In
this he was not mistaken. The officers and men of the Twenty-fourth
Infantry did give themselves up to the care of the sick and dying,
furnishing all help in their power until their own health and strength
gave way, in some instances laying down even their lives in this noble
work.
On the day of arrival seventy men were called for to nurse yellow
fever patients and do other work about the hospital. More than this
number immediately volunteered to enter upon a service which they
could well believe meant death to some of them. The camp was so
crowded and filthy that the work of cleaning it was begun at once by
the men of the Twenty-fourth, and day by day they labored as their
strength would permit, in policing the camp, cooking the food for
themselves and for the hospital, unloading supplies, taking down and
removing tents, and numberless other details of necessary labor.
Despite all the care that could be taken under such conditions as were
found at Siboney, the yellow fever soon overran the entire camp, and
of the 16 officers of the regiment, 1 had died, 2 more were expected
to die; 3 were dangerously ill, and 5 more or less so. Out of the
whole sixteen there were but three really fit for duty, and often out
of the whole regiment it would be impossible to get 12 men who could
go on fatigue duty.
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