Florida and the Spanish-American War of 1898

Teacher's Guide for Rough Riders

Background Information

The letters are from the official correspondence of Governor William D. Bloxham in his second term, from 1897-1901. Bloxham guided the state through the Spanish-American War, a conflict which called for an unusual degree of participation from Florida. During the war, more soldiers died from disease than from battle wounds.

Poor sanitation and a lack of clean water and basic medical supplies made several of the military camps in Florida easy prey for diseases. Typhoid fever, a preventable disease, was the major killer during the war.

The letters in this section deal with outbreaks of measles and typhoid at the military camp near the Amelia Island Lighthouse at Fernandina in August 1898. There are also references to malaria, however these were most likely misdiagnosed cases of typhoid.

S.J. McConnell, a chaplain for the Fifth Ohio Volunteer Regiment, wrote a letter to Florida Governor William D. Bloxham alerting him to the outbreak and what he saw as the Army’s shoddy efforts to deal with the situation. Bloxham responded immediately with letters to Colonel C.P. Lovell, who was commanding the First Florida Volunteers, and General L.H. Carpenter, who had command of all U.S. Volunteers at Fernandina. The chain of messages that results gives us a variety of perspectives on what was going on at the camp.

The letters were all written within a 20-day period, yet they vary greatly in how they describe the situation at Fernandina. They offer students an opportunity to think about why these historical actors arrived at differing conclusions about the camp’s conditions, and why this is critical to keep in mind when evaluating sources. Carpenter, who was ultimately responsible for the camp, seems especially eager to reassure Bloxham that everything is on the up and up. Lovell (a state-level subordinate commander) agrees with McConnell’s dire assessment of the camp but insists it simply isn’t his fault, considering the structure of the command. Ultimately, this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to students why a single perspective is often insufficient to get the entire story about a historical event.

Colonel C.P. Lovell to Governor Bloxham

In the first letter from Colonel C.P. Lovell to Governor Bloxham, Lovell asks for assistance in obtaining hospital tents, cots and medicines for the sick. Lovell mentions a sink which was "nearly full to the top, but which was not covered over..." In this case, "sink" means a latrine.

In the second letter from Colonel C.P. Lovell to Governor Bloxham, Lovell argues against having the First Florida Regiment mustered out. He denies that the men were overworked to exhaustion. Col. Lovell also notes that the ladies in Jacksonville propose to raise funds for the hospital.

Chief Surgeon Frank W. Headley to Governor Bloxham

In this letter to Governor Bloxham, Chief Surgeon Frank W. Headley gives a report on the status of the Isolation Hospital for measles patients, near the Amelia Lighthouse.

Brigadier General Louis H. Carpenter to Governor Bloxham

In this letter to Governor Bloxham, Brigadier General Louis H. Carpenter gives a report on the regiments that were sent from Tampa, infected with typhoid and malarial fevers.

Chaplain S.J. McConnell to Governor Bloxham

In this letter, Chaplain S.J. McConnell appeals to Governor Bloxham for supplies and more nurses for the military quarantine hospital in Fernandina, Florida.

Chaplain S.J. McConnell to Governor Bloxham

Colonel C.P. Lovell to Governor Bloxham

Colonel Lovell to Governor Bloxham

Chief Surgeon Frank W. Headley to Governor Bloxham

Brigadier General Louis H. Carpenter to Governor Bloxham

Fever wards at the division hospital: Jacksonville, Florida (1898)

Clara Barton and Red Cross colleagues in Tampa (1898)

Some Useful Questions to Ask:

• What factors of camp life contributed to the spread of typhoid and other diseases?
• What is the relationship of each correspondent to the camp at Fernandina, and how might that affect their perspective?
• How would you describe the level of concern of the Governor of Florida and the military personnel at Fernandina about disease in the military camps? Cite specific textual evidence to support your conclusion.
• Can any one of these letters stand alone as the authoritative description of what was going on at the Fernandina Camp in August 1898? Why or why not?
• If you were writing a research paper on the measles outbreak at Fernandina in August 1898, what other sources would you look for to complement these letters?

Use to Illustrate:

• The role of Florida in the Spanish-American War.
• How reading primary source documents from different perspectives can help form a more complete picture of the Spanish-American War.

Sunshine State Standards

• SS.4.A.1.1: Analyze primary and secondary resources to identify significant individuals and events throughout Florida history.
• SS.4.A.6.4: Describe effects of the Spanish-American War on Florida.
  Examples are Rough Riders, cigar industry.
  
• SS.912.A.4.3: Examine causes, course, and consequences of the Spanish-American War.
• SS.912.A.1.1: Describe the importance of historiography, which includes how historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted, when interpreting events in history.
• SS.912.A.1.2: Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical period.

Florida Standards

• LAFS.4.RI.1.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
• LAFS.4.RI.3.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
• LAFS.4.RI.1.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• LAFS.K12.R.1.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• LAFS.68.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
• LAFS.68.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
• LAFS.910.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
• LAFS.910.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
• LAFS.1112.RH.1.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
• LAFS.1112.RH.1.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
• LAFS.1112.RH.2.6: Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
• LAFS.1112.RH.3.8: Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
• LAFS.1112.RH.3.9: Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.