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| Ramon Blanco. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, August 9, 1898.
CONDENSED WAR NEWS.
Brief Telegrams Relating to Our Conflict With Spain.
Captain General Blanco of Cuba has issued a proclamation announcing that Spain has sued for peace and that he must soon vacate Cuba. He suggested that the Cubans be forgiven and no longer regarded as enemies and that no unkind feelings be cherished.
It is understood that Garcia and Gomez will send to Washington a joint protest on behalf of the so-called Cuban government, against General Shafter, ignoring the claims of the insurgents to administer the affairs of the conquered territory.
Reliable information has been received by the officers of the blockading squadron that the people of Cardenas are on the verge of starvation.
The soldiers at Camp Black at Hampton Plains, N. Y., find life very monotonous and are anxious to be called to duty.
The troops at Chickamauga are being trained in shooting at men in trenches.
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| Maj. Gen. William R. Shafter. |
SHAFTER'S REPORT.
Not Responsible For the Lack of Care to the Sick.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.—General Shafter in a report to the war department, emphatically denies that he is responsible for the inadequate provision made for the sick and wounded brought from Santiago to the United States on the Seneca and Concho [transport ships]. Everything possible, he says, was sent with the sick and wounded. The matter of shortage of water, he says, is inexcusable. He concludes his report as follows:
"There is no excuse for lack of food, as there has at all times been plenty of that. I have no doubt that many more were put on the ship than should have been because of the great desire to get home, as they had the fear of yellow fever, and were almost wholly without hospital accommodation.
"The sick and wounded had only their clothing on that they wore into battle, and of course, that was ragged and worn out by the time they reached home. There was none to issue to them at the time they left, and their own extra clothing they could not get at. There has never been a case of suffering here that could be remedied by the means at hand that was not attended to. The surgeons have worked as well as any men that ever lived, and their complaint has been universal of lack of means and facilities.
"I do not complain of this, for no one could have foreseen all that would be required, but I will not quietly submit to having the onus laid on me for the lack of hospital facilities."
LEAVING SANTIAGO.
More of Our Troops Are En Route Home.
THREE TRANSPORTS SAILED.
The Grand Duchess Is About Ready to Start.
SANTIAGO, Cuba, Aug. 9.—The transports Miami, Matteawan and Vigilancia, loaded with United States troops, have sailed for the United States. The transport Grand Duchess is about ready to leave with 742 men and officers of the Thirteenth infantry and six companies of the Seventy-first New York, aggregating 458 mean and officers.
General Shafter and the Spanish general, Toral, held a consultation at the palace with regard to the embarkation of the Spanish prisoners of war. As a result of the conference 1,000 of the Spanish sick and wounded will be taken on board the Alicante and sent to Spain as soon as the vessel is properly loaded. There is to be no bunching or waiting for transports. Each will sail as soon as it can be loaded after arrival here.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Spain's Reply.
Spain's reply to the peace terms offered on behalf of the United States by President McKinley was received by the French ambassador at Washington yesterday afternoon. Its transition from the cipher text was made during the night. The document will be laid before the president to-day. Nothing definite is made public regarding its contents. The cabled guess, based on what could be learned in Madrid, that it accepts the "hard conditions" with reservation of liberty to labor before the peace commission for something better, is probably near the truth. But there is nowhere heard in the United States the opinion expressed that Spain will succeed in fixing upon Cuba the big debt Spain created to perpetuate its hold upon the island.
◘ The Twenty-eighth district Republicans—Cayuga, Wayne, Cortland, Ontario and Yates—are of those who believe in keeping the right man in congress once you have found him. From the several counties they met in convention Saturday with no other candidate than Sereno E.Payne. Unanimously they renominated Mr. Payne for the seventh consecutive time. Republican nomination in the Twenty-eighth district is equivalent to election, and the party and state can congratulate themselves that Mr. Payne will be a representative in the Fifty-sixth congress.—Utica Herald.
◘ President McKinley is said to have determined to invite ex-President Harrison to accept the chairmanship of the peace commission. No selection could be made which would be more acceptable to the American people. The position is worthy of the man, and the man is an ideal one for the position. General Harrison has breadth of knowledge, diplomatic experience, and an Americanism that is unyielding though polite. It would be impossible to make a better selection.
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| Daniel Lamont. |
REAR END COLLISION.
COL. LAMONT'S PRIVATE CAR BADLY SMASHED.
A Train Ahead of Col. Lamont's Broke In Two and the Vice-President's Train Stopped on a High Trestle—A Freight Train Following Ran Into it, Smashing Everything to Kindling Wood—No One Hurt.
SEATTLE, Aug. 8.—A special to the New York World says in an accident on a small "feeder" railroad a few miles north of here to-day Daniel Lamont, vice-president of the Northern Pacific railroad and former secretary of war, escaped with his life by the slightest margin. As it was his palace car Glacier was telescoped and partially demolished by the heavy engine of a freight train which came thundering into the Lamont special stalled on a high trestle.
Lamont's car was attached to the rear of a northbound train on the Seattle and International railroad. An extra running ahead broke down and both trains were stopped on a sixty-foot trestle. The party on the Lamont car were trying to keep cool on the back platform when the rumblings of a freight, also northbound, were heard. The waiting train could not be seen on account of a curve, and the train was going at full speed.
It was plain that they were in a dangerous place, and Lamont was one of the first to see it. He told his party that they must get as far forward as possible, and started on a run through the palace car. They had hardly crossed the platform of the next car before the freight engine with a crash pushed its way well into the palace car. The portion of it which the party had occupied was crushed and splintered. Had one remained he would surely have been killed.
The engineer on the freight had reversed his lever in time to partially check the speed of his train or the accident would have been much worse. Another special car was hurried from this city, and Lamont and party continued their trip.
ON THE MARCH.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM VIRGINIA FROM HARRY ODAY.
Regiment off on Practice Marches—Near the Old Battlefield—Boys are Often Hungry Because the Mules are Obstinate—Raids on the Farmers—Great Enthusiasm Over a Home Advertising Sign, "Syracuse Plows."
CO. C, THIRD N. Y. VOLS., CHAPEL SPRINGS, NEAR BRISTOL, VA., Aug. 8, 1898.
To the Editor of the STANDARD:
SIR— Last Wednesday, Aug. 3, the Second division, consisting of 10,000 men under Major General Davis left Camp Alger for a march. Since that time we have been living in true army style, much of the time doing our own cooking and once in a while foraging for what we cooked. Our first day's march was fifteen miles to Burke's station. Man after man dropped by the roadside, exhausted by the heat. One man of the Thirty-fourth Michigan died that night. Early the next morning our regiment was taken out for a provost guard, watching cornfields, henhouses, springs, etc. We managed to work ourselves into the good graces of the farmers, so had pretty good food as compared with those in camp. But one must remember that the farmers in this section are as a rule very poor, so if they gave us the best they had it was not much.
Beginning at 9 o'clock Thursday night, it rained for nearly two hours and everything we had was soaked. Our shelter tents, or as we call them, "dog tents," wet through in less than five minutes. After the rain was over we built large fires and dried our blankets. The best we could then do was to-day two rails side by side, and on these we rolled ourselves up in our blankets and slept till morning. It was our first experience of the kind, but all stood it first rate.
At 5 o'clock we started on our march. This time we went only ten miles, stopping a mile from Clifton, Va., near Bull Run, about three miles from the battlefield. Many relics were found here as there had been a skirmish right where we were encamped. Some—I can't call them soldiers, although they wore the uniform of Uncle Sam—dug open the grave of a Confederate major and took everything they could find. The authorities are striving hard to search out the guilty parties, but as yet are unsuccessful.
As food was very scarce some of the men went out on little expeditions of their own and as a result farmers are reporting losses of cows, calves, sheep, hens, canned fruit and many other things. As a result of these things the guards were doubled and all men not with an officer were arrested, no matter whether they had a pass or not. Three hundred prisoners were brought into camp Saturday afternoon.
At 4 o'clock Sunday morning we left the camp near Clifton and came here to Chapel Springs, which is five miles from Manassas, where the second battle of Bull Run was fought. Oh! but what a base deceiver is the name Chapel Springs, for there are no springs. There is a creek near in which we bathe and from which we procure water for coffee and cooking purposes. Some of the men found lizards, worms and other river pests in their coffee. To-day we have sent teams into the country for water so we hope for better things.
This morning we had our first issue of fresh beef since we left camp. There is much grumbling because of the poor food and water. The Washington papers say our commissary officers are very poor and it would appear as if true, for at no time have we camped more than two miles from a railroad station, and all on the same line. If we were in the enemy's country or doing active service there would not be a murmur, but when only on practice marches it seems as though they might give us plenty of food and water. One thing that causes delay is that the regular mule drivers have been discharged and the company wagoneers are doing the driving. As many of these are inexperienced, they have hard work managing the mules, so that the provisions are anywhere from five to ten hours behind the troops.
Since the march began four men have died, seventeen been sent to the hospital at Ft. Meyer, and the field hospitals filled. Our regiment is doing finely having more men finish the march each time than any other regiment, and less sick men. Our present system is to march a day and then camp a day. The officials are seeking a permanent camping ground and till they have found a suitable one we will probably be kept on the march.
Last Tuesday I went over to the Sixty-fifth regiment and had a nice little visit with Chet Smith and Will Clark. It seemed good to get with some old Cortland boys and talk over old times and experiences in the Normal [School].
Nearly every one in camp is "broke," and a man with fifty cents is a millionaire. Some men have lent money at 100 per cent interest. We expect to be paid within a few days, as we signed the payroll ten days ago. Yesterday as we marched through Manassas, although it was Sunday and we had been ordered to keep quiet, a mighty cheer went up from Company C, as we saw a large sign "Syracuse Plows."
Most sincerely,
H. A. ODAY.
BREVITIES.
—A regular convocation of Cortland chapter, No. 194, R. A. M., will be held to-morrow night.
—New display advertisements to-day are Stowell, Teapots, page 8; C. F. Brown, Stuck on It, page 4.
—Attention is called to the abstract on our third page to-day of the report of the commission to investigate the work of canal improvement; also to the able editorial on our second page quoted from the Troy Times, bearing upon the same subject.
—Invitations are out for the wedding of Mr. Walker Arthur Millard and Miss Lenah Mary Rittenhouse, which will occur at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Rittenhouse, 31 James-st, Cortland, on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 12 o'clock noon.
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