Florida and the Spanish-American War of 1898

HEADQUARTERS 1ST., FLORIDA VOL. INFT.,

Fernandina, Fla., August 15th, 1898

HON. W.B. Bloxham,

Governor of Florida,

Tallahassee, Florida,

Sir:-

Your letter of August the thirteenth received. I note the statement made by Rev. McConnell, Chaplain of the Fifth Ohio, and am sorry to say that it is all true. We have done every thing in our power to remedy these matters but so far without success.

Each Company in my command has spent anywhere from forty to eighty-five dollars in the past few weeks on their sick, principally those in the measles tents, and (as they have no company fund) that is, of course, quite a drain on their pockets.

I have made complaints to every body whom I thought had anything to do with it, and the day before receiving your letter, wired the Chief Surgeon at Huntsville, Ala., asking that an investigation be made. If you have any power to get the high officials to make an investigation I will be very glad if you will do so, as I am powerless in the matter.

I wish further to say that our Chaplain, Mr. Elwang, visits our sick every day, and takes notes of their wants, and reports same to their company commanders, and I visit them at least every other day. The Company officers, as far as I can learn, are looking

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after their sick in the best way possible under the circumstances.

As you know, when the sick are transferred over to Division Hospital - which we are ordered to do every day -m they are no longer under our charge but under theirs. However, each company has a man detailed to carry meals to the sick of their company, and to do everything they can for them that is allowed by the Surgeons in charge.

If we had more hospital tents or cots and medicines, we might possibly get permission to take care of our own sick, but this is rather doubtful. So far we have been unable to get any cots furnished us and have had either to buy or have had given us all we now have. We have put in requisition after requisition for medicines, but so far without results. The State of Michigan is furnishing each one of their regiments all the medicines they may need, together with hospital tents, cots, etc., If the State of Florida wishes to do anything of this kind we would appreciate it very much, provided, of course, we cannot get the authorities to do anything for us.

I have done so much complaining before that I expect the officials are looking upon me as somewhat of a kicker, and full of complaints. However, I wish to emphatically deny statement made to the effect that the officers and men of this regiment are not doing everything in their power for their sick.

Any contributions in the way of soups, jams, jellies, pillows, sheets or cots, and various other things needed around the hospital

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would be very welcome, and if you know of any one who wishes to give us anything of this kind we would be grateful.

The only reason that I have not complained to you before about the matter was owing to the fact that I hardly supposed that it was in your power to remedy it, however, if it is, I would request that prompt action be taken concerning this matter.

Within the last two days the Second Division Hospital, where we have been sending our sick other than the measles, has been consolidated with the Third Division Hospital, which is run in very good shape, and there is no complaint to make against this hospital. Measles are the only cases left behind, and in regard to these we have nothing but complaints to make. On a personal examination yesterday, I found this measles hospital to be in a very deplorable sanitary condition, and after considerable riding around I managed to get permission to send a squad over and clean up around the tents and vicinity. I found a great deal of filth, dirty dishes, dirty rags, etc., and over on the side from which the wind was coming was a sink nearly full to the top, but which was not covered over, this gave the place an odor which was almost unbearable. I had this sink filled up and another one dug, and the camp thoroughly policed.

I wish to say however, that this work should have been done by the Hospital Corps, and was not our duty at all. Had we been requested by the Surgeons in charge we would have gladly have seen to it before, but as it is we have been furnishing men from the companies as nurses and attendants, etc.

The statement that there has been only one attendant to eighty

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patients is not true; but the truth is bad enough: There are two attendants to every three tents, and these tents contain about eight patients each.

I make you these statements for your own information, and if you can get these matters remedied without using my name directly, I would certainly be under great obligations to you, but you can state these things as facts, and if it comes to a question of proofs, I can furnish that at any time. I would not like to have a complaint go through you with my name signed to it, as that would probably be unmilitary.

Trusting that you will understand the situation and know just what to do, I am,

Yours very respectfully,

CP Lovell

Colonel Commanding

[handwritten note] The medicines for this regimental hospital received today CPL