The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-19
SOLDIERS BADLY TREATED.
LIEUT.. NICHOLS STORY OF SECOND
DIMUNEs' SUFFERINGS.

! Through Alleged Indifference OF
OHscerS-Lieut. Nichols Has Lately
Resigned His Commission - The
Regiment in Cuba since August,
and Was Poorly Fed and Exposed
to Disease-Their Complaints Fell
Upon Deaf Ears-Lived on Hard
tack and COrned Beef for six
! Weeks-Men Are Anxious to BE
Mustered Out, but Officers Said to
Oppose II.
Lieut.. John e Nichols, lately an officer
| in the Second United States Volunteer
| Infantry, the regiment familiarity known
as Hoods Immunes, is in Savannah. He
| is awaiting here the receipt of
final payment from the war department.
He tells moving story of the hardships
and privations that have been endured
| by the men Of his regiment and the IN
difference and lack Of interest alleged to
have been displayed by some Of the Off
| GERS to the suffering of the enlisted men.
The regiment was mustered into the ser
| vice during the month of June at Camp
| Caffery, near New Orleans, and is made
up from the states of Texas, Louisiana
and Ohio. The formation of regiments
| composed Of men who were immune 10
| tropical diseases was an idea of Col. blood.
and it was through his political influence
and the influence of his family and friends,
which are considerable, that the bill pro
| viding for the organization and enlistment
of such regiments was pushed through
| Congress. Col. Hood is a son of Gen.
John B. Hood of the Confederate army,
| and enjoys the additional distinction of
| being probably the youngest colonel in the
| service of the United States, Being only
IS years of age. According to the story
| OF Lieut.. Nichols, these are about the only
distinctions TO which he has become en-
titled during his service in the army.
When the regiment was at Camp CAT
fiery Lieut. Nichols said Col. Hood od-
| dressed the men at parade, telling them
that whenever any man had a grievance
| and would bring il 20 him, the matter
would be investigated, and if the griev-
ance were real, prompt redress would be
made. He encouraged the men to come
to him with their troubles and assured
| them that he would do whatever was in
his power for their comfort, convenience
| and health. With these promises, assent
ed to and emphasized by the other Off
GERS, fresh in the minds of the men, the
regiment sailed on the Berlin from New
Orleans to Santiago. The transport clear
ed from New Orleans July 25 and reached
the port of Decentralization Aug. 2
On the voyage the treatment to which
the enlisted men have been subjected dur
ing their entire term OF service began.
Sergt. ]. A Reynolds, Lieut.. Nichols
said was placed under confinement for a
| fFif1inp nffanca ant in fha II
room with the other prisoners, compelled
to scrub the decks and subjected 10 other
| humiliations, all of which punishments
tended to subvert discipline and are ex>
pressly forbidden by the article of war to
be inflicted on non commissioned officers
sergt. Reynolds was kept under conf1ne-
ment during the voyage and was released
after the Decentralization without trial and
without redress for the wrongs and indig-
mites to which he had been subjected. The
result of the puniShments and suffering
he endured was a severe attack of fever
from which he at length recovered.
Throughout the time the regiment has
been in the service the men endured many
sufferings and, Lieut.. Nichols said. many
of them died from exposure and disease
Their arrival in Cuba was at the begin
ming of the rainy season, and this added
It's unhealthy effect to the other unfayor-
able conditions that caused sickness and
death. The medical staff, Lieut.. Nichols
charges was incompetent or careless in
the discharge of its duty, the men in the
hospital, which at this time contained
about 200 patients. were compelled to sleep
on their blankets on the ground, as neither
hunks nor cots were furnished them, This
| lack, he claims, was due to the failure to
make acquisitions, as there was an abund-
ance of cots in the stores of the Red
Cross Society at Santiago which would
have been furnished by The society had a
request for them been made by the nronar
officers of the regiment. The medical staff
was composed of Maj. Stewart. Lieut..
Combel and Lieut. Bruning.
In the hospitals luxures and necessi-
ties Tor the sick were not TO be had To
NIL these wants the people of New Or
leans and Houston sent large quantities of
tooacco and dainties for the men in the
hospital, some of which reached the mon
but by far the greater part was .ne,,e,
received by those for whom it was intend
ed. i do not impute this failure to re-
oelVe these shipments to any one" saia
Lieut. Nichols. but the facts speak for
themselves Somebody, can't say whom
IS at fauit. l know. however. that CO,
hooo was IN command, and that no one
was ever punished nor the matter ay,er
publicly investigated"
During the time we spent ut saptiaao
the ratons furnished to The mon 49,
composed for the most part Of corned beef
and bareback, with coffee 10 wash tbem
down. Something for this purpose was
needed The men suffered from This diet
and complaints and appeals were made n
Col. Hood. They produced absolutely no
effect. The refrigerated beef thai NOS
furnished on rare occasions. was generaljv
in a condition that rendered il unft for
use, and was condemned
} About this time quantity of whisky.
. that had been furnished by the Red cross
Society for the use Of the sick, disappea red
, ana no one has ever been able to account
for the loss. 1t was under the charge of
the medical staff of the regiment. There
were other scandals of like importance
that affected and do still affect the good
name of the officers of the regiment and
thai have never been investigated nor The
guilty parties punished. The Offender In
one especially fragrant case, ia which the
evidence was conclusive, was released nv,
Col. Hood, on the alleged ground that tho
/ s..arts 49, 1nA nursf~