Chinese collaboration under the American occupation. V

Report of Maj. Herbert W. Cardwell, U. S. V., Chief Surgeon, First Division, Eighth Army Corps, April 21 to May 30, 1899.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, EIGHTH ARMY CORPS, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SURGEON, 3Manila, P. I., May 31, 1899.

SURGEON GENERAL UNITED STATES ARMY. (Through military channels.)

SIR: I have the honor to present here with a special report on the work of the medical department and Hospital Corps during the expedition under the command of Maj. Gen. H. W. Lawton, U. S. V., into the provinces of Bulacan, Nueve Ecija, and (A. M.) de la Pampanga from April 21 to May 30, 1899, inclusive.
On receipt of General Orders, No. 20, Headquarters First Division, Eighth Army Corps, dated Manila, P. I., April 19, 1899, designating the troops to take part in the expedition, I required a report from the medical officer of the designated troops as to the physical condition of the medical officers and Hospital Corps men of his command, and as to whether he was sufficiently supplied to carry out the movement contemplated, which was specified as to occupy ten days. Medical offcers.-Twenty-second U. S. Infantry, Capt. John A. Kulp, U. S. A., and Dr. Isaac W. Brewer, acting assistant surgeon, U. S. A.; Gale's squadron, Fourth U. S. Cavalry (three dismounted troops), Dr. G. W. Daywalt, acting assistant surgeon, U. S. A.; First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry, Maj. F. D. Pease-captain and assistant surgeon, Black being on sick leave; Scott's battery, Dr. E. K. Johnstone, acting assistant surgeon, U. S. A., who had not reported, but was hurried from Corregidor in time to take the field; Hawthorne's battery, no medical officer. Under verbal orders from the division commander I detailed Maj. George H. Penrose, brigade surgeon, U. S. V., as brigade surgeon on the expedition, and Lieut. F. M. Kemp, assistant surgeon, U. S. A., from the Fourteenth United States Infantry, to act as ambulance surgeon. I secured from Capt. F. R. Keefer, commanding officer of the ambulance company, four ambulances. These ambulances were in bad order, with leaky canvas and leaky water tanks, no tools, and no spare parts. Animals consisting of one team of four native ponies in bad order and two teams of two mules each, and for the ambulance I secured, through the division quartermaster, one team of four native ponies, the quality of which was not guaranteed, and which proved to be bad. Hearing semiofficially that battalions from Third U. S. Infantry, Oregon and Minnesota Volunteers, would join the column later, I investigated their condition as to medical officers and Hospital Corps men. Finding that the Third Infantry had no medical officer with them the chief surgeon borrowed, at my request, Dr. Van Wagemen from the hospital ship Relief, and secured an order from corps headquarters detailing Doctor Pitcher from the Seventeenth Infantry to the Third Infantry. I drew from the Quartermaster's Department twenty extra litters for the use of a squad of forty Chinese litter bearers furnished by the Quartermaster's Department and assigned by me pro rata to the different organizations. Maj. G. H. Penrose drew from the purveyor's storehouse sufficient medical and surgical supplies to enable him to conduct a brigade field hospital without tentage, and drew from the commissary one hundred rations in addition to liberal supply of beef extract, cocoa, and malted milk. The Quartermaster's Department was unable to furnish any transportation for these supplies, and it was necessary to load them into ambulances if they were to be carried at all. This seriously interfered with our facilities for transportation of the sick and wounded.

In this connection I desire to express the opinion that the Chinese coolie can be made to play a very important and useful part in any campaigning in these islands. If assured that he will receive his pay and rations he will do any amount of work and face any amount of rifle fire, but he requires to be under the constant supervision of some authority. In the Oregons each private of the hospital corps was charged with the oversight and made responsible for the presence at all times of two coolies with one litter, and the service rendered was excellent.

Title: The official records of the Oregon volunteers in the Spanish war and Philippine insurrection, page 581
Author: Oregon. Adjutant-General's Office.