The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-02


Adjutant General, Washington:-I fear
/ have underestimated todly's casual
ties A large and thoroughly equipped
hospital ship should be sent here ut
once, to care for the wounded The
chief surgeon says he has use for for
ty more medical officers. The ship
must bring launch and boats for con-
veying the wounded.
(signeD SKATER.
Major-Gener:i
The military authorities We're alert early
in the day, despite the fact that they had
been up well through the might in anxious
waiting for the latest reports. Secretary
Alger and the Adjutant General of the
Army, General Corbin, held conference
as soon as the Secretary arrived. Then
Surgeon General Sternberg was sent for,
and Joined in the conference. 1t is under
stood that the Surgeon General will send
large force of medical officers some 40
or 50, in addition to these already with
General Skaters men. All suitable ap-
planes will be provided.
Neither the Secretary nor the Adjutant
General would add anything to the infor-
nation given out at midnight. 1t was
said, however, that the estimate of killed
ana wounded first matte pyvseneral Shat
ter was more likely to be under than over
the real loss, as the dense growth of the
chapparal in which the American troops
fought, made it we'll nigh impossible at
first to learn the extent of the loss. An
impressive seriousness pervaded all mill
tary centres.
The news that our gallant men had
pressed their way, foot by foot, up the
come indeed, but there was now the full
realization that this had been done in
the face of a whitening fire. Instead of
a skirmish on the right flank as the later
reports yesterday indicated, it was now
clear that a general engagement. and a
terrific one, had been fought under the
brciling tropical sun and in the tangled
vegetation northeast of Santiago.
General Miles and his staff were to-
gether in the Generals Office early in the
day. Spread on the Generals desk was a
map showing in minutest detail every
80 du-a,y +rail an5 alax,at tiay ol,o,1t S,rti.
ago. The General traced the line of opera
tions yesterday, and the probable line of
action nova in progress He had received
nothing additional from the field. He
spoke gravely of the ferceness of the
fighting yesterday.
From strategic point of view Lawtons
taking of Caney yesterday gave an eleva-
ton on the right wing, serving the double
purpose of diverting the enemy from The
left and opening way to our left wing,
and also of giving our troops a more COM
manding sweep of the enemy's northern
defences.
Incidentally 1t accomplished the import
ant purpose at least to some extent, of
preventing Pando's corning down with re-
Inducements from the north, and turn
ing our right flank.
Immediately upon receiving General
Skaters telegram concerning the killed
and wounded, Surgeon General Sternberg
of the army, called on General Van Rey-
pen, the Surgeon-General of the navy
and the two held long conference re-
garding the coure to be taken. Fortu-
nately the ambulance ship Solace is now
in the vicinity of General Skaters army
and she will be utilized for any emergency
cases which may arise.
While the navy ship Solace is designed
primarily for the use of the fleet, she will
be put at the disposition Of the army
whenever that may be necessary, and the
navy and army ships win be used inter-
changeably The solace is fully as well
adapted for treating the wounded as her
sister ship of the army and has accom-
nodations for several hundred men, The
last heard from the solace was she was at
Guantanamo Bay. short distnce from the
cable station, from which the dispatches
are sent.
Hurried preparations are being made by
the War Department to send to General
shafter the assistants in the medical de-
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