The evening times., 1899-11-15
: ,tGING SOLDIER DEAD.
Report ON the Removal of Their Re
mainA From Cuha.

Report ON the Removal of Their Re-
mafnA- From Cuba.
A report issued by the Quartermaster
General of the Army shows what has been
accomplished in the matter of locating
and marking the graves Of the United
States soldiers who fell in Cuba and Porto
Rico, and what has been done toward
bringing the remains to this country for
reinterment.
| On the Santiago battlefield. the graves
of 654 soldiers, who had either been killed
or who died from various diseases. were
located, but 141 of them could not be iden-
titled.
D. H. Rhodes, of the Quartermaster Gen.
| erals Department, was detailed for the
| work. On the Santiago battleaelds he
found many graves whose markings were
badly blurred; but by careful search
| through records made by Chaplain Henry
C. McCook, United States volunteers, and
through information received from large
number cf persons who were acquainted
with the various fields, he was enabled
to identify a large number Of graves that
had no markings to guide him. In his re-
port Mr.. Rhodes states that in proceeding
with this work the greatest possible care
was taken, not only to find graves, but
also to obtain names or other markings
that might be found at the graves.
The majority of the graves found were
marked simply by small pieces Of sticks,
stones. tiles, tin, and strips Of boxes. In
vines, weeds. grass, ETC., rendering the
graves difficult to be found, even when
only few feet distant.
Hundreds Of miles over trails, hills.
abandoned fever and camp sites, and
through valleys, swamps and pest holes,
had to be trayersed on foot in going over
the field Of operation.
Mr.. Rhodes submits with his report
series of sketches, which show the ap-
proximate locality of the graves found
and marked; also the relative position OF
each grave or trench, and the number OF
the grave which corresponds with the
place on each OF the headboards.
A complete record is also submitted
which contains the name, initial, rank,
organization, date of death, as he found
II on the graves, ETC., or obtained II from
other reliable sources In each case where
a grave or trench was found unmarked, or
where a temporary marker had become
totally obliterated, they were designated
by a headboard with the words Unknown
United States soldier and the proper
grave number, in order to identify and
preserve this spot as that Of grave
Mr.. Rhodes was also placed in charge Of
the work of disinterment. and the return
Of the bodies TO this country for renter
ment IN national cemeteries. or TO be sent
to relatives or friends. Solon F. Massey,
agent OF the quartermaster's department,
was appointed his principal assistant The
report on the work OF exhuming by Mr..
Rhodes shows that on February 4, 1899, the
b,,rt oh
Massey and the other members OF the par
ty. consisting OF ten undertakers. ten FORE
men six representatives employed as labor
ers, and nineteen other representative
forty-seven persons in all-left New York
on the transport Roumanian tnow Crook,
with the necessary caskets and other sup
plies required for their work.
They arrived at San Juan. Porto Rico, |
February 10. 1899 and entered upon the |
work of the disinterment OF fifteen bodies |
at that place. which they completed on Feb |
ruary l3. The next morning they sailed |
on the Crook for Ponce. arriving there |
February 10. where they made eighty dis |
interments On February 20 they proceed !
ed to Coamo, Porto Rico, twenty miles from !
Ponce. and made thirty-two disnterments |
in tina. vicinity. returning to Ponce on Feb |
ruary %. Mr.. Massey, with two undertake |
ers, and one foreman. remained at Ponce to |
complete the work OF disinterment of about |
ninety eight bodies buried at other points |
on the island of Porto Rico.
The remainder of the burial corps, in |
charge of Mr. Rhodes. left Ponce for Sam
tiago on February 2S. on the Crook having |
the remains OF those already disinterred |
aboard. arriving at Santiago February 26.
On March 6. after the materials and supplies
had been unloaded from the Crook, the
}ha of dieip
ring the remains at Santiago and vicinity. |
Five hundred and fifty disinterments were
made there between March S and %.
R. J. Bates, one of the representatives |
who accompanied the burial corps was on |
March 9. 1899, given authority to return TO
the United States on one of the transports |
with thirteen bodies that had been previ-
ously disinterred by him at Santiago.
On March q the Crook left Santiago with
her first cargo OF $50 bodies from Santiago
and 127 from Porto Rico, or total Of 677
bodies.
Within three or four days after the de-
parture of the Crook, the disinterments at
ind around Santiago were practically COM
pleted. Operations were then begun on the
graves at the camps south of Santiago,
Moro Castle, San Luis, Cristo, Songo.
Las Guasimas Daiquiri and Siboney. Com
pleting the disinterments at the latter
pace, tue puTldi CoTpS returned 10 san
tiago on the evening Of April 5.
The remains of those disinterred in the
vicinity Of Siboney, and all other points
where yellow fever cases had been buried,
we're carefully disinfected. They were
sterilized by complete Simmer
sion and saturation in a strong solution
Of corrosive sublimate. The tents, cots,
ETC., used by the burial corps at Siboney
we're burned by order of the surgeon, and
he clothing and personal effects Of the
party fumigated and disinfected prior to
eaving for Santiago.
Mr.. Rhodes report shows that .122 dis
nterments were made in Cuba and Porto
Rico out of which only 153, or 1858 per
,ent. were unidentified. The quartermas-
er's report states:
"It seems proper to remark that this is
the first instance in history where
country at war with a foreign power has
to disinter the remains Of all
is soldiers, who. in defence of their coun-
ry, had given up their lives on a distant
oreign shore and bring them, by long
ee voyage. to their native land for return
o their relatives and friends. or their re-
nterment in the beautiful national ceme-
cries which have been provided by our
government for its brave defenders
EHFDr NvFn nv ETC IA TrnrYnTD |