290 The Rough Riders 



ing whatever in the way of proper nourishing food 

 for our sick and wounded men during most of the 

 time, except what we were able to get from the 

 Red Cross or purchase with our own money. We had 

 no hospital tent at all until I was able to get a couple 

 of tarpaulins. During much of the time my own 

 fly was used for the purpose. We had no cots until 

 by individual effort we obtained a few, only three 

 or four days before we left Cuba. During most 

 of the time the sick men lay on the muddy ground 

 in blankets, if they had any; if not, they lay with- 

 out them until some of the well men cut their own 

 blankets in half. Our regimental surgeon very 

 soon left us, and Dr. Church, who was repeatedly 

 taken down with fever, was left alone save as he 

 was helped by men detailed from among the troop- 

 ers. Both he and the men thus detailed, together 

 with the regular hospital attendants, did work of 

 incalculable service. We had no ambulance with 

 the regiment. On the battlefield our wounded were 

 generally sent to the rear in mule-wagons, or on 

 litters which were improvised. At other times we 

 would hire the little springless Cuban carts. But 

 of course the wounded suffered greatly in such con- 

 veyances, and moreover, often we could not get a 

 wheeled vehicle of any kind to transport even the 

 most serious cases. On the day of the big fight, 

 July ist, as far as we could find out, there were but 

 two ambulances with the army in condition to work 

 neither of which did we ever see. Later there 



