Spanish-American War, 1898 -- Regimental histories; United States. Army. Volunteer Cavalry, 1st
After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the initiative, all the American
general officers united in a "round robin" addressed to General
Shafter. It reads:
We, the undersigned officers commanding the various
brigades, divisions, etc., of the Army of Occupation in
Cuba, are of the unanimous opinion that this army should be
at once taken out of the island of Cuba and sent to some
point on the Northern sea-coast of the United States; that
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 that
the army is disabled by malarial fever to the extent that
its efficiency is destroyed, and that it is in a condition
to be practically entirely destroyed by an epidemic of
yellow fever, which is sure to come in the near future.
We know from the reports of 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 attempted, and that it could not be attempted until
too late. Moreover, the best medical authorities of the
island say that with our present equipment we could not live
in the interior during the rainy season without losses from
malarial fever, which is almost as deadly as yellow fever.
This army must be moved at once, or perish. As the army
can be safely moved now, the persons responsible for
preventing such a move will be responsible for the
unnecessary loss of many thousands of lives.
Our opinions are the result of careful personal observation,
and they are also based on the unanimous opinion of our
medical officers with the army, who understand the situation
absolutely.
J. FORD KENT,
Major-General Volunteers Commanding First Division, Fifth Corps.
J. C. BATES,
Major-General Volunteers Commanding Provisional Division.
ADNAH R. CHAFFEE,
Major-General Commanding Third Brigade, Second Division.
SAMUEL S. SUMNER,
Brigadier-General Volunteers Commanding First Brigade, Cavalry.
WILL LUDLOW,
Brigadier-General Volunteers Commanding First Brigade, Second
Division.
ADELBERT AMES,
Brigadier-General Volunteers Commanding Third Brigade, First
Division.
LEONARD WOOD,
Brigadier-General Volunteers Commanding the City of Santiago.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Colonel Commanding Second Cavalry Brigade.
Major M. W. Wood, the chief Surgeon of the First Division, said:
"The army must be moved North," adding, with emphasis, "or it will be
unable to move itself."
General Ames has sent the following cable message to Washington:
CHARLES H. ALLEN,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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