| Show TO DIE LIKE ROTTEN SHEEP army at santiago shattered by fever and ripe for an epidemic that may carry off thousands generals commanding join in a bound robin in the hope that the men will be sent home immediately the associated press santiago de cuba aug 3 pm delayed in transmission summoned by major general shafter a meeting was held here this morning at headquarters and in the presence of every commanding and medical officer of the fifth army corps gen shafter read a cable message from secretary alger ordering him at the ot surgeon general sternberg to move the army into the interior to san luie where it is healthier As a result ol 01 the conference gen shatter will insist upon the immediate withdrawal north within two weeks As an explanation of the situation the following letter from col theodore roosevelt the first volunteer cavalry to gen shafter was hand ed by the latter to the correspondent here of the associated press for publication major general shatter a meeting of general and medical officers called by you at the palace this morning we are all as yon know unanimous in favor of what should be done with the army to keep us here in the opinion of every officer commanding a division or a brigade will simply involve the destruction of there is no possible reason for cok shipping practically the entire command north at once yellow fever cases are very few in the cavalry division where I 1 command one ot two brigades and not one case of yellow fever had occurred in thia division except among the men cent to the hospital at siboney where they have I 1 believe contracted k bat in this division there have been 1500 cases of malarial fever not a man has died from it but the whole command is so weakened and shattered as to bo ripe for dying like rotten sheep when a real yellow fever epidemic instead of a fake epidemic like the present strikes us and it is bound to if we stay here al the height of sickness season august and the beginning ot september quarantine against malarial fever is much like quarantining against the toothache too tache all of ua are certain eoon as authorities at washington fully appreciate preci ate the conditions of the army to be sent home if we are kept here it will in all human possibility mean an appalling appal linz disaster tor the surgeons here estimate that over half the army if kept here during the sickly season will die this is not only terrible from the standpoint of the individual lives lost but it means ruin from the standpoint of the military efficiency ot the flower of the american army for the great bulk of the regulars are here with you the eiolf list large though it is exceeding affords but a faint index ot the debilitation ot be army not 10 per cent are fit for active work bis weeks on the north maine coast or instance or elsewhere where the yellow fever germ cannot possibly prorogate would make ua all as fit as fighting cocks able as we are eager to take a leading part in the great campaign against havana in the fall even if we are not allowed to try porto rico we can be moved north if moved at once with absolute safety to the country of course it would have been infinitely better it we had been moved north or to porto rico two weeks ago II 11 there was any object in keeping us here we would face fever with as much indifference as we faced bullets but there is no object in it the four immune regiments ordered here are sufficient to garrison the city and sur rounding towns and there is absolutely nothing for us to do here and there has not been since the city surrendered it is impossible to move into the interior every shit ting of camp doubles the sick rate in our present weak condition and anyhow the interior is rather worse than the coast aa I 1 have found by actual oar present camps are as healthy sa any camps at this end of the beland can bs 1 I write only because I 1 cannot see our men who have fought ao bravely and who have endeared extreme hard t 5 1 1 ships and danger uncomplainingly go to destruction without striving eo lux as lies in me to avert a doom as fearful aa it is unnecessary and undeserved yours respectfully ROOSEVELT colonel commanding first brigade after col roosevelt bad taken the initiative all the american general officers united in a round robin addressed to gen shatter it reads ve the undersigner undersigned under signed officers commanding the various brigades divisions etc of the army of occupation in cuba are of the unanimous opinion that this army should at once be taken out of the island of cuba and sent to bome point on the northern aea chaet of the united states that it can be done without danger to the people of the united states that yellow fever in the army at present is not epidemic that there are only a few sporadic cases but the army is disabled by malarial fever to the ex tent that its efficiency is destroyed and that it ia in a condition to be practically destroyed by an epidemic of yellow fever which is sure to come in the near future we know from the reports ot competent officers and from personal observations that the army is unable to move into the interior and that there are no facilities for such a move if adopted and that it could not be attempted until too late more over the best medical authorities of the island say that with our present equipment we could not live in the interior during the rainy beason without losses from malarial fever which ia almost as deadly as yet low fever this army must be moved at once or perish As the army can be safely moved now the persona responsible for preventing such a move will ble for the unnecessary loss of many thousand lives our opinions are the result ot careful personal observation and they are also based upon the unanimous opinion of our medical officers of the army we understand the situation absolutely signed J major general volunteers commanding first division fifth corps J 0 BATES major general volunteers commanding provisional division A D chaffee Cu affee major general commanding brigade second division samuel summer brig general volunteers commanding first brigade cavalry will ludlow brig general commanding first brigade second di vision adelber ames brig general volunteers commanding third brigade first division leonard wood briggen eral volunteers commanding theodore roosevelt colonel commanding second cavalry brigade major AI W wood the chief surgeon of the first division eaid ibe army must be moved north adding with emphasis or it will be unable to move itself gen ames has sent the following cable message lo 10 washington the lion charles H alien assistant secretary of the navy this arroy i is incapable because of sickness from marching any where except to the transports if it Is ever to return to the united stales it must be done so at once to a correspondent of the associated press gen ames said if I 1 had the power I 1 would put the men on the transports at once and ebia them north without farther orders 1 am confident such action would ultimately be approved A full list of the sick would mean a copy of the roster of every company here washington aug i thia official statement haa been issued war department adjutant general office aug 4 the secretary of war ha ordered gen shatters troops relieved from further duty in santiago as fast aa transportation can be provided and tha transfer trant fer of the spanish pria onera will admit of the reduction of the garrison for the spanish prisoners will arrive aa follows isla du luzon sailed from cadiz July 27 due Continue don pae v i lit f J A ARE READY TO DIE LIKE SHEEP FROM PAGE ONE capacity 2136 isla de panay baided bailed from cadiz july 31 duo at santiago ann 13 capacity 1699 P da pui sailed from cadiz aue 1 due at santiago aug 13 capacity 2251 boova donga sailed from cadiz aug 1 due at santiago aug 13 capacity 2157 colon sailed from cadiz aug 2 due at santiago august 14 capacity 2213 leon XIII baided bailed from oidis august 2 doe at santiago august 14 capacity 2256 san augustin sailed from cadiz august 2 due at santiago august 14 capacity 1070 san benacio de loyola balled from cadiz august 3 due at san tiago august 15 1350 san francisco from cadiz august 4 due august alicante baided bailed from mar august 4 due santiago august total capacity american transports now at santiago vare as follows catania men iaea city grand duchess mia imi Matte awan vigilance olivette berkshire total men the rest at montauk will prepare these seasoned troops for the campaign against havana in they will probably take part the i first transports left santiago yesterday yester May the movement ia expected to ba completed by the of the five united states volunteer regiments im have been ordered to santiago for garrison duty the first haa already arrived the others are being pushed forward as rapidly as transportation can be furnished |
