Work in the Field.
Upon arriving at Siboney, although it was late in the evening, I was directed by Miss Barton to go ashore to inquire into the needs of the hospital, and if any, to present her compliments, and to make the following offer:—Although the “State of Texas” was sent to feed the refugees and starving Cubans, it carried some persons and articles that might serve for hospital purposes, and that the Red Cross considers its first duty to be to help those who are nearest.
There was a large barn to which I was directed when I asked for the hospital. I introduced myself and staff to the physician, extended the compliments of the president of the Red Cross offering the services of her staff, as well as needed supplies. The physician in charge very courteously answered that he had been ordered to go to the front the following morning, and not needing anything, thanked the Red Cross for its offer.
Westward from the landing place was a pond of stagnant water. Upon a little hill across a railroad track stood a number of wooden cottages. The first large one, which seemed to have been some kind of a store, and a barn westward from it was pointed out to me as another hospital. (It was the same house which later was used as a post-office, in which Postmaster Brewer contracted yellow fever, but which was never used by the Red Cross.) There were a number of sick soldiers lying around on the floor, Surgeon-Major Havard being in command. I made the same offer to the major as I had made in the first place, and the condition of affairs being apparent, I tendered him the services of the Sisters, as well as cots and blankets for his sick; for which he thanked me, adding that he would accept the cots and blankets, but that he did not require nurses. I invited him to the steamship “State of Texas” to see Miss Barton, so that he might select such articles or service as he desired. From there I went with the staff to Dr. Virano, surgeon-in-chief of the Cuban Hospital, making the same statement and offers to him. He introduced us to General Garcia and his staff, and thankfully accepted the offer of the Red Cross. His patients were lying on cots and on the floor, little care apparently having been given to put the house in fit and proper condition. This ended our duty of the evening, and we returned to the ship.
The next morning, June 28, Major Surgeon Havard visited Miss Barton on the “Texas,” as also did a Cuban delegation; the former made a request for cots, and the latter for the assistance of nurses, and food for the sick. Sister Isabel, Sister Minnie, Sister Annie and Sister Blanch under the direction of Mrs. Lesser went to the Cuban Hospital, taking with them proper nourishment for the sick, and utensils for preparing the same. The work of relief then began at the Cuban Hospital, and beds and blankets were sent on shore for Major Havard.
The same morning Miss Barton directed me to go to the front and find out if anything was needed at the camps, and accompanied by Mr. George Kennan and Mr. Elwell I started about 10.00 a.m. A large detachment of infantry which the night before had camped along the shore of Siboney, had gone on the road up the hill about a thousand feet in height, while another detachment of infantry and artillery took the lower road in the valley, being the only road for vehicles which leads from Siboney to Santiago. The men looked well, although the heat prostrated a number of them on the march. We walked along the latter road as far as the Camp of Rough Riders, which on that day was the furthest in front, a distance of eight miles from Siboney. It was several days after the battle between the Rough Riders and the Spaniards.
The next day, June 29th, I returned to the shore with the Sisters, whose work and value had been observed by others. Siboney with a large water supply and a sea breeze was selected for the Reserve Divisional Hospital of the Fifth Corps. Surgeon-Major La Garde, of the regular army service, was the chief of the department. His supply was small, and conveniences still smaller, which he said was owing to the fact that through military necessity medical and hospital supplies of the army were still on the transports, with no means of unloading. There were but few hospital tents, and the cots in them were occupied by a number of patients, in whom Dr. Fauntleroy took great interest. I offered the services of the Red Cross, as directed by the president. The major, a man with humane ideas, unable to get such supplies as were needed, accepted any reasonable aid that he could receive.
Our offer came at a moment when we could be of help. Surgeon-Major Havard with his staff had been ordered to the front and was unable to place the cots we had landed. His patients, who were suffering from typhoid fever, measles and other diseases, were transferred to Major La Garde’s camp. Battle was expected every day, and the major in order to be as well prepared as possible, accepted the offer of assistance made by the Red Cross, and placed a house at our disposal to serve as a hospital. He addressed a formal letter to Miss Barton, who answered at once in kind words and deeds. We also immediately sent word to Miss Barton, describing the requirements. The Sisters cleaned the muddy house, then disinfected it; Miss Barton sent from the “State of Texas” cots and bedding; food, stoves and utensils to prepare the same. In a few hours our house was disinfected and in order, and about thirty-nine patients were carried to it; most of them had typhoid fever and a few had measles.
The night of July 1, however, our work had to be changed. The major called for all assistance possible to attend the wounded who were arriving from the battlefield of Santiago. Large numbers of the wounded were brought down, many of whom walked miles. Men with bullet wounds through their lungs walked and crept for hours to get to the hospital. There were hospitals nearer to the front, but all seemed to have been overcrowded by the work of that day, and many soldiers had lost their way in the undergrowth and wandered about until they found the nearest road to a hospital. Many walked because they complained that the rough roads and heavy wagons increased their pains with every jolt. Surgeon-Major La Garde’s management can never be too highly praised. The wounded men that came down in the wagons were examined by him and laid somewhere to be comfortable until they could have attendance. By “comfortable” I mean as far as the situation would permit.
Every surgeon and nurse was put to work. Mrs. Lesser and the Sisters were called to assist at an operating table, and Sister Annie McCue and Mrs. Trumbull White were left in charge of the hospital building. At first I had the pleasure of assisting a very able army surgeon, Dr. Fauntleroy, but the same evening a table was assigned to me by Major La Garde. There were six tables in the tent, which were in charge of the following surgeons: Drs. Fauntleroy, Ireland, Nancrede, Munson, Parker, Howard and myself, some coming later than others. The work continued all night, each operator having one assistant and one of the Sisters at his table, continuing all of the following day. As the wounded came down in numbers, and there were not cots for them, they had to be left in any position around the ground. Major La Garde and Chaplain Gavitt were at all times kept busy having long flies put up to protect them in case it should rain.