Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-08-22
UNJUST CRITICISM.
Secretary AIger Defends War
Departments Actions.
Labor Involved in Raising and Equip
ping Army Simply Enormous.
May Have Been Mistakes But Everything
Possible Has Been Done.

New York, Aug. 21-Hon. Chauncey
NJ. Depey has received the following
letter from the secretary of war and
has consented to it's publication. The
letter was written in reply TO request
for information on the subject as fol-
lows:
War Department, Washington, Aug
ust 13, 1S9S
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 has beer
accomplished in the way of Quitting
the army for the field, the conduct of
the campaign, etc, also the chiefs of the
| divisions have been too much driven
with work TO compile the data re-
quired.
One not in the midst of the work can
| hardly realize what an undertaking it
| is to call 125,O0O men into the field at
one time. coming from all the states
| and to have them mustered and gath
| cred in camps on so short notice and
| this too, when we had scarce any camp
| outfit for their Accommodations all hav-
| ing to be provided for by the war de-
partment.
| AS you know. when war was de-
| clared, there was no equipment what
| ever for the volunteers in store, this
was successfully accomplished with
very few accidents, is a matter of rec
| ord. Subsequents call, including the
regular army (Which numbered about
$1,000 men when the war was declared)
made a total of 26S,5OO men.
To accomplish all this in so short d
time has been a great work. OF course
Gathering this vast number of men to-
gether, in large measure under un-
trained regimental and company comman-
ders-I mean in actual field duty-the lack
of knowledge as to sanitary conditions to
be observed, the carelessness in not OBJ
serving instructions which were furnished
as to proper care of the men. has added
greatly to the work OF the medical de-
partment.
Thus from the homes of 21G,O00 vOlun-
teers has been constant and great anxiety
as to what might happen to their soldiers.
and hundreds of inquiries made by letters
and kilograms have been received every
day concerning individual soldiers.
The feeling on the part of these indl-
viduals that the war department is re-
sponsible for the care of their men indi-
vidually has naturally aroused sympathy
in cases of sickness and death and has
created much sorrow.
There is nothing young men in robust
health are so prodigal of as their health
until it is gone. Men go into camp feel
ing that they can stand anything and
everything, and cannot be made to believe
to the contrary until stricken by disease.
Every effort has been made from the
beginning, to furnish every camp with all
appliances asked for, but of course the
commanding officers in the field are the
ones who have the direct charge of these
men.
For instance, one army corps comman-
der has given orders, and enforces them.
respecting sanitary affairs, and he has
today. but fraction over 2 per cent. on
the sick list. Others have been less suc-
cessful and the consequence is typhoid
and other fevers have been spread and
spread to considerable extent
One regiment in the Chickamauga camp
has a colonel who enforced sanitary rules
al his regiment, obliging the men to boil
all the water they drink, keeping the
camp cleanly, and the result. less than 25
sick, and his camp, too, in as unfavorable
a place as any in the command.
Others more favorably situated have 10
times that number on the sick lists. One
OF the regiments of the last call not yet
removed from its state, sends bitter COM
plants of typhoid fever
Concerning the Santiago campaign,
when the ships left Tampa they had on
board three months provisions and an
abundance of hospital supplies. They had
lighters to unload with at the point of de-
barlsation. These lighters were lost in
severe storms on the way. As soon as
we twe9a notified of the fact. two tows of
ligfiteriinssere sent from Mobile and New
Orleans. Which were also overtaken by
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