The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-08-27
TELLS OF HIS WORK.
Alger Reviews the Work Accom-
plished by War Department
Entire Equipment Had to Re Provided for
the Men-Blames Many Commanding
Oniesrs for Failure to Enforce sani-
tary Regulations Among Troops.

New York, Aug. 22.-Chauncey N.
Depew has received the following let
ter from the secretary of war and has
consented to its publication. 1t was
written in reply to a request for In
formation:
My Dear Mr. Depew; The great pressure Of
business has up TO now prevented me from
sending TO you the statement you were kind
enough to ask for. as to what had been accom-
piished In the way OF outiitting the army for
the field. the conduct OF campaign. etc. Also.
the chiefs OF divisions have been too much
driven with work to compile the data required
One not In the midst Of the work can hardly
realize what On undertaking II is to call 1885, 900
men into the Held at one time. coming from all
the states, and to have them mustered and
gathered In camps on so short notice. and this,
too. when we had scarcely any camp outfit for
their accommodation, all having TO be provided
for by the war department
As you know when the war was declared
there was no equipment whatever for the vol
unteers In store This was successfully ac-
compllshed, with very few accidents. as q mat
| ter OF record Subsequent calls, including the
regular army (which numbered about H,OOO
men when war was declaredl. made total OF
eeS5O0 men. To accomplish all in so short
time has been great work
Thus from the homes Of era 900 volunteers has
been constant and great anxiety Us TO what
might happen TO their soldiers. and hundreds
Of inquiries. made by letters and kilograms.
have been received every day concerning In
dlvldual soldiers The feeling on the part OF
these individuals that the war department is
responsible for the care OF their men indlvidu-
ally has naturally aroused sympathy In case OF
sickness and death. and has created much sor-
row.
Every effort has been made from the begin
ming TO furnish every camp with all appliances
asked for, but Of course the commanding ON
GERS In the field are the ones who have direct
charge Of these men. For instance, one army
corps commander has division orders and en-
forces them, respecting sanitary AFFAIRS and
he has to-day but fraction over two per cent
on the sick list Others have not been success
full and the consequence Is that typhoid and
other fevers have been bred and spread 10 a
considerable extent One regiment in the
ChickamauRa camp has colonel who enfOrces
sanitary rules In his regiment obliging the
men 70 boil all the water they drink keeping
the camp clean. and the result is that there are
less than Is sick. and the camp, too, is in as
unfav cable place Us any In the command
Others more favorably situated have ten times
that number on the sick list One OF the regi-
ments OF the last call. not yet moved from Its
state sends bitter complaints Of typhoid fever.
Concerning the Santiago campaign, when the
ships left Tampa they had on board three
, months provisions and an abundance OF hos
pital supplies They had lighters to unload
, wish at point OF debarkation These lighters
I were lost In severe storms on the way. As
soon as we we're notified Of the fact two tows
. OF lighters were sent from Mobile and New Or
: leans. which were also oyertaken by storms
and lost The navy supplied US with lighters
: and one OF those wGs wrecked The army dis
embarked, getting ot1 a portion of Its supplies
and medical stores and Immediately marched
to the front to fght the Spaniards The grea
difficulty Of landing supplies subsequently wa'
!. because Of the wind, which sprang up eyerl
mbrnlng at ten and made q high surf render
Ing almost impossible the use Of small boats
with one lighter. which was all they had lef
for this purpose
OF the packers who were employed, 80 per
cent soon fell sick, and heavy rains falnnG
I every day, the roads tif they could be called
= suchl became lmpassable for vehicles Pacl
animals had TO be employed 70 carry food Il
! the army. being extended to the right aroun
Santiago, increased the distance from the soas
II every day and made the task more diffieult
q When yellow fever broke out and the feye
. list increased into the thousands, II was for
time supposed that 1t was principally yello'
u fever Dhe bringing Of troops north at ono
: after the surrender, under such conditions
would have been certain death to vast mum
a ber, but, upon Inquiry It was ascertained tha
n very few OF these cases. comparatively, wer
' yellow fever, when II was at once decided I
y bring the army home as speedily as possible
"a To give you a little idea OF the work that ha
h been done append the following:
a The work OF the adjutant generals depart
: ment has been TO muster and order TO thei
"a stations TO be precise, sl6 400 volunteers an
n1 nr.a A.. an 81
, duced force as many stan officers from all 9
!. the departments had been promoted an
= ordered 10 the field
Iv The chief OF engineers reports an expendltur
Of @. $50 900 for harbor defenses, building EN-
IN placements Of heavy guns, mortar batterie
m and mines
"a The surgeon general has had the enormou
"A work Of fitting up hospitals, organizing I'll
n medical corps, employing male and femal
" nurses. contract surgeons, being surgeons VIII
ir are employed from civil life, besides thos
:. commissioned as corps divisions and brigad
a, surgeons, furnishing medical supplies and ar
"a swering the demands from all over the countr
= and from camps at Santiago, Porto Rico an
Ia Manila The work done In this line is almol
IN beyond comprehension.
n The commissary general had purchased an
nj distributed up to August no 1907 ,2S5 pounds
rations, which have been transported and dl
tributed TO all armies in the field here and
Santiago, Porto Rico and Manila, besides tn
large quantity distributed among the destitu
Cubans
The Quartermastsr generals report Is u
long to give an approximate idea OF his wor
~ In the way Of transportation to Honolulu, Mi
o. Mia, Santiago and Porto Rioo and return HON
IN there have been sent 81, 0Ss men, with artillel
nt equipment and supplies By rail In this coul
try there have been transported 300 oficer
s,o6e enlisted men; also O,bs2 animal, besld
OF thousands OF wagons artillery and other qua
ce termaster, commlssary, ordnance, medical aI
of signal service stores The total nun
Der Of articles OF clothing and camp equipal
distributed TO the army by the quartermasteI
department has been 6,e7i, 49, OF which CT
:, only mention few articles, as follow
vi Blankets. 2ss, ,TS9; blouses. 2s2762; trouseI
ne 4Od, l2s hats SSt 100; canvas field uniforms $;
Nv 200; shoes, pairs. bil S7s; undershirts, 7S6 9e
IN tents, i7p, t42 etc, etc.
II The total weight OF food and forage di
tributed daily to the army Is approximate
re 900 tons
Added TO this Is the large fleet Of transpor
chartered and purchased, the management
the same In conveying troops, supplies a
re ammunition
yb The paymaster has promptly paid the arr
p, and Is deserving OF very great credit for
work
IA The signal corps has provided most eficie
ed service. furnishing cable. telegraph, telepho
IN. and signal services to the different comman
In the field.
II you had day or two to spare I would II
to sandwich In q little work for you / wOI
like to send you these statements in det
ld' which l think would bewilder you, II anythi
rn- can Sincerely yours. r A. ALGER
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