Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-23
"A ROOSEVELT REPORT,
How the Rough Riders Suf-
feIed at Santiago
NO PROPER SUPPLY OF FOOD,
Utterly Inadequate Medical Facilities
and No Transportation.
CLOTHING NOT TO DE OBTAINED.
Sick and Wounded So Much Neglect
Ell In the Hospitals That 1t Was
Found Best to Keep Them at
the Front.
CLOTHING NOT TO DE OBTAINED.
Sick and wounded So Much Neglect
the Front.

WASHINGTON. d. c.. December o.
| The War Department to-day made public
two reports from Colonel Roosevelt on
| the fights Of the First United States Vol
| unteer Cavalry Rough Riders) IN front
Of Santiago. One is addressed 70 Colonel
Wood. commanding, and the second is to
Brigadier-G General Wood, after Colonel
Roosevelt took command of the regiment
The War Department has hitherto re-
fused 10 make these reports public.
The second, and more important, report
after detailing the lighting done by the
Rough Riders" is as follows:
For the next seven days, until the
10th, we lay in our line while the truce
continued. We had continually to work
at additional bomb proofs and at the
trenches, and as we had no proper supply
Of food and utterly inadequate medical
facilities the men suffered a good deal.
The officers Clipped together and pur-
chased beans, tomatoes. and sugar for the
men, so that they might have some relief
from the bacon and hardtack. With "a
great deal Of difficulty we got them
coffee.
SUFFERING IN THE HOSPITALS.
"As for the sick and wounded, they
suffered SO i'm the hospitals when sent
to the rear for lack Of food and attention
that we found it best to keep them at
the front and give them such care as our
own doctors could. AS l mentioned In my
previous letter. thirteen of our wound
ed men continued TO fight through tho
battle in spite of their wounds, and of
those sent To the rear many, both Of the
sick and wounded, came up TO rejoin us
as soon as their condition allowed them
10 walk. Most of the worse cases were
ultimately gcnt 10 the States.
ION the 10Th the truce was at an end
and the bombardment reopened AS far
as our lines were concerned, il was on the
Spanish part very feeble. We suffered
no losses and speedily got the fire from
their trenches in our front completely
under. On the 1lth we were moved three
quarters Of a mile TO the right, the truce
again being on. Nothing happened here,
except that we continued 10 watch and
90 our best TO get the men, especially the
sick. properly fed and having no trans
portation and being able TO get hardly
any through the regular channels. we
used anything we could find, captured
Spanish cavalry horses, abandoned mules,
which had been shot, but which our men
took and cured; diminutive skinny ponies
purchased from the Cubans, etc
AID FROM RED CROSS.
by these means and by the exertions
Of the officers We we've able from time
to time TO get supplies of beans, sugar,
tomatoes, and even oatmeal, while from
cd inv In
able load of rice, cornmeal, etc. All of
this was of the utmost consequence, not
only for the sick, but for the nOmnally
well, as the lack of proper food was tell |
ing terribly on the men. 1t was utterly
impossible TO get them clothes and shoes;
those they had were in many cases liter. |
ally dropping TO pieces.
ION the nth the city surrendered.
"On the 18th We shifted camp to here, |
the best camp we ever had, but the |
march hither under the MONDAY sun |
told very heavily on our men, weakened |
by underfeedtng and overwork, and the |
next morning l23 cases were reported TO |
the doctor, and / now have but half OF |
the COO men with which l landed four |
weeks ago, fit for duty, and these are |
not fit to do anything like the work they |
could do then.
EFFORTS TO PURCHASE FOOD.
"As we had but one wagon the change |
necessitated leaving much Of my stun |
behind, with a night of discomfort, with |
scanty shelter and scanty food for the |
most of the officers and many of the men.
Only the possession of the improvised !
pack train alluded to above saved us
from being worse off. Yesterday | sent
in a detail of six officers and men 20 sea
If they could net purchase or make ar
for a supply of proper food
and proper clothing for the men, even If
we had to pay for IL out Of our own
pockets. Our suffering has been due
TO lack Of transportation and
Of proper food or sufficient clothing and
Of medical supplies. We should now have
wagon sheets for tentage.
Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"