The herald., 1898-10-06
ROUGH RIDER RETURNS
SERGT. HUSEN TELLS OF SANTI-
AGO AND CAMP WIKOFE
Needless Exposure and Lack Of Care.
Shafter Scored-Teddy's Ter
rors Were Pets

w. o. Husen, late sergeant OF Company
B, First United States volunteers, cavalry,
better known as Roosevelt's Rough Rid
ers, or "Teddy's Terrors," is in the city.
Sergt. Husen has just returned from New
York and Camp Wikoff. via San Francisco.
going to Yuma, his home. Sergt. Husen.
by the way, is a prominent lawyer of Ari-
zona and a very pleasant fellow. He does
not look at all the worse for his Cuban ex-
perience, and has been enjoying his visit
In Los Angeles among his old friends for
two days.
Husen was present with his regiment at
Santiago and took part in the celebrated
charge up the San Juan hill. In the course
of an interview with a Herald reporter, the
sergeant, speaking of preparations for the
care of soldiers in Cuba, last night said:
. The soldiers were sent to Santiago .
. without adequate equipment, either
. field or medical. The staff officers
. were green and incompetent. With
10000 horses or mules at Tampa, there
were only nine ambulances at Santi-
ago for the whole army. No proper .
shelter tents were provided, nor
were there sufficient surgeons or medi- .
cines. There were 1890 wounded men .
to be cared for at one time. 1t was
impossible to give them the actual,
. necessary care required, which would .
. have saved many lives. The Rough
. tunate In their colonel, who kept .
. watchful eye over erything.
The regulars, in whom no one took .
sentimental interest or had powerful .
friends as In the case of the Rough
. Riders, had the worst time. The spir-
it of the Santiago soldiers, the rank .
. and file, is very condemnatory of Gen. .
. Shafter. He was SO anxious to .
get to Cuba that he went off in .
. crowded transports, with scant .
. equipment, and his staff officers were .
. even more improvident. A finer body .
of men was never gathered together, .
. nor one with more bravery or patriot .
ic spirit, but about 5000 to 1000 .
. lives were uselessly wasted at Santa .
. go, or from the effects of Santiago, .
. needless exposure and lack Of care .
. The men were all with Gen. Miles and .
. wished heartily he had had charge of O.
. the campaign. q
At Camp Wikoff things were little .,
. better than at Santiago, but the camp .
. was too hurriedly fixed upon and To- .
. Gated. There were hospital accommo- .
dations for about 1000 men at first, and .
. three times that number of sick, many .
. of whom eventually were taken to pri- .
. vate hospitals and homes in New .
York. The Rough Riders were well .
. treated at Camp Wikoff, as they had .
. many friends in New York who looked Q
. after them, and they were able to d. .
. vide some of their delicacies with the Q
. regulars, who otherwise would have Q
. Jared rather barely. 0
New York city treated us royalty. .
The clubs were all free to us and enter Q
. tainment open and hearty. At the .
camp we had many delicacies, such .
as fresh butter, tomatoes and fruit .
things not furnished by the govern .
| . ment. One of the principal things .
. that worked against the health OF .
| the soldiers at Camp Wikoff was the .
fact that the days were very hot and .
the nights very cold-fever-producing .
. weather and bad for those having 1t Q
. already. The transports coming to .
the camp from Santiago were too .
. crowded and stuffy. Q
Husen had the yellow fever, but received
good care and is fully recovered. He re-
turns to Yuma this morning.