Jewels from Jane - March 15
Pictured: Soldiers and sisters at the hospital in Matanzas, Cuba.
MARCH 15
March 15 [1899]
You will see from the date I did not finish my letter [refers to March 12 letter]. Well, dear Mother [Agatha Guthrie], 2 regiments will leave as soon as their transports come for them, 12th New York and the 160 Indiana. The 8th Mass. And the 3rd Kentucky will remain. I have so much to tell you, still I do not know if it will amount to very much after all. There is so little to depend on what these people say that I hardly know if it is worth noticing. There is one of the orphan asylums conducted by the Sisters of Charity. They have over a hundred children, more or less. The president of this Board of Trustees wants to send the Sisters of Charity away for some cause. He said he would like to get the American Sisters to take charge of it. He said at the last meeting he would come up to see me about it. He did not come yet. Father Bader told me to tell him I would consider the matter. He is a wicked man and has misused those large girls and it has leaked out, now he wants to get rid of the Sisters. They are to open another house a short distance from the hospital. Father Bader said General Sanger he ought to insist on the city officials to get English speaking Sisters to conduct it. General thought it a very good plan, but they should have someone to understand the Spanish language. Father told the General Sister should have entire control. The Methodists are working on their red tape underhanded. This new institution the city authority will pay the house rent, the government will supply the rations. Father could not tell me who would furnish the home. However, Father went to see the Archbishop and will be home tomorrow. I told him to mention the fact to the Archbishop Chappell. Father feels badly to go home just now and this old minister of the 8th Mass. Having things his own way. These poor forsaken children, God help them. Today the Major came to me and asked if you could send him 10 more Sisters to Cuba if he needed them. So that doesn't look much like going home. He does not want trained nurses around him; he wants Sister nurses. God only knows what will come out of all this. Some of the Sisters are getting pretty tired and anxious to go home. The number of paitents is increasing. The hospital ship has not come in yet. I am in a tent out on the rocks taking care of a yellow fever case, the first we have had in camp. I am not afraid of the dread disease. It is a very mild form and the patient is doing fine, thank God. Sr. Delphine [Dillon] has an ingrown toenail that gives her much trouble. Father Bader asked Major Ives how long we would remain. He said, just as long as he stayed. General Sanger told this president that he could not get any of his Sisters from the hospital to take charge of the asylum. I am telling you all this so you may judge what is best to be done. Of course for the army, money is not the object, and there is money in it--$50 per month and all expenses paid, but dear Mother, I find it not pleasant to be with the St. Paul nurses and they equally find it unpleasant with us. Father Bader will come back again if he can get an appointment. We will go to the Sisters of Charity to Mass every day at 6 a.m. It is only 1 short block from the hospital so we will have that comfort. We have everything very nice, good good, plenty of ice, plenty of California canned fruit, oatmeal, milk and butter, meat, oysters, fish, soups of all kinds. I thank you, dear Mother, for those nice prayer books and crucifixes. The patients use them to examine their conscience making their Easter duty. Love to all the dear Sisters and to you, dear. Love from all in Cuba.
Sr. Liguori [McNamara]
Spanish-American War correspondence
