry one of the wounded returned to
duty The loss suffered in the attack
upon the forts at the entrance to San
tiago by the American fleet June 22nd
was one sailer killed and eleven men
wounded, of whom only seven were
able to return to duty. The heaviest
loss of the navy was at Guantanamo.
There were twenty-five casualties in
that 100 hour fight and of the list six
marines were killed. Of the sixteen
wounded, nine returned to duty, three
were invalided from the service ana
four continue under treatment. Next
after Guantanamo, the battle with the
forts and gunboats off Cienfuegos
caused the greatest number or casual
ties, the list aggregating twelve, with
one man killed. Another man died
subsequently from wounds, nine re-
turned to duty, and one continues un-
der treatment.
More fatal in it's results, was the
fierce battle between the torpedo boat
Winslow and the revenue cutter Hud-
son with the Spanish land batteries
and artillery forces at Cardenas. Of
the eight casualties, five were deaths,
though three wounded men afterward
returned to duty. In the lombard
ment of San Juan, the casualties num-
Dered eight, with one man killed. One
of the wounded men was invalided
home, while six returned to duty.
There were four other casualties oc-
curing in as many separate engage
ments, and that completes the list of
naval losses. Of the sixty-seven men
wounded in the war; fifty-four were
returned to duty, one died of wounds,
six were invalided from the service and
six continue under treatment Consid-
ering the results obtained, this list is
said to be the most remarkable in the
naval history Of the world.
LEES CORPS REORGANIZED.
General Lee has been ordered to re-
organize the Seventh army corps now
under his command at Jacksonville, so
as to make it consist of two divisions
of two brigadeS each,