The times., 1898-09-01
CHAPLAIN DUDLEY TALKS
With the District Troops
Through the Campaign.
HIS OPINION OF CUBANS
Looking at Them, the Soldiers Had
10 Remember the Maine With All
Their Might to Be Patriotic
Cheats. Thieves and Falsificlls-
Words of a Spanish ofiicer.

accompanied she First District OF Co
Ilraroia Volunteer Regiment TO and from
Santiago as its chaplain, returned to
washington yesterday, having been
granted a thirty days furlough by the
army authorities.
when the war began and the District
regiment was mustered into seryict, Dr.
Dudley resigned from his church and oe-
came the chaplain of the regiment ihe
congregation declined to accept the res
ss-ration. but the rector was SO anxious
ia accompany The boys that they gave
him three months vacation. thlnklns
that the war would be over by the eA-
piration of that time
DIR Dudley was with the regiment
IA camp Alger. Tampa. Santiago. and al
caunp Wikoff. He is young and enc.
getic and had TO undergo all the ha1u-
ssbtns thct the soldiers were compe-4eu
"a Hear in the trenches before Santiago
lvirr out in the damp, tropical ar a.
nfpht on the rain-soaked grounds iiV.hs
o., baQitack and salt bacon, and meelihs
,,-,r,, many thrilling and interesting eX-
per:erces before and after the per'oo o.
the first ar,nlstice at Santiago
DR.. Dudley is looking remarkapiy wen
after his long stay in the feVerlsn Gu
u,a1e of the Cuban camps, and escaped
sickness. Notwithstanding the fact that
disease was everywhere prevalent as
result OF the peculiar conditions under
which the army existed at Santiago. In
relating his experiences to a reporter at
his residence, No. 1915 Columbia Road,
said.
Fresh "Reminiscences.
.@,The District regiment arrived AT the
landing place near Santiago or the 10Th
of July. We debarked from the trans
port Catania on the same day, and start
Cd for he advance firing line at O'Clock
in the morning. arriving there at 10
O'Clock on the morning of the lth
..We were among Tie most advanced
men Of the American army. ana coalo
hear The enemy talking in his intreneh'
ments Tot more than huhoreH yaI u
ahead Of as The entire regiment Wa;
no. in the trenches. but camped imme
diateiy IN the rear Companies ard
were the first to occupy places on the hr
ing line II rasned terribly on the uiSh
of the lith and the boys were forced u
lay in tie trenches all through he down
pour. even though the water halt-tiieI
the intrenchnlents.
.aT,eir first siege was for a period o.
tvyenty-tour hours. The balance Of ms
regiment. that is. the companies whicf
were no. sent TO the advance firing lire
uDon our arrival also experienced tn
rain and had TO lay out on the We
ground through IL ali on the night OF th'
Ilth. because our shelter tents and bag
gage had not arrived al the front at tha
time
The Medical Department.
TOO much cannot be said of the med
tcal department of the District regiment
We had three of the best surgeons in III
army. Dr Pyles. of AnacOstia; d.
Weaver. and DR.. Cox, of Hyattsville; an
three splendid hospital stewards, Presto
c. Keen. Woodbridge, and Bradbury
They were a fine set Of men and took a
interest in the boys, unlike many o. IN
other army surgeons, who manifesto
50 much Indifference 10 the welfare o
their men.
Or Weayer's ability was recognize
when he was detached at Tampa an
placed in charge OF a hospital. He subsa
quently became typhoid fever patien
and ) now at his home here. Dr. Co,
was also detached at Santiago and pu
in charge OF q division hospital. and tn
change resulted in much good and great
er conveniences for the men of the othe
regiments The effect or such efficien
medical attendance is shown clearly i
the fact that when the District regimen
arrived at Montauk and passed befor
the inspectors before oebarking, ther
were no yellow fever suspects, and tn
excellent condition of the men was highl
and favorably commented upon We a
owe great credit to Col Harries, bu
enough has not and cannot be said q
Major PyIes. the regimental surgeon
We cannot praise him too highly for III
manner in which he cared for the boy!
when we were In need of anything |
the way of medicines he always mar
aged to get ii. He was enterprising, an
If he could get what he wanted in Il
other way he would communicate direC
with the War Department in washington
The climate at Santiago was somethin
terrible. The weather was sitting hC
during the day and at night the atmos
phere was damp and miasmal. and thing
seemed TO be no better in the mountains
We We're on San Juan Hill and found tn
conditions the same there as i'm the lowe
regions. At night our clothes were a
damp and wet as though they had bee
dipped in water.
Wanted TO Come Home.
after the armistice the District boy
suffered most from the thought that the
would not be sent back home. They sa7
that the fighting was over and wer
afraid that they were going to be ser
up into the mountains for police DUTY
which. of course. seemed to presage th
death of them all.
Two other things that the boys suf
fered from We're lack of mail and lack o
tobacco The men had no money. The!
were not paid from the frs; of July unit
the last of August. and are only nov
about TO receive their pay. Having n,
money, they could get no tobacco, and {
man who has been accustomed to to
bacco il IS a hard thing TO be deprived o
it OF the fund sent by the relief com
mittee l spent S120 for tobacco, an,
bought 600 pounds of ice daily. The lacl
of tobacco and letters made a differenc
in the sick list. and when the welcom
news came that the regiment was comm,
home the sick list went way down
Poor Food for Sick Men.
Il want TO correct the impression the
seems to have gotten abroad to the effe,
THAI the men were given had food. Tt
men that were well had plenty of foo
after the first two or three days.
was hard tack, to be sure. and coffe
pork, tomatoes potatoes, onions, and cal
ned goods. but they Were substantial a
my rations. The men had no meat b
cause after that first day it was fears
that they would gorge themselves. II
District boys were not given fresh me;
by order of the colonel, acting upon II
advice of the regimental surgeon. Tt
boys wanted it, but ii wasn't well f,
them. and they couldn't have it,"
THE chief difficulty seemed To he