occurred one of the most fearful storms which I have ever seen--rain,
thunder and lightning. Our tent had been well protected and deeply
ditched, but the water rolled around it in the ditches like rivers. The
thunder shook the ground; the lightning blazed like a fire. As I have
said, the camp was as level as a floor. No water could really run off.
During the most of that night the men in the tents laid in five to six
inches of water. Before daybreak the rain had ceased, some water had run
away--some soaked in--and the ground was passable. The next day followed
another rain. It was now discovered by the medical authorities that from
there having been at first one case of fever, there were now one hundred
and sixteen; that a fever camp would probably be made there and the
wounded gotten away. It was advisable then that we return to our ship
and attempt, as far as possible, to hold that free from contagion. I was
earnestly solicited to do this in view of what was expected of our ship
and of what was expected of us--that we not only protect ourselves, but
our cargo and ship from all contamination and even suspicion. I
faithfully promised this, and again we called for an army wagon, leaving
all supplies that were useful for the men here, sending to Caney what
was most needed there and taking only our personal effects, we again
placed ourselves in an army wagon with a tarpaulan over us and started
for Siboney. In less than twenty minutes the rain was pouring on us and
for two hours it fell as from buckets. The water was from a foot and a
half to two feet deep in the road as we passed along. At one time our
wagon careened, the mules were held up, and we waited to see whether it
should go over or could be brought out--the water a few inches only from
the top of the lower side. It was scarcely possible for us to stir,
hemmed in as we were, but the men from the other wagons sprang to our
wheels, hanging in the air on the upper side, and we were simply saved
by an inch. The mud and water was at least two and one-half feet deep
where we should have gone down.
But like other things, this cleared away. We came into Siboney about
three o'clock, in a bright glare of sunshine, to find the town utterly
burned, all buildings gone or smoking, Dr. and Mrs. Lesser and the
faithful Sisters as well, in a "yellow fever" hospital a mile and a half
out of the city, reached by rail. All customary work was suspended. The
atmosphere was thick and blue with smoke. Men ran about the grounds
smutted and bareheaded like children. My medical knowledge was not
sufficient to allow me to judge if everybody there had the yellow fever,
but general observation would go far toward convincing a very ordinary
mind that everybody had gone crazy.
All effort was made to hold our ship free from suspicion. The process of
reasoning leading to the conclusion that a solid cargo, packed in tight
boxes in the hold of a ship, anchored at sea, could become infected in a
day from the land or a passing individual, is indeed, an intricate
process; but we had some experience in this direction, as, for instance,
Captain McCalla in his repeated humane attempts to feed the refugees
around Guantanamo had called again for a hundred thousand rations,
saying that if we could bring them to him soon, he could get them to the
thousands starving in the woods. We lost no time, but got the food out
and started with it in the night. On reaching Guantanamo we were met at
a distance out and called to, asking if anyone on our ship had been on
shore at Siboney within four days, if so, our supplies could not be
received, and we took them away, leaving the starving to perish.
On Friday morning the constantly recurring news of the surrender of
Santiago was so well established that we drew anchor and came up to the
flagship and the following letter was addressed to Admiral Sampson:
"STATE OF TEXAS," _July 16, 1898_.
ADMIRAL SAMPSON,
_Commanding United States Fleet off Santiago, Flagship "New York"_:
ADMIRAL:--It is not necessary for me to explain to you my errand,
nor its necessity; both your good head and heart divine it more
clearly than any words of mine can represent.
I send this to you by one of our men, who can tell you all you will
wish to know. Mr. Elwell has resided and done mercantile and
shipping business in Santiago for the last seven years; is favorably
known to all its people; has in his possession the keys to the best
warehouses and residences in the city, to which he is bidden welcome
by the owners. He is the person appointed four months ago to help
distribute this food, and did so with me until the blockade. There
seems to be nothing in the way of our getting this 1400 tons of food
into a Santiago warehouse and giving it intelligently to the
thousands who _need_ and _own_ it. I have twenty good helpers with
me. The New York Committee is clamoring for the discharge of the
"State of Texas," which has been raised in price to $400 a day.
If there is still more explanation needed, I pray you, Admiral, let
me see you.
Respectfully and cordially,
(Signed) CLARA BARTON.
This was immediately responded to by Captain Chadwick, who came on
board, assuring me that our place was at Santiago--as quickly as we
could be gotten there.
On Saturday, the sixteenth, feeling that it might still be possible to
take the supplies to Guantanamo, requested by Captain McCalla, a letter
was addressed as follows:
STEAMSHIP "STATE OF TEXAS," _July 16, 1898_.
CAPTAIN CHADWICK, _Flagship "New York" off Santiago_:
CAPTAIN:--If there is a possibility of going into Santiago before
to-morrow morning, please let me know, and we will hold just where
we are and wait.
If there is _no_ possibility of this, we could run down to
Guantanamo and land Captain McCalla's 100,000 rations in the evening
and be back here to-morrow morning.
Will you please direct me.
Yours faithfully,
CLARA BARTON.
Reply to the above:
U.S. FLAGSHIP "NEW YORK," 1ST RATE,
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, _July 17, 1898_.
DEAR MISS BARTON:--We are now engaged in taking up mines, just so
soon as it is safe to go in your ship will go. If you wish, you can
anchor in near us, and send anything up by boats, or, if we could
get lighters, drawing less than eight feet, food may be sent by the
lighters, but it is not yet possible for the ship to go in. There
are four "contact" mines, and four what are known as "observation"
mines, still down.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) F.E. CHADWICK
It was after this that we turned back again and steamed to Guantanamo to
unload our supplies at night and return the next morning.
These were anxious days. While the world outside was making up war
history, we thought of little beyond the terrible needs about us--if
Santiago had any people left, they must be in sore distress, and El
Caney--terrible El Caney--with its thirty thousand homeless, perishing
sufferers, how could they be reached?
The diary at this point says: On returning from our fruitless journey to
Guantanamo we stopped at Siboney only long enough to get our dispatches,
then ran down directly in front of Santiago and lay with the fleet. A
personal call from Admiral Schley, Captain Cook and other officers
served to show the interest and good will of those about us. Between
three and four o'clock in the afternoon a small Spanish steamer--which
had been among the captures of Santiago--ran alongside and informed us
that an officer wished to come aboard. It proved to be Lieutenant
Capehart, of the flagship, who brought word from Admiral Sampson that if
we would come alongside the "New York," he would put a pilot on board.
This was done and we moved on through waters we had never
traversed--past Morro Castle, long, low, silent and grim--past the
Spanish wrecks on the right--past the "Merrimac" in the channel, which
Hobson had left. We began to realize that we were alone, of all the
ships about the harbor there were none with us. The stillness of the
Sabbath was over all. The gulls sailed and flapped and dipped about us.
The lowering summer sun shot long golden rays athwart the green hills on
either side, and tinged the waters calm and still. The silence grew
oppressive as we glided along with scarce a ripple. We saw on the right
as the only moving thing a long slim boat or yacht dart out from among
the bushes and steal its way up half hidden in the shadows. Suddenly it
was overtaken by either message or messenger, and like a collared hound
glided back as if it had never been. Leaning on the rail half lost in
reverie over the strange quiet beauty of the scene, the thought suddenly
burst upon me: Are we really going into Santiago--and alone? Are we not
to be run out and wait aside and salute with dipping colors while the
great battleships come up with music and banners and lead the way? As
far as the eye could reach no ship was in sight. Was this to remain so?
Could it be possible that the commander who had captured a city declined
to be the first to enter--that he would hold back his flagship and
himself and send forward and first a cargo of food on a plain ship,
under direction of a woman? Did our commands, military or naval, hold
men great enough of soul for such action? It must be true--for the
spires of Santiago rise before us, and turning to the score of
companions beside me I asked, "Is there any one here who will lead the
doxology?" In an instant the full rich voice of Enola Gardner rang out:
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." By that time the chorus was
full, and the tears on many a face told more plainly than words how
genuine was that praise, and when in response to a second suggestion "My
Country, 'Tis of Thee" swelled out on the evening air in the farewell
rays of the setting sun, the "State of Texas" was nearing the dock, and
quietly dropping her anchors she lay there in undisputed possession of
the city of Santiago.
It has been remarked that Mr. Elwell had been a resident of Santiago and
connected with its shipping for several years. It was only the work of
an hour after landing to find his old-time help. A hundred and
twenty-five stevedores were engaged to be on the dock at six o'clock
next morning, to work for pay in rations.
The dock had its track and trucks running to its open warehouses. As we
had entered we saw it bare of every movable or living thing. Want had
swept it of all that could be carried away, and the remaining people
dared not approach us. Six o'clock next morning changed the scene. The
silence was no longer oppressive. The boxes, barrels and bales pitched
out of that ship, thrown onto the trucks and wheeled away told the story
of better days to come; and it was something to see that lank, brawny
little army of stevedores take their first breakfast in line alongside
of the ship.
The city was literally without food. In order to clear it for defence,
its inhabitants had been ordered out, ten days before, to El Caney, a
small town of some five hundred people, where it was said thirty
thousand persons were gathered, without food, shelter, or place of rest.
Among these were the old-time residents--the wealthy and the best people
of Santiago. Its British consul, Mr. Ramsden, and his family were of
them, and the care and hardship of that terrible camp cost his life. A
message from the headquarters of General Shafter, telegraphed to us even
after leaving Siboney, said:
"The death rate at El Caney is terrible. Can you send food?"
Word went back to send the thirty thousand refugees of El Caney at once
back to Santiago;--we were there and could feed them--that the "State of
Texas" had still on board twelve hundred tons of supplies for the
reconcentrados. That day poured in upon us all that had strength to make
the journey, of the thirty thousand starving wrecks of El Caney. If
there were any at night who had not received food, no one knew it. The
fires were rekindled in the great steam soup kitchens of Mr. H.
Michaelsen--that name should be carved in marble and lettered in gold in
Santiago--that had run uninterrupted for nearly two years, until within
a few weeks of the surrender, when there was no more food for its
kettles. Ten thousand persons had hot soup there the first day, and it
was estimated that ten thousand more had dry food of crackers, meat and
meal. To the sick were distributed condensed and malted milk as fast as
it could be gotten to them.
Of the districting of the city, the formation of committees for the
distribution of food, the care, the justice, and the success with which
it was done, I leave to the reports of my experienced staff officers and
assistants and to the committee of Santiago, which nobly volunteered its
aid. These persons performed this work--they were a part of it--and no
one can describe it so well as they. I refer the reader to the reports
of Dr. Hubbell, Dr. Egan, Mr. Cottrell, Miss Fowler, now the wife of
Baron Van Schelle of Belgium, and the committee of Santiago composed of
H. Michaelsen, vice-consul for Germany, Robert Mason, Chinese consul and
vice-consul for England, and Wm. Ramsden, son of the late Frederick
Ramsden, British consul. With these latter gentlemen, together with
twenty of the leading ladies of Santiago, was left, one month later, the
supplies remaining in our warehouses, and the oversight of the poor of
the city, over whom their care had extended so tenderly and so wisely in
the past, and on whom as helping them back into citizenship it must
largely devolve in the future.
Returning to our first day in Santiago, it is remembered that this
narration has thus far left the navy, its flagship and commander at the
entrance of the harbor in obscurity. It would seem but just that it
reproduce them.
Until ten o'clock on Monday the eighteenth we saw no sign of life on the
waters of the bay--neither sail, steam nor boat--but suddenly word
passed down from the watch on deck that a ship was sighted. Slowly it
came in view--large, fine, full masted--and orders went to salute when
it should pass. At length here was something to which we could pay
deference. The whistles were held, the flag was ready for action, ropes
straight and without a tangle--all stood breathless--but she does not
pass, and seems to be standing in. In a minute more a stout sailor voice
calls out: "Throw us a rope," and here, without salute, whistle or bell,
came and fastened to the stern of our boat this glittering and masted
steamship from whose decks below Admirals Sampson and Schley and their
respective staffs shouted up their familiar greetings to us.
The view from their ship enfiladed, to speak in military parlance, our
entire dock. There was every opportunity to see how our work was done
and if we were equal to unloading our ship. The day was spent with us
till four o'clock in the afternoon; and when about to leave and the
admiral was asked what orders or directions he had for us, the reply
was, "You need no directions from me, but if anyone troubles you, let me
know."
Many months have passed since that day, and I write this without ever
having seen again the face of the commander who had been so courteous
and kind, and so helpful in the work I went to do.
Under date of July 23 is found the following entry in the diary which
sums up the entire matter of facts, dates and figures in few words:
"The discharge of the cargo of the 'State of Texas' of over twelve
hundred tons, commenced at six o'clock Monday, July 18. One hundred and
twenty-five stevedores were employed and paid in food issued as rations.
"On Thursday, the twenty-first, at six o'clock p.m. the discharge was
completed, and the following morning, Friday, July 22, the ship left for
New York.
"During that time the people had returned to Santiago, numbering thirty
thousand, and all were fed--ten thousand a day from the soup kitchen of
Mr. Michaelsen, the others with bread, meat and milk.
"The present general committee was formed, the city districted into
sections, with a commissioner for each district, selected by the people
themselves living there.
"Every family or person residing in the city is supplied by the
commissioner of that district. All transient persons are fed at the
kitchen, the food being provided by the Red Cross.
"Although the army has entered the city during the latter part of that
time, there has been no confusion, no groups of disorderly persons seen,
no hunger in the city more than in ordinary times. We wait the repairs
of the railroads to enable us to get food and clothing to the villages
enclosed within the lines of the surrender."
We had done all that could be done to advantage at that time in
Santiago. The United States troops had mainly left; the Spanish soldiers
were coming in to their waiting ships, bringing with them all the
diseases that unprovided and uncleanly camps would be expected to hold
in store. Five weeks before we had brought into Santiago all the cargo
of fourteen hundred tons of the "State of Texas," excepting the light
hospital supplies which had been used the month previous among our own
troops at Siboney, General Shafter's front and El Caney during the days
of fighting. To any one accustomed to apportioning food, it would be at
once apparent that these twelve hundred tons of heavy supplies, of meal,
meat, beans and flour, etc., were too much for distribution at one time
for a little town of thirty thousand, which naturally partly fed itself.
But it must all be stored.
The "State of Texas" discharged her cargo and left for New York on the
fifth day, leaving us without a particle of transportation, and in the
pressure and confusion none could be obtained. Let those who tried it
testify. The two railroads leading out of the town were destroyed. The
ports were not open, and the country portions of the province reached
only by pack mules. Later, forty large, fine healthy mules were shipped
to us, but the half score of fully equipped ambulances, harnesses and
between four hundred and five hundred bushels of oats were on the
transports which brought them, could not be lightered off, and up to the
time of our departure were never seen.
The schooner "Morse," which, following the behest of an angelic thought
of some lovely committee of home ladies, had come in laden with a
thousand tons of ice. The tug "Triton," which towed her all the way from
Kennebec, and was to have been held for our use, was at once seized by
the government. Santiago had neither an ice house nor a pile of dry
sawdust, and the ice remained on the "Morse" till discharged order by
order among the transports of sick, wounded and convalescing as they
sailed one after another with their freight of human woe. Slowly,
painfully waiting, but gladly, piece by piece, the ice went out, filling
to repletion the box of every transport sailing north, and something
glistened on the weather-beaten bronzed cheek of more than one of those
long-serving, faithful, north Atlantic captains, as he tried to say what
it would be to the poor fever-burnt sufferers he must take.
_Visions_, of the schooner "Morse" when she should be unloaded
constituted our only transportation up to the day we left Santiago. I
cannot say that other visions did not obtrude at times. In our
perplexity, memory pictured, as in another life, the hundreds of
strong-built, luxuriantly-furnished, swift-running steam tugs, yachts
and house boats of the restful "Thousand Islands," and the health and
pleasure-giving resorts of the lovely Jersey coast; but they were only
visions, quickly put aside for the stern realities of the inevitable
surroundings. The "Morse" did well its blessed work, but never came to
us.
[Illustration: A CUBAN THATCH HUT.]
[Illustration: A BATTERY OF CUBAN ARTILLERY.]
Neither for love nor money could transportation be gotten. I did,
however, near the last, obtain the use of a leaky lighter for two hours
to get off some mules, but I might specify that it was on neither of the
above considerations.
Some reporter is responsible for the statement that a large ship seen
floating near the dock that morning had been seized. While it might not
be possible to verify this statement by actual facts, it was not so very
far out of the way in theory.
These were the last days of General Shafter in Santiago, who was, as he
had at all times been, the kind and courteous officer and gentleman.
General Wood, alert, wise and untiring, with an eye single to the
general good of all, toiled day and night.
The government warehouses were so filled with supplies that there seemed
no room for more. The harbor filling with merchant ships for the trade,
would soon come to regard with a jealous eye any body of persons who
dispensed anything without price to even the poorest and most destitute.
But all this did not stay the marching stride of the native fever, so
persistent in its grasp as scarcely to merit the appellation of
intermittent. Day by day I watched my little band ever growing less; out
of twenty which the good "State of Texas" brought, seven were on their
feet; twelve had sickened, been nursed and gotten off home, and one had
gone to heaven. Of our own band of the national Red Cross workers, none
had actually gone down; of those who had joined us as assistants, few
remained.
At this juncture news came that Havana was open. In all the country I
knew but one person who had the power to order one of those waiting
transports to take myself, staff and some supplies to Havana, and my
dispatch went to President McKinley, with the suggestion kindly and
thoughtfully made by Major Osgood who had just come in on the "Clinton,"
that in order to economize time and labor, possibly the President might
furnish a ship already loaded with government supplies, and let us repay
from our supplies on shore. This dispatch brought the following prompt
reply from the Secretary of War. It was a glad reminder of the kindly
courtesy and friendship of many years. I give the text of both the
dispatch of the Secretary and my reply, in order to set right a
misunderstanding on the part of the public, which I have observed with
pain:
WASHINGTON, _August 18, 1898_.
MISS CLARA BARTON, _Santiago de Cuba_:
"Clinton" cannot be used until unloaded. Stores aboard were sent on
special request and are necessary for the comfort of officers and
men at Santiago. The government will send as soon as ship can be
loaded at Port Tampa two thousand tons of supplies for relief of
destitute. This accomplishes same result and in shorter time. Will
not this meet your wishes even better than recommended in your
cablegram yesterday? Would it be asking too much for you to go to
Havana to superintend the distribution of these stores under the
law? Only the destitute and those in immediate danger of perishing
can receive these supplies.
R.A. ALGER, _Secretary of War_.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, _August 18, 1898_.
PIERSON, _War Department, Washington_:
Tell Secretary Alger I appreciate to the greatest possible extent
his responsive and practical sympathy. His suggestions are better
than I had asked, and are promptly accepted. If the "Clinton" is
unloaded in time, I will leave here Saturday morning. Will take
forty mules from here. Need ten additional wagons and harness for
all my mules. Please give me some horsefeed from here.
CLARA BARTON.
The reloading was quickly accomplished, the direction of our remaining
affairs placed in proper hands, and on the twenty-first of August, just
five weeks to an hour since entering the harbor, we retraced the waters
we had sailed over coming from Siboney to Santiago. The same golden
sunshine rested on the hills and tinged the still waters of the bay, but
we were no longer the only ship. The transports to take our soldiers
home lay there; the great Spanish liners to take the Spanish soldiers to
Spain; the hospital ships with their fevered weight of glad woe "going
home," dotted the sea and skirted the shore.
All who understood our movement saluted, and with tearful glances back
to the little spot of earth which had given so much pain, made so many
homes in both lands desolate, we ordered on full steam and glided away.
Five days of continuous sunshine and scarcely wind to fill a sail
brought us to Havana. I had cabled the Spanish authorities on our
departure from Santiago and notified them of our arrival, and was
courteously referred to the Civil Governor of Havana, on whom I called
and received in return a most cordial visit, with the added respect of
bringing his entire staff with him.
No supplies from Port Tampa having arrived we spent the second day in
Matanzas, receiving from the good Governor and his amiable household
such a welcome as one might expect from those they had known longest and
loved most. We then hoped to go there at once and leave the supplies
they so badly needed.
Next day there came into harbor the steamship "Comal," from Port Tampa,
laden with sixteen hundred tons of government supplies for distribution.
We exchanged visits with her gentlemanly and sensible officers, who had
governmental instructions to take their cargo to Havana and distribute
it, but no instructions to act in conjunction with us or with any one;
and we, on the other hand, received no intimation that her supplies were
in any way intended for our use.