USA > New York > New York in the Spanish-American war 1898 : part of the report of the Adjutant-General of the State for 1900, v. I pt 1 > Part 6
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
XIV. The regiments will encamp in the following order, from right to left, facing south: seventy-first regiment, first provincial regiment, sixty-ninth regiment, forty-seventh regiment, fourteenth regiment, thirteenth regiment, sixty-fifth regiment, third provis- ional regiment, second provisional regiment.
XV. Letters for any member of the command should give his name in full and his regiment, troop or separate company, and should be directed to Camp Black, near Garden City, L. I.
By command of Major-General Roe,
STEPHEN H. OLIN, Assistant Adjutant-General.
The forty-seventh regiment arrived on the morning of May 3d, having been authorized to delay movement until that date.
A branch post office of the United States was established in a tent on May 4th. The New York and New Jersey Telephone Company submitted, under date of May 2d, a proposition to con- nect the division and nine regimental headquarters at Hempstead Plains by a local telephone system of eleven stations for one year or less, for the sum of $1,485.00. By authority of the adjutant- general this proposition was accepted. This local system was con- nected with the long distance system, and the rate to Brooklyn and New York was fixed at twenty-five cents for five minutes' con- versation or less. The telephone system worked satisfactorily and was of great benefit to the command. A telegraph line was also. established connecting with the main line.
May 4th, the following orders were issued:
CAMP BLACK, GARDEN CITY, L. I., May 4th, 1898.
General Orders, -
No. 2.
I. By direction of the Governor, the troops in camp will consti- tute three brigades, as follows: The sixty-fifth regiment and the second and third provisional regiments will form a brigade, which Brigadier-General Robert Shaw Oliver is assigned to command. The thirteenth, fourteenth and forty-seventh regiments will form a brigade, which Brigadier-General MeCoskry Butt is assigned to
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
command. The sixty-ninth and seventy-first and the first pro- visional regiments will form a brigade, which Brigadier-General George Moore Smith is assigned to command.
JI. The headquarters guard will hereafter be furnished by the brigades in turn in the following order: May 5th, by General Butt's brigade; May 6th, by General Oliver's brigade; May 7th. by General Smith's brigade. For to day Colonel William Cary Sanger is detailed as field officer of the day and the guard will be detailed by the C. O., seventy-first regiment.
III. On and after May 5th, brigade commanders will in their brigades require the performance of all duties imposed by G. O., No. 1. They will preserve order in their respective brigades and will give such assistance to the provost marshal as he may require.
By command of Major-General Roe.
The seventy-first regiment was mustered into the service of the I'nited States on Tuesday, May 10th. The fourteenth regiment on May 16th. The sixty-fifth, second and third provisional regi- ments' musters were completed on May 17th. Troops A and C and the sixty-ninth regiment on May 19th. The first provisional regiment on May 20th. The twenty-second and forty-seventh regiments' musters were completed on May 24th. The brigade commanders were relieved from duty and ordered to their home stations when the regiments of their brigades were mustered into the United States volunteers.
The regular army having established a subsistence department, the respective regiments were supplied by the regular commissary as soon as mustered in. General Pennington, United States vol- unteers, having been ordered to command the volunteer camp, arrived May 25th. General Roe and staff were relieved from duty on May 25th and returned to home station.
The weather from May 2d to 25th, inclusive, was wet and damp and particularly bad for new troops, but owing to the favorable location of the camp site and the peculiar quality of the soil, the health of the command was excellent and remarkable. (See Sur- 1 geon Henry's report herewith.) The duties of provost marshal were very onerous, but were performed most excellently in a
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
thoroughly impartial and courteous manner by Colonel William Cary Sanger, who thus removed many burdens from the shoulders of the commanding general.
The duties of quartermaster and commissary were performed by Colonel Holly and Colonel Hurry, respectively, in the most praiseworthy manner. Their attention to duty and the energetic way in which it was performed was a constant gratification to the commanding general. Major Arnold, commissary of the fifth brigade staff, was of the greatest assistance to Colonel Hurry, commissary, and the service rendered by him was most excellent. To Major Arnold I extend my personal thanks.
The medical department of the camp was looked after by Colo- nel Henry, assistant surgeon-general of the state, and everything pertaining thereto was so intelligently and satisfactorily carried out as not to cause me one moment's uneasiness.
The other members of the staff, Colonel Olin, Major Greer, Major Holland, Major Williams, Major Thurston and Major Andrews were ever attentive to their respective duties, and always on the alert to anticipate every wish of the commanding general.
The discipline throughout was most excellent, and I think the state of New York has every reason to be proud of its national guard, and in my opinion the guard thoroughly demonstrated its usefulness. Although forty or fifty per cent. of certain organiza- tions did not volunteer or were rejected for physical reasons, the skeleton was left and the officers and non-commissioned officers were able to handle large numbers of recruits and put them into good military shape in a very short time. The state of New York furnished its quota, 12,460 men, in three weeks with com- paratively little friction, and thereby established a reputation for military efficiency excelled by no other state.
His Excellency, Governor Frank S. Black, visited the camp on Thursday, May 12th, about five p. m. The entire division of nine regiments of infantry and two troops of cavalry was formed and passed in review before him.
In closing this report I want to call attention to the excellent work done by the Long Island Railroad Company. Sidings were
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
put in, sheds erected and every facility afforded for the trans- portation of troops and supplies. The officials of the road were universally polite, obliging and ready to meet any demands made on them.
Reports of Colonels Hurry, Henry and Sanger are herewith enclosed.
1
CHAS. F. ROE, Major-General.
Report of Colonel Hurry, Commissary of Camp Black.
Major-General CHAS. F. ROE, N. G. N. Y. No. 280 Broadway, New York City.
Sir :- I have the honor to make the following report in connec- tion with commissary work done at Camp Black:
According to orders I reported to you in New York city on Friday, April 29th, at 8 a. m., and acting under your instructions proceeded at once to make arrangements for commissary stores for 9,000 men. Contracts were made with Messrs. Acker, Merrall & Condit, for groceries; Messrs. Armour & Co., for meats; Messrs. Fleischmann & Co., for bread, and Messrs. Wilson Bros., for vege- tables. On arrival at Camp Black on Monday, May 2d, the supplies were on hand and ready for delivery. Messrs. Armour & Co., provided their refrigerator car, which held a three days' supply of fresh meat, and Messrs. Fleischmann & Co. delivered each morning 9,000 loaves of fresh bread. During the encamp- ment there were 142,377 rations issued, for which $43,869.31 was paid, which would make cost per ration 300 cents. This cost would be reduced by $1,400 worth of supplies turned over to the United States commissary after the troops were all mus- tered in, which would reduce the cost per ration to 29 8% cents. The organizations which reported were not provided with ration returns, consequently issues were made to each organization and a receipt taken in a book kept for that purpose from the officer acting as commissary. The issues were made to conform with the state allowance. I would most urgently recommend that some instructions be given the commissaries of the various
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
organizations as to the proper cooking and handling of the rations. There was in many cases an abstract lack of knowledge on the part of the men detailed as company cooks. I am indebted to Major David P. Arnold, commissary of the fifth brigade. for his assistance in the department, and his efforts contributed largely to the prompt delivery of the supplies.
Respectfully, GILFORD HURRY, Lieut .- Col. and Commissary.
Report of Colonel Nelson H. Henry, Assistant Surgeon-General. No. 14 EAST 10TH STREET,
NEW YORK CITY, June, 1898.
Assistant Adjutant-General, National Guard.
Sir :- I have the honor to submit the following report of my tour of service, acting in accordance with S. O., No. 68, Sec. 4, April 29, 1898, A. G. O., and G. O., No. 1, May 2, 1898, H. Q. of major-general commanding:
Upon reporting to Major-General Roe, in compliance with orders, I visited the location of Camp Black, Hempstead Plains, April 30th, and May 1st, and made an inspection, and was fully satisfied that a good sanitary condition could be maintained.
In view of the size of the command to be established at the camp, I made requisition, May 1st, for a field hospital upon the plan herewith submitted, including proper supply of tents and tent flies, cots and camp stools, and in addition the following equipments :
1 field operating case,
1 medical and surgical chest,
1 Buzzacott oven,
3 camp kettles,
2 axes,
1 hatchet,
1 spade,
1 shovel,
VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
S3
25 blankets,
1 folding table,
6 galvanized buckets,
6 agate basins,
4 candlesticks,
36 towels,
4 dippers,
1 hospital flag,
1 piece sheeting, S feet by 39 feet,
1 Beck's sterilizer,
1 Siegfried portable operating table,
1 Siegfried portable dressing instrument table,
6 oil heaters.
PLAN OF FIELD HOSPITAL, CAMP BLACK, HEMPSTEAD.
LATRINE
. COOK TENT
HOSPITAL CORPS TENT
STORE TENT
DINING TENT
WARD
WARD
FLY
WARD
WARD
DISPENSARY TENT
SURGEONS TENT
FLY
FLY
Hospital proper was formed by arranging six hospital tents in the form of a cross_
·
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
Monday, May 2d, I reported at Camp Black to Major-General Roe, commanding; medical officers of the respective commands as they reported were directed regarding their duties; sinks or latrines were arranged, one for each company, 100 feet in rear of company cook tent.
The water supply, carried by pipe lines from the Hempstead water works, was hardly established, causing some inconvenience during the first few days due to an inadequate supply; this was soon remedied; some few wells were sunk giving a good quality of water.
Samples from both these sources of water supply were exam- ined with the result shown in the following communications:
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY,
TROY, N. Y., May 18, 1898.
Major-General CHARLES F. ROE, Camp Black, Hempstead, Long Island.
Sir :- Following the instructions of Adjutant-General C. W. Tillinghast, 2d, I visited the camp at Hempstead, Long Island, on the third instant; personally examined the sources of water sup- ply and took samples of such water for chemical and biological examination. Permit me to report that the results of these examinations are exceedingly satisfactory. I find the water sup- plied the camp to be as pure as, if not purer, than any water that it has ever been my fortune to analyze. I inclose herewith the analytical results.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM P. MASON.
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE,
DEPARTMENT OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. Analysis of Water.
From Hempstead Water Company mains, supplying "Camp Black," Hempstead, L. I. Sample taken May 3, 1898.
Results in parts per million :
1
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
Free ammonia
.013
Alluminoid, ammonia .004
Chlorine 2.500
Nitrogen in nitrates 1.250
Nitrogen in nitrites None
Oxygen required to oxidize organic matter at 212º F .350
Hardness (as parts of Ca CO3) 3.99
Total solids
22
Appearance:
Clear and colorless.
Remarks:
No germs of any kind present in the water.
The quality of the water cannot be surpassed.
WILLIAM P. MASON.
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE,
DEPARTMENT OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.
Analysis of Water.
From driven well near General Roe's headquarters, Camp Black,
Hempstead, L. I. Sample taken May 3, 1898.
Results in parts per million :
Free ammonia .0180
Alluminoid ammonia .0120
Chlorine 2.2500
Nitrogen in nitrates .0200
Nitrogen in nitrites None
Oxygen required to oxidize organic matter at 212º F .3000
Hardness (as parts of Ca. CO3) 2.3000
Total solids
76
Appearance:
Clear and colorless.
Remarks:
The water contains 20 germs of harmless character per cubic centimeter, and no gas forming bacteria whatever. The quality of the water is excellent.
WILLIAM P. MASON.
- -
NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
MEDICAL OFFICERS MUSTERED INTO THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
The following is a list of the medical officers who were found qualified by the board of examiners and mustered into the volun- teer service:
Seventy-first regiment :
Major William D. Bell, First Lieutenant Harry E. Stafford, First Lieutenant James Stafford.
First regiment :
Major Charles E. Davis, First Lieutenant Maurice C. Ashley, First Lieutenant Lewis T. Griffith.
Sixty-ninth regiment:
Major George D. Ramsey, First Lieutenant Francis S. Oswald, First Lieutenant John H. Fuchsius.
Forty-seventh regiment:
Major Henry Wallace, First Lieutenant John T. Gibbons, First Lieutenant Edward Bowen.
Fourteenth regiment:
Major John L. Macumber, First Lieutenant Arthur H. Bogart, First Lieutenant Thomas B. Spence.
Twenty-second regiment:
Major John S. Wilson, First Lieutenant William C. Johnston, First Lieutenant Arthur R. Jarrett.
Sixty-fifth regiment: Major Albert H. Briggs, First Lieutenant Harry Mead, First Lieutenant Ernest L. Ruffner.
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
Third regiment:
Major William M. Bemus,
First Lieutenant Alfred F. Hodgman, First Lieutenant Reeve B. Howland.
Second regiment:
Major Lewis Balch,
First Lieutenant Albert F. Brugman,
First Lieutenant Harry C. Baum.
Assistant Surgeon Medwin Leale of squadron A was in camp with troops A and C, and, while he qualified before the examining board, could not be mustered into service as no provision could be made for a medical officer for a mounted force less than a squad. ron.
Lieutenant-Colonels Herman Bendell, Walter E. Lambert and John Duncan Emmet, respective surgeons of the third, fifth and first brigades, were present in camp and gave valuable assistance.
The weather during most of the period of this tour of service was very trying; repeated cold rains caused much discomfort and put the command to a very severe physical test. Even with these climatic changes there was a remarkably small percentage of sickness.
U'ntil the field hospital was erected, the kind offer of the Nassau Hospital Association was accepted and severe cases of illness were transferred to the Nassau hospital at Hempstead. I take this opportunity of thanking the association and Dr. S. N. Lane- hart. attending surgeon, for the kind attention and care bestowed upon those placed under their charge.
The following orders and communications established a system looking to the welfare and sanitary condition of the command:
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 5, 189S.
General Orders,
No. 3.
}
I. The brigade surgeons will have supervision of the medical service and sanitary and police condition of their respective
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
commands. They will render daily a consolidated sick and san- itary report to general headquarters at 10 a. m.
II. The surgeon of General Smith's brigade is herewith placed in charge of the sick at Nassau hospital, Hempstead, and directed to render a daily report, at 11 a. m., to the surgeon at general headquarters; the surgeon is directed to report to Colonel Henry for further instructions.
III. No sick will be transferred to Nassau hospital without approval of the brigade surgeon who shall be held responsible for their proper transportation. A proper slip shall be transmitted with patient giving the following information for record: date, time, brigade, regiment, company, grade or rank, name in full, diagnosis, name of examining surgeon. These slips shall be placed on file in Nassau hospital and record made thereon, stating date of discharge and condition, signed by medical officer in charge of sick in hospital.
Proper record will be kept according to regulations in hospital. By command of Major-General Roe.
STEPHEN H. OLIN, A. A. G.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 5, 189S.
Instructions to Brigade Surgeons.
General Orders,
.
No. 4.
I. Secure complete roster of medical officers.
II. Secure complete roster of hospital corps of regiment in your respective command, stating qualification of men. and vocation. Hospital corps men have been brought to camp as privates and commanding officers have been directed to detail them to sur- geons forming regimental hospital corps. In case hospital corps men have not been brought to camp with their respective com- mands for any reasons and are desirous of volunteering for hos- pital corps duty, their names and qualifications should be secured in order that they may be communicated with at the proper time.
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
III. Ascertain whether respective commands have proper med- ical supplies; each command is expected to have one medical and surgical chest, proper number of medical officers' orderly and hospital corps pouches and medical officers' field surgical cases. Where wanting, requisition should be promptly forwarded, also requisition for blanks and sick report book.
IV. A field hospital will be established in due time; in the meantime, through the kindness of those in charge, the Nassau hospital, Hempstead, has been placed at the disposal of Major- General Roe, and medical officers duly authorized will have . charge of the cases through the kindness and courtesy of Dr. S. N. Lanehart, attending at the hospital, who is willing to render every assistance in his power. At present the nursing force at the hospital, I am informed, is sufficient. Should, however, the medical officer in charge of the hospital deem it necessary and called for, he may ask for detail of sufficient number of hospital corps to act as orderlies in the hospital under the direction of the nurses in charge.
By command of Major-General Roe.
STEPHEN H. OLIN,
A. A. G.
CAMP BLACK, May 6, 189S.
The Surgeon of Respective Brigades.
Sir :- I desire to call your attention to the disinfection of the sinks.
One barrel of copperas will be issued this morning to each regi- ment to be used in the proportion of fifty pounds to a barrel of water. This fluid will be used daily, sprinkled in and around sinks twice if necessary, previously covering excrement with small quantity of earth.
Proper precautions will be observed that will prevent any mis- take in the use of the fluid.
NELSON H. HENRY,
Chief Surgeon, Camp Black.
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 9, 1898.
Special Orders, No. 6.
I. Regimental surgeons will make requisitions for medical supplies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for forty-eight hours.
II. Ambulance will call daily between four and six p. m., to deliver supplies; a hospital steward will be on hand to receive the same.
III. A field hospital will be established which will contain apparatus and extra surgical dressings. Cases demanding special treatment will be cared for there. Surgeons will not make requi- sitions for articles beyond their requirements.
IV. Each regiment should have one medical and surgical chest, also one hospital and prescription book, also daily medical report blanks. Commands not having these articles and not having already reported, will make requisition for same at once.
V. Attention of regimental surgeons is called to section 3, G. O. No. 3, Camp Black: All calls for ambulance will be made through brigades, stating command and number of men to be removed. To reduce number of trips, at eight in the morning surgeon's should be prepared to report any demand for transfer to hospital.
By command of Major-General Roe.
STEPHEN H. OLIN, A. A. G.
Special Orders, 1 HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 10, 189S.
No. 7.
Brigadier-General Butt will detail from his command officers and men to take charge of the field hospital as follows:
One surgeon, one assistant surgeon, one hospital steward, six privates of hospital corps; all under the supervision of the bri- gade surgeon, who will report the detail, when made, to the sur- geon at these headquarters.
By command of Major-General Roe.
STEPHEN H. OLIN. A. A. G.
1
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CENTRE, ELM, WHITE AND FRANKLIN STREETS
1 1
(CRIMINAL COURT BUILDING). NEW YORK, April 30, 1898.
To the Secretary of the Board.
Sir :- I respectfully call your attention to the fact that the present enlistment of volunteers for duty in the United States service causes to be collected together a large number of men and may cause dissemination of contagious diseases. As many of these men are destined to see service in the government, I deem it prudent that such action be taken as to prevent small- pox by vaccination.
I therefore recommend that the services of the board be ten- dered to those in charge of the volunteer service, to perform free vaccination by officers of this board at any hour of the day or night as may seem suitable to have the same performed.
Respectfully submitted,
CHAS. F. ROBERTS, M. D., Sanitary Superintendent.
A true copy.
C. GOLDERMAN, Secretary pro tem.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 12, 1898.
To Surgeons of Brigades of Generals Smith, Oliver and Butt.
Sirs :- The board of health of New York city having tendered free vaccination and virus to the men of this command, I would recommend that all men not having been vaccinated, and those desiring further vaccination, be prepared to receive the same. Due notice will be given of the arrival of physicians from the health board, probably to-morrow morning.
Respectfully,
NELSON H. HENRY,
Surgeon-in-Chief.
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NEW YORK IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, -
CENTRE, ELM, WHITE AND FRANKLIN STREETS (CRIMINAL COURT BUILDING). ~
NEW YORK, May 13, 1898.
Dr. NELSON H. HENRY, Surgeon-in-Chief, Headquarters, Camp Black.
Dear Sir :- Yours of the 12th inst., in respect to furnishing vaccine points, is received. In reply I beg to inform you that I have mailed to your address this day one hundred (100) points as requested. It seems that you must have misunderstood the letter forwarded to you in regard to free vaccination, as far as the fur- nishing of vaccinators is concerned. This department offered to furnish vaccinators for the enlisted troops within the city limits only, and at the camps it was presumed the officers of the regi- ments would perform the necessary vaccinations if the virus were furnished by this department.
Very respectufully, C. GOLDERMAN, Secretary pro tem.
Vaccine virus was received but not used, I regret to say, to the extent I should have desired, owing to the many duties otherwise engaging the time of the men preparatory to their early departure from camp.
As commands were mustered into the United States service they ceased to render morning sick reports; this necessarily has caused the consolidated sick report to be incomplete; nevertheless as commands were almost ready to have their sick taken charge of at the hospital and continued to draw upon the state for medical and surgical supplies, the reports attached may be con- sidered almost correct.
It was early ascertained that the United States government medical department could not be depended upon to furnish sup- plies to our commands within at least two weeks after entering the service. I therefore took the responsibility of replenishing medical and surgical chests, and also delivered an extra surgical supply in two cases, not only to the commands at Camp Black,
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VOLUNTEERS (ARMY)-CAMP BLACK.
but also to the eighth, ninth and twelfth regiments at Peekskill, Camp Townsend. The twenty-second and forty-seventh regiments did not receive these cases containing extra surgical supplies.
Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Lambert assisted me in the purchase of these surgical supplies from Seabury & Johnson.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 13, 1898.
Special Orders,
No. 12.
Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Lambert, General Butt's brigade, is detailed to direct purchase of medical stores with leave to go to New York. He will report to Colonel Henry, surgeon-in-chief, for instructions. Lieutenant-Colonel Holly will furnish transporta- tion.
By command of Major-General Roe.
STEPHEN H. OLIN, , A. A. G.
HEADQUARTERS CAMP BLACK, May 13, 1898. The C. O.
SIR :-
I. You will notify your medical officer that a division field hospital is now established, located in the rear of the forty-seventh regiment, and that as far as possible they will discontinue their regimental hospitals.
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