USA > Ohio > The Fourteenth Ohio national guard- the Fourth Ohio volunteer infantry > Part 15
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When the time came for muster into the United States service, the hospital corps, as was the case with the signal corps, ceased to exist, at least so far as the Fourteenth Regiment could be concerned. The sur- geon and two assistant surgeons retained the rank which they had held in the old regiment. The two acting stewards were made stewards, but that was all
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of the former corps as such, that was accepted by the United States mustering officer.
The enthusiasm in military matters, the loyalty to the regiment and the patriotism that the men of the hospital corps possessed is shown by the fact that as soon as it was learned that they could not enter the volunteer service with the regiment as an auxil- iary organization they were at once divided among the companies and enlisted as privates of infantry. They served as such until the regiment reached Camp Thomas, when they were detailed by a regimental order to their regimental hospital. They continued, however, to draw rations, clothing and pay from the companies in which they were enlisted, until by di- rection of the war department at Washington they were made regular members of the hospital corps, and assigned to duty wherever, in the judgment of authority higher than the head of the regiment, they were most needed.
The first several weeks at Camp Thomas was attended with more or less sickness in the regiment on account of the change of water, diet and climatic conditions and the advantages of a regimental hos- pital corps were apparent to all, but this fact only made the boys of the regiment feel the more keenly the loss of the old militia hospital service. Under the circumstances, the work performed by the medical department, officers and men, was as able as could have been expected and the fact that the regiments on either side of the camp of the Fourth Ohio suf- fered heavily from death, while the Fourth Ohio did
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not lose a single man, speaks volumes in praise of the discipline of the regiment and the ability and energy of those officers upon whose shoulders rested the responsibility of taking care of the health of the boys from central Ohio.
Major Surgeon Semeans remained with the regi- ment more than either of the other two physicians. He was detached for a time at Camp Thomas, in com- mand of the Division hospital and he was also absent a few weeks from the Guayama camp on account of his health. He worked night and day, was as untir- ing in his effort to serve the members of the regiment as a human being could be, and while he and his department were handicapped in peculiar ways at times, there was never a time when a member of the Fourth Ohio could not obtain any medical or surgical aid that he required, without going outside the lines of his own regiment. Even when it did become nec- essary to send a sick soldier from the regimental hos- pital to places where more elaborate arrangements had been made for his treatment, Captain Harry M. Taylor, one of the assistant surgeons of the regiment, was oftenest the man to look after his welfare. Dr. Wright, the other assistant surgeon, was also de- tached, having served from early in June until in July at the Division hospital at Camp Thomas. From the time he rejoined the regiment he was on duty with the Fourth Ohio until Company M was assigned by Colonel Coit to assume charge of affairs at Vieques when the doctor was designated to accompany this company as its medical officer. He did not return to
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the regiment until the entire command was reunited at San Juan.
The only members of the medical department who were not at any time detached from the regiment were Steward John Richards and Private Hance. There was not a man in the Fourth Ohio at the time of muster out who did not consider himself a personal friend "of long standing" with either Stewards Rich- ards or Ritter. The latter was detached from the regi- mental hospital for a short time only at Camp Thomas and for a few weeks with F Company while that command occupied Cayey.
The first medical officer to be permanently de- tached from the regiment was Captain Taylor. On June 8th the doctor was ordered to report to Major James Johnson, of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania regi- ment, to assist in forming an ambulance service for the First Army corps. The doctor left at once and the result of the consultation of these two and other surgeons was the formation of the "reserve ambu- lance corps." This was made up of men detached from all the various regiments stationed at the park. Application was first made for these detachments by the officers of the Reserve corps and as soon as the men reported to the chief surgeon they were as- signed first to ambulance companies and then to am- bulance corps as the exigencies of the service required. Most of the Fourth Ohio boys remained under the direct command of Dr. Taylor. They were together throughout all the Porto Rican campaign until in Oc- tober, when the corps was disbanded at Guayama. Two of these men, Curry James and Stephen Darby,
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were promoted to the rank of acting hospital steward while in this service.
Those of the Fourth Ohio who were not as- signed to this work were Privates Judkins, Pringle, Wright, Moon and Davis. These were assigned to the First Division hospital while the regiment was at Camp Thomas. The latter was discharged from the service before the close of the war, but the remaining four did not return to their command until in Janu- ary, 1899, after the regiment had returned to Colum- bus in November, 1898. Privates Judkins and Pringle had been assigned to the Third Brigade hos- pital, and Moon and Wright to the Reserve Hospital company.
Up to July 20, Captain Taylor filled at the Re- serve Ambulance corps at Camp Thomas, the offices of Quartermaster, Commissary, Ordnance Officer and Medical Purveyor. At the date mentioned he was re- lieved of all these duties, but was continued in the service of the corps, and on August 20 he was made acting brigade surgeon of the Second brigade, First division, First corps. On September 1st, 1898, at the time of the retirement of Major Frank Boyd, of the Third Kentucky, Dr. Taylor became the commanding officer of the Reserve Ambulance company near Guayama, which command he retained until this hospital was ordered disbanded and the Fourth Ohio started for San Juan on October 6.
On July 20 the ambulance corps was ordered to move from Camp Thomas to New Port News, Vir- ginia, preparatory to embarking to Porto Rico. The
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transport Massachusetts was provided and besides the regular hospital outfit, there was loaded on the Massa- chusetts, eleven hundred horses and mules, and two million rations for General Brooke's army.
The Massachusetts sailed on July 26th and ar- rived outside the harbor at Ponce on Tuesday, Aug- ust 2. Here the Massachusetts struck a coral reef and she was unable to move. The horses were all un- loaded and taken to shore in lighters and this without the loss of an animal.
The Massachusetts was relieved of all its cargo and passengers by the evening of August 7th. As soon as the landing was made, the hospital outfit and the escort went into camp on the outskirts of Ponce. The next morning, Monday, August 8, the start was made for Arroyo where the entire Second brigade was supposed to be, but which in reality was at Guay- ama, ready for an attack at any moment. The march from Ponce was in command of Captain Williamson, a regular army officer and a member of General Brooke's staff. Lieutenant Fred Whiley, of I com- pany, Fourth Ohio, was with the party, his duties be- ing to look after the stock in general and to take care of Fourth Ohio property in particular. There was an escort of two troops of cavalry, one a Philadelphia troop and the other Troop H, of the Sixth regulars. There were two signal corps companies in the com- mand, but they were only partly armed. What arms they did possess consisted of a variety of revolvers and rifles so badly mixed as to pattern and calibre that no such thing as uniformity existed.
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Besides the quartermaster's stores that had to be " conveyed in wagons, there was the entire mule coral and the horses to be taken. The order of march was in column of fours and a jolly time was seen before the column was ready to move.
The general plan for handling the mules was for one man to ride a mule and lead three. It would probably have been easier for the rider if the rule had been reversed and there had been three men for each mule. They twisted together, kicked, ran, broke their halters and in fact performed all the antics known only to the typical government mule and be- fore the column was ready to start, Dr. Taylor had sent three men to the hospital with a brilliant pros- pect of sending the rest of the command to bed before the column had moved a mile.
Finally, when all was supposed to be ready, the command "Forward March" was given and the col- umn proceeded to "march," some of it forward, an- other part backward, to either side, and indeed some of it straight up into the air. That "start" was an ex- perience entirely new to the members of the Fourth Ohio medical department, but it was one they never forgot.
As soon as the mules and the riders became ac- quainted and learned how to "take" each other, better progress was made, but before the command reached Arroyo, seventeen army mules had gone to their re- ward and had to be accounted for by responsible offi- cers after the march was ended and the war was over. It has been said by those who have had experience
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with army mules that these animals are a source of vexation from the time they make their appearance on earth until long after they are dead.
The second night out in the march, the boys met with another experience which they never forgot. The line of march extended along the road known as the "coast road." This road was in many places a mere trail and the mud in the lower districts was al- most bottomless. Progress was naturally slow, but in addition to this mud there were streams to ford, caus- ing increased delay and greater danger to life and property, and the entire country was infested with Spanish guerrillas. This was the first expedition to go in this direction along this route and a great pre- caution was as a matter of course maintained at all times. As soon as a camp was established strong picket lines were formed and outposts were estab- lished. On the night referred to, a number of shots were heard near one of the outposts and the result was considerable confusion in camp. One of the sur- geons, not a member of the Fourth Ohio, pulled down his shelter tent from over his mate, packed all his be- longings, climbed in his saddle and remained there until daylight, unheedful of the reproaches and jests of his comrades.
It was learned that the shots came from an at- tack on the outposts by a band of guerrillas, but the cavalrymen were too much for the Dons and their attack was easily repelled after the exchange of a few moments' hot firing. The loss sustained to the hospital command was nothing but two Porto Rican
1
1
2
3
BUCHER
AT HUMACAO. 2. BARRACKS.
1. CATHEDRAL.
3. CITY HALL.
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camp followers were killed. The loss to the attack- ing party was never learned. The march was re- sumed on the following morning and no trouble of this kind was met from that on to the end of the jour- ney.
Arroyo was reached on August 10th and a gen- eral hospital was at once established. It was in exist- ence a very short time, however, for during Thurs- day night and early Friday morning the hospital was moved in a blinding rain to Guayama. Their removal under these circumstances caused considerable un- favorable comment at the time and for some time aft- erwards, but the removal was made in anticipation of a concerted movement of the American forces toward the north and was an absolute necessity. As a mat- ter of fact hostilities were suspended during the next twentyfour hours, but the authorities were certainly justified in making this preparation for taking care of the thousands who would have been wounded had that movement been made.
Hostilities having ceased, preparations were at once made to continue the hospital at Guayama. A location was selected at the top of a broad hill just east of the city. There was plenty of room, a good breeze always stirring and the drainage was perfect. Aside from the fact that there was no shade except what was afforded by the tents, this spot was a delight- ful place for the location of a field hospital. Many a poor fellow was nursed back to health from a burning tropical fever at this hospital and many a poor fellow was mustered out of the service forever
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within its tented wards during the following months. It continued in use until the forenoon of October 7th, when it was ordered broken up by General Grant.
It was here that Dr. Taylor rejoined the regi- ment. Dr. Semans was at that time himself a patient in the hospital and the health of the regiment was at once placed in the hands of Dr. Taylor, Dr. Wright still being at Isabel Segunda with M company. The enlisted force of the medical department, however, was ordered to San Juan to duty in the general hos- pital there and that duty continued until the regiment was ready to leave the island.
These men had applied for release from that duty but their appeals were not heeded. Colonel Coit ordered them to return to the regiment, but technically they were out of his control and the boys were unable to obey the order. Privates Judkins, Pringle and Moon were still at Ponce ignorant of the fact that their comrades were returning home. The officers of the regiment did all in their power to secure the release of the boys at San Juan, but all seemed to be in vain until it was decided to stand on the fact that the regulations of the army provide that a traveling command is entitled to what is equal to one-twelfth of its strength in hospital help. This was applied for and granted. Then a member of General Brooke's staff was given the names of the Fourth Ohio men and these were the men assigned to accom- pany the regiment on the Chester. When Columbus was reached it was an easy matter to obtain the dis- charge of the hospital force.
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After the entire regiment was reunited at San Juan, the trip back to the starting point was void of interesting incident to the medical department, as they were kept busy from the time the Chester steamed out of the harbor at San Juan until the regi- ment landed at the auditorium at Columbus. Even then while the remainder of the regiment was enjoy- ing a furlough of sixty days, members of the medical department were on duty at the auditorium, ready to look after the physical welfare of the boys.
This chapter has told in a feeble manner, the work of the hospital force of the Fourth Ohio. "The half has not been told." In fact, if the medical de- partment of the Fourth Ohio were to be given all the credit they deserve, it would be necessary to devote to the story of their labors, a volume much larger than this. To use the language of a western statesman, these men "knowed their dutv and done it well." No one could do more.
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CHAPTER XVII.
ARMY OF OCCUPATION.
What General Brooke Said of the Fourth Ohio-D Company to Humacao-A Forty Miles' March-M Company by Sea to Vieques-Duty at Fajardo-Trouble at Carolina- Beautiful Country at Aibonito-An Officer Assaulted at Cayey-B Company at Rio Piedras-Record of Events in the Companies Which Americanized the Eastern Third of Porto Rico.
COMPANY D AT HUMACAO.
If a straight line be drawn across the map of Porto Rico from Ponce on the south to San Juan at the north, about one-third of the area and population of the entire island will be seen to lie at the east. This territory and also that of Vieques was not won by the Fourth Ohio from the hands of the Spanish any more than by the other regiments which perform- ed duty in the war, but it was occupied by the Fourth Ohio during the most critical period in the change from Spanish to American government of the island. Just why this duty was assigned to the Fourth Ohio when there were two other regiments in the same bri- gade and several other brigades in the island is not explained in the orders designating Fourth Ohio com- panies to the different stations, but the language of General Brooke at the time of the departure of the regiment to the states seems to throw considerable light on the subject.
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Said General Brooke: "This regiment is one of the best on the island, volunteer or regular. At one time I had but two volunteer regiments in my com- mand. They were the Fourth Ohio and First Ken- tucky. All the others were either too homesick for duty or they were transformed into regimental hos- pitals."
It was certainly a pleasure for the members of the regiment to realize that this was their standing with the commanding general, but it seemed strange sometimes to see the other regiments lying about camp doing nothing while they were busy patrolling the eastern third of the island. It required four dif- ferent regiments to take care of the other two-thirds, and even then there were depredations committed in all the eastern part of the island, while the duty of the Fourth Ohio was characterized by a happy, quiet condition of the whole territory in which the regiment was stationed. The provost duty of the Fourth Ohio began on the evening of the capture of Guayama, when Company B was given charge of the town. This was only broken twice, when the other regiments took up the work at Guayama temporarily. Then came the tour of duty of A and E Companies, lasting from the middle of August until they boarded the Chester to return to the states, and of the other companies after September 20 to the same time. After the detachment just mentioned, D company was ordered to Humacao. The order, dated September 17th, reads as follows:
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"The brigade general commanding directs that you will immediately prepare a company of your regiment to take station at Humacao, P. R. They must be fully equipped and take their tentage and thirty days' rations, which the brigade commissary will issue to them. The company must start this afternoon and reach Humacao about 8 a. m., Mon- day, September 19th. They will take a U. S. flag to be raised in the town. If you have no flag, the brigade quartermaster will furnish one.
"Very respectfully, "C. W. FENTEN, A. A. G."
On the receipt of this order Company D was at once designated by Colonel Coit to take this station. This company had on the evening of the parade at the Guayama plaza, the strongest line in the regiment. Arrangements were at once made for the start and before evening of the day on which the order was re- ceived, the company was on its way, completing the march of forty miles over mountain roads and reach- ing their destination at 8 o'clock Monday Morning, September 19th. The following is extracted from the several reports made by Captain Sellers to Gen- eral Grant:
"The company marched to a point about eight miles distant from the regimental camp, when we went into camp for the night. Resumed the march at 5 a. m., September 18th, and marched until noon, when command halted for mess. March resumed at 3 p. m. and 4 p. m. Maunabo was reached. From English-speaking natives and others I learned that
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the mountain road was impassable to our wagons. Deeming my orders to reach Humacao at a certain time to be imperative, I took Lieutenant Turner and thirty-five men and started for Humacao, leaving rest of company and wagon train in charge of Lieu- tenant Newlove at Manaubo, with orders to follow Monday morning.
"We left Maunabo at 4:30 p. m. and arrived at the top of the mountain at 6 p. m., where I ordered a halt. Personally inspecting the road as we came over it, I found that it would be utterly impossible to bring our wagons. I sent word to Lieutenant Newlove to remain in Maunabo until further orders. Marched down the mountain and arrived at Yabocoa at 9 p. m., September 18th. Finding the distance to Humacao could be covered in four hours, I de- cided to stay in Yabacoa for the night. We left the town at 4 a. m. and at 7:45 a. m. arrived at Humacao. I immediately proceeded to the residence of the lieu- tenant colonel in command of the Spanish forces here and found that their orders were not to vacate the town until September 22nd. In order to pre- vent trouble I granted an extension of one hour in order that he might confer with his commanding general, which he did at once. In about a half hour I received the following telegram:
" 'There has been some mistake in the time of your arrival in Humacao. You will now await out- side the town the time when Spanish troops will vacate, which will be on Thursday, September 22nd.'
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"Having no tentage or rations I secured the use of a large house about one-half mile south from the town, where we went in quarters to await evacuation of Spanish troops. No sickness of any kind among the men who accompanied me over the mountain to Humacao. The morning of the 22nd Lieutenant Newlove with his detail marched from the coast to Humacao and with the entire company I proceeded to the City Hall, and raising the American flag, took possession of the city at 8 a. m., September 22nd. The raising of the flag was done with the usual honors. I then proceeded with a detail to the cus- toms house six miles distant and raised the flag. Will make due examination of the books and papers and report as soon as possible.
"After raising the flag on the 22nd the mayor, clerk of register and notary public refused to serve. I called a meeting of the more prominent citizens and explained that I was not sent here to make changes unless positively necessary, but everything was to run as before. I asked them to name good native citizens competent to fill the offices and I appointed : Jaquine Nasereer Berrios mayor and Jose Toro Rias clerk of registers to serve during the pleasure of the U. S. government. The notary public had orders to deliver the records over to the presiding judge and I decided that the judge was competent to name a man to fill the office, and he decided that the proper man was the first deputy, who is now in charge of the office. One-half the council refuses to serve, but I did nothing toward filling their places.
FORT AT ISABEL SEGUNDA.
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"After raising the flag at the customs house, which is on the beach six miles distant, the captain of the port, upon orders of his superior, took mv re- ceipt for the books and papers of his office, and after consultation with the collector of customs I ap- pointed Eugene Lopez to take charge of the office, taking his receipt for the same.
"After cleaning and purifying the barracks, under the supervision of my hospital steward, I moved the company into them. The barracks are large and in fair condition and situated within one square of the court house. The water supply is very poor, all water having to be hauled from the river some distance away. Have made temporary arrange- ments with the same man who furnished water for the Spanish forces. Our health is good, no one in the hospital.
"The city prison is located in the rear of the court house and has about ninety prisoners. It re- quires fifteen men to guard it, which is the same as the Spanish had. I have a detail of one corporal and six men at the beach. The customs house of Humacao receives all the reports and money taken in by the customs houses at Naugabo and Fajardo. The books and papers seem to be well taken care of. Office and house clean. This office received for the year ending July 1st, '98, from all sources, $85,- 038.36, of which $7448 were received from Naugabo and $16,182 from Fajardo. The man at the cus- toms house seems to be competent to fill the place and I have appointed him deputy collector.
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"On the 28th inst. I ordered Lieutenant Turner to take a squad of twelve men and proceed to Naugabo and raise the flag and inform the mayor that that town was under the supervision of the United States, and in case of trouble to notify me. Lieutenant Turner returned to Humacao at 6 p. m. on the 28th and reported that he had executed my order and that he had found the situation in that neighborhood quiet."
On the 30th of September, in obedience to or- ders from the brigade commander, Lieutenant Turner and a detail was sent to the towns of Juncas and Piedras for the purpose of raising the American flag at those places. On his return everything was re- ported quiet at Piedras, but at Juncas the mayor re- fused to continue in office under American rule and promptly sent his resignation, turning the office over to the first deputy. This arrangement seems to have suited the deputy first rate, as he wrote the next day that he had everything in his care and in good shape. He was continued in office.
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