Evening star., 1898-09-01
Bravery Of the Men Who Cared for
the Wounded.
ON TIE LINES IN FRONT OF SANTIAGO
Report of Lieut.. Godfrey, Assistant
Surgeon.
SERVICES OF HOSPITAL CORPS

Surgeon General Sternberg has received
| report from First Lieutenant G. @. NJ.
Godfrey, assistant surgeon, who had COM
mand OF the hospital corps company of the
1st Division, 5th Army Corps. dated San
tfage de Cuba. July 2S, from which the
following extracts are taken:
'"rhe hospital company was organized at
Tampa, Fla, on June 5, 1898, just two
days previous TO the departure of the
troops CT the 1st Division for the trans
ports at Port Tampa, Fla On the day of
organization the strength Of the company
was eighteen privates. No non-commis-
Sic ned officer was assigned to 1t until June
Z, 1898, when Acting Hospital Steward Nc
Guire reported for duty. He was at once
detailed as first sergeant of the company
which place he has held up to the present
date. A cook and assistant cook order
lies for the medical officers and clerk
were at once detailed
When the order came to move, the men
or the company performed the work neces-
sary thereto, and the enthusiasm and es-
prit de corps with which they labored
added greatly to the celerity and facility
with which the task was accomplished
The personnel and supplies of the division
nc espital' as well as the hospital company
was placed on board the transport San
tiago, and arrived off the coast of Cuba
near Santiago, on June 20, 1898. The day
before landing all of the material was
brought up from the hold by the men of
the company, and stored on the main deck
of the ship near the forward starboayd
port. This was done by direction of Major
Nj w. Wood, chief surgeon of this division,
and proved a wise and efficient measure.
We landed on June 25 at Siboney Cuba.
ana pitched camp on the beach. On this
day thirteen of the privates of the hospital
corps of the list New York Volunteers
Joined the company. During the night of
June 25. Acting Hospital Steward Mcclure
and five of the men worked all night un-
loading the material for the hospital and
storing 1t upon the beach under canvas.
This was done by using small boats drawn
by steam launches, and, owing to the high
swell, il was at times quite dangerous. /
remember several occasions where the men
narrowly missed injury from falling boxes.
Taking the Supplies to the Front.
"On June &c the men were given a short
drill to perfect organization. Hurried prep
arations were made for a forward move
ment, and as absolutely no transportation
could be obtained from the quartermaster's
department, these Preparations consisted
principally in selecting such necessary
dressings and drugs as the men could carry
on their backs and litters. On June 81
the 1st Division moved foru ard, and the
Hospital Company followed in rear of the
Sd Brigade. taking the ridge read toward
OWiHS 10 lue pCSSlDlllty Oh an I'M
mediate skirmish or battle, none of the
medical officers rode their horses but made
pack mules of them. and carried as large
number of dressings. etc, they could.
The division camped in column brigades,
and the Hospital Company and Division
Hospital pitched camp near the headquar-
ters of the division commander. On the
following morning twenty men and the
stew ard and two medical officers returned
to Siboney, and brought up four iitters and
as many medical supplies possible,
turning about o'clock pm; after a soak
ing rain the company broke camp, and was
ordered to move forward two miles. This
they did marching over rocky yet muddy
road, carrying the hospital supplies with
them. They pitched their shelter tents on
the soaking ground while the officers who
had no shelter, slept in the open air ex-
posed to dampness and poisoning. On June
70 the company moved forward a quarter
OF mile further to a beautiful spot with
the Aquadores river one side, and the
Siboney road on the other. Here on the
29th the Division Hospital was established,
and here it remained all through the ter
rible carnage that followed. On this day
six wagon loads of our supplies were
brought up from the beach at Siboney, and
tent flies We're pitched and every thing ar
ranged for the coming battle. On the 30th
OF June the work of establishing the Di-
vision Hospital continued and more of our
supplies We're brought from Siboney.