The Monte Vista journal., 1898-09-03
WHY SOLDIERS DIE.
MANY OF THEM ARE STARVED.
Sick Ne. Had Nethins That They Couid
E.t-AiEsr Rips up Lot of Bed Tape
70 save LivsA

Chicago, Aug. 29.-The correspond.
ent Of the Record sends the following
dispatch from Montauk Point, Long
Island:
DR.. Mott. who has witnessed almost
every landing since Camp Wikoff was
established, says the Second Mnssa-
chusetts was In the most distressing
condition OF any that had returned
from Santiago. 1t came on the Mo-
bile and had over 100 sick, many of
them actually starving because they
could not eat the food that was served
TO them.
Upon all these transports the re-
turning troops. sick and well, have
been served the regular army field ra-
tions-that Is, 30 many pounds per
day Of salt pork. salt beef, beans, po-
tatoes and hardtack. No provision
was made for those who were sick
with typhoid and malarial fevers or
dysentery, which are the diseases
most common and from which nipe-
tenths Of the men on the sick list are
suffering. and there is where the
wickedness and the criminal neglect
of the medical and commissary corps
comes in.
A surgeon must be either vicious or
ms@n who will place 700 typhoid or
dysentery patients upon diet Of salt
meat and hardtack. II he tried 1t In
m ordinary hospital he would be sent
to lunatic asylum. 1t was only n
Few months ago that an army surgeon
was court-martialed and placed on the
retired list as non compOs mentis be-
cause he wrote an article for n medi-
cal Journal TO prove that the use OF
halt was Injurious instead Of beneficial
TO the human system.
But when the salt meat ia putrid
and the hardtack moldy. like that
which was fed TO the Massachusetts
soldiers on the Mobile. II becomes n
crime for which somebody should be
punished. for several men from that
regiment-nmong others the Colonel
Began of whom I wrote from Boston
actually died OF starvation. They
had been sick Of the fever in the San
tiago hospitals. and being discharged
as convalesccnt were sent home and
We're fed upon putrid meat and moldy
hardtack. which their stomachs re-
jected. One Of the soldiers OF the Sec
ond Massachusetts told me that he
used TO rub the green mold OF his
hardtack with his sleeve and then
crumble II into his coffee The coffee
was NO strong that he didn't taste the
mold and he got along very well. But
lots OF the boys couldn't drink the cof-
fee. Nothing would stay on their
stomachs
Lieutenant Wade Of the Rough Rid
ers said this morning that his troop
was given moldy harltack several
an H. \
I'VE raised merry HI" replied the
gentle dragoon.
Those who know tell me that n
dozen or more deaths IN the Second
Massachusetts regiment alone may he
attributed directly To this cause. and
rs the truth Is spreading In the state.
the people will call the secretary Of
war or some of his assistants TO ac-
count for 1t. A congressional invcsti-
gation II certain. The facts. rs near
MS ! can learn them. are that either
the medical or the commissary officers
who ordered the supplies FOR the trans
ports provided no dclicacics or other
food for the sick, and the only food
provided was that whicl, had been
placed In the hold OF the transports nt
Tampa when the expedition to San
tiago WIS originally fitted out. and
had been exposed 10 two months Of
tropical weather In the rainy season.
which would ruin keg of nails.
II Il n tlmc-honorcd rule In the reg
ular army. not only with us, but In
Europe. that all the rations on hand
must he issued and eaten before fresh
ones can be furnished. 4 commissary
officer receipts for SO many rations
upon the blanks provided for that
purpose ana is held pecuninrily re-
sponsible for them. The only way he
can escape liability is to ask for n
board OF survey. which Is appointed
to Inspect any provisions reported un-
NJ for food. II 1, condemns them they
can be destroyed: otherwise he must
make the soldiers ent them or pny for
them out Of his own pocket, or ret
Congress TO pass hill authorizing the
auditors OF the treasury To settle his
accounts. This arbitrary provision OF
law, which is n terror to uunrtermas.
fcrs, cominissarics and other officers
who have To do with government
property. explains why so much mis-.
crnble stun has been crowded down
the throats Of the army.
People who have suppressed their ex.
nspcra,ion nj the mlsmnna cement OF nj.
fairs at Camp wikon are bcaming with
qualification NJ the beautiful manner
In which Secretary Algcr Is ripping up
the red tnpe and trnmpiIn. down the
army regulations. Since his arrival
here the condition OF Affairs has i'm.
proved In the most extraordinary man.
ncr. He has done honor to himself ms
well as good to others. but has horri.
fled the nnrtlncts Of the army and has
set mn example Of what they call "in.
subordlnniion" and irrcguinrity that
they fear Will ruin the service. While
General Alrcr has been at work In
shaking things NJ In the hospitals and
In the commlssnry ana piartcrmns,cr's
departments. Colonel Frank Heck.r
has been raging like a cyclone through
other portions of the camp md has
made n reputation FOR energy and cx.
ccu,ivc ability that win never bc for.
gotten by some OF the old fossils he Inns
collldcd with. II would hay. been n
blessing, II would have saved many
lives II the secretary OF war had made
his visit ten days of Two weeks ago.
but. like every other good thing, he
was better late than never. and the RI.
forms he Inns Introduced demonstrate
the truth Of the complaints which bc
pronounced unfounhcd before he left
Washington. Secretary Aigcr has
learned II good many things siscc he
came here. and one of them II TINT the
heads Of corps In his department nrc
not always 10 bc relied upon.
One of the most MT nl.hlnR " his dis.
covcrics md one which has made him