Harry Endicott Webber - Twelve Months with the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry in the Service of the United States

Within a short time after our arrival in Lexington the number of sick increased so rapidly that the division hospital was filled to overflowing. But in the course of five or six weeks, and as a consequence of our strenuous efforts, the number began to diminish, until finally, and before the Division moved to Georgia in November, not a single case remained in the Division outside of the hospitals, and no new cases were ever reported to me while the Division remained in service.

Of the part taken by the Eighth Massachusetts in this heroic struggle, a great deal might be written by way of commendation. It is probably sufficient to say that Colonel Pew and his officers appeared to realize fully the gravity of the situation, and relying on the good discipline and high order of intelligence of the rank and file, had but little difficulty in carrying out the sanitary regulations of the camp, thus preserving the lives of many of the men.

Before leaving this subject, and at the risk of exhausting your patience, I can not refrain from giving you a word of warning. Of all the diseases which infest sedentary camps, such as those established in the United States and Cuba during the recent war, none is more insidious or deadly in its effects than typhoid fever.

It would be very unusual indeed for a regiment of the National Guard or of Volunteers to assemble in camp at any time without bringing with it at least one case of undeveloped typhoid fever. Now, a week may elapse before such a case is discovered and reported, and in the meantime the man who has it may have given it to a dozen other men through fecal and urinary discharges, and through carelessness in using the sink in washing his hands and bathing, and in keeping his clothing absolutely free from that kind of pollution. Hence the importance of personal cleanliness and the strictest enforcement of all the sanitary rules which may be established.

In a camp of regular soldiers thoroughly instructed in the duties of sentinels, and not afraid to enforce their orders, this is not difficult, but among volunteers where guard duty is often not understood, or is looked upon with disfavor, and but little sense of individual responsibility, it is a very difficult matter, and such camps may speedily and easily become hot beds for the spread of typhoid and other diseases.

Bear this in mind and resolve that should the exigencies of the military service ever require you to go into camp again, you will not only keep yourselves clean, but will insist on a clean camp, clean kitchens and sinks, clean food and mess kits, and that you will mercilessly punish all infractions of sanitary rules, as well as the sentinels or other guards who knowingly permit them.

I remained in command of the Second Division until November 16th, when I was relieved, and on the 21st assumed command of the Second Brigade at Americus. Although I knew the Eighth Massachusetts quite well, I now determined to know it thoroughly, and on November 28th, commenced an inspection of the regiment by battalion, and in order that every officer and enlisted man might attend, it was ordered that no guard or other detail would be furnished by the battalion under inspection.

I began with the First Battalion of the Eighth Massachusetts and wound up with the Third Battalion, giving each just such a critical inspection as was prescribed for regulars. In other words, I made a careful examination of the arms and equipments, clothing, camp and garrison equipage, mess books, records and drills of each company, battalion and regiment.

Target practice was resumed as soon as the Brigade was settled in camp, and each regiment was given the most careful and detailed instruction in outpost duties and those of the advanced guard. An effort was also made to instruct the Brigade in the principles of a front and flank attack, beginning at short distances, which were extended finally to 3000 yards over obstructed ground, the enemy's position being indicated, and as far as possible the exercises made as realistic as possible.

The month spent at Americus was full of professional interest and profit, and caused me to realize more fully the very great advantage of a brigade camp over larger ones, and how much better it would have been at the outset to have fully equipped each regiment in its State camp, to then have assembled it with other regiments in a brigade camp—preferably in the same State—commanded by a thoroughly competent and active general officer, there to receive the preliminary instruction so easily given under such circumstances, and so next to impossible in the camp of a Division of an army corps.

The Eighth Massachusetts and Twelfth New York were fairly well equipped when I joined them in the Park, but the First South Carolina regiment was without arms, equipment or uniforms. The men ate with their fingers for several weeks, and relied on such crude dishes as could be improvised from tomato-cans, etc. I have no doubt that much of the complaint made by this regiment about the rations, was chiefly due to this.

The Eighth Massachusetts in two detachments left Americus January 6th and 8th, and arrived in Matanzas January 10th and 13th and went into camp near Fort San Severino on the west side of the bay.

On the 12th of January the last of the fifteen thousand Spanish soldiers under Generals Merina and Molina, composing the garrison of Matanzas, sailed away, and about 8 o'clock in the evening, General Bettancourt and his detachment of insurgent troops marched into the city, which went wild with excitement. The First Battalion Eighth Massachusetts and Twelfth New York were held in readiness that night lest there should be any hostile demonstration towards the Spanish residents of the city. It turned out that the natives were so intent on celebrating the departure of the Spanish troops that no attention was paid to anything else, and apart from that the night passed quietly.

On January 12th Major-General J. H. Wilson relieved me from command of the Department of Matanzas, and on the following day I was assigned to command the District of Matanzas with headquarters in the city. Up to this time I had been interested chiefly in arranging for the evacuation of the Spaniards, in caring for the troops, and getting them settled in camp.

On January 5th a bureau of street cleaning and sanitation had been established as the result of a careful inspection of the city, and the prevalence of yellow fever during the preceding month. Six deaths had occurred, and we were all somewhat solicitous about the future. Two cases occurred, one a civilian who died, the other a soldier, who recovered.

As a precautionary measure the old yellow fever hospital was burned and a new one of canvas erected near the district hospital. I then gave my attention to the very serious and delicate duties connected with the administration of the District and City of Matanzas, in accordance with the laws of war, and the orders of the President.

Although by virtue of the military occupation of Cuba martial law prevailed, it was the President's wish that as far as possible the inhabitants might be secured in their persons, and property, and in all their private rights and relations as long as they performed their duties, and that they be protected in their homes, their employments, and in the free exercise of their religion. That as far as possible the municipal laws such as related to the private rights of persons and property, and provided for the punishment of crime, should be continued in force, to be administered by the ordinary tribunals substantially as they were before the occupation.

The frame work of municipal government in Cuba was excellent, far better in some respects than our own, but Spaniards filled nearly all the insular, provincial and municipal offices and municipal government was under the direct supervision of the provincial and insular governments. Nevertheless, the municipal organization was complete, excellent of its kind, and ample for the government of the city and district, and I determined at the outset to instil into the local authorities a proper sense of their responsibilities and authority as the agent of a free and liberal government, and to require them to perform all their duties, using the troops only when necessary to aid their efforts to maintain law and order and to prevent any disorderly conduct on the part of the officers or men. To this end a provost marshal with a suitable guard was appointed and Fort San Severino was converted into a military prison.