C. D. Hestwood to Henry J. Allen

The Methodist Episcopal Church
Liberal, Kansas.
C. D. Hestwood, Pastor
Liberal, Kansas

As you know, I have recently lost a son with spinal meningitis at Ft. Doniphan. I am writing to you as one that I know to be greatly interested in the welfare of our soldier boys, and ready to do anything in your power for their well being, and because you know me and will know whether to give credit to what I say.

Please know in the very beginning that I do not write to criticise the Government in any sense, nor to lay complaint against anyone in authority. I realize that in the stupendous task before us as a Government, and with the great diversity of interests involved, that it is impossible that there should not occur some things that should be corrected. It is with the hope that I may help somewhat with the task before us that I lay bare the facts as I found them in connection with my son's sickness at Camp Doniphan.

Through friends entirely independent of the army officers and the medical staff, I learned of my son's sickness after he had been in the hospital for six days. With my wife I went immediately to the camp, arriving there the morning of December 26, 1917. I found my son in the Meningitis Ward of the Base Hospital It was the eighth day of his sickness as I was informed by the attending physician. His mother and I, and Mr. W. N. Harris, of Arkansas City, Kans. were permitted to see him through a window at the head of his bed. The small room in which he was lying contained one other bed on which was a patient, a stove in which there appeared to be no fire. The room was not simply unsanitary, it was filthy, beggaring description. The bed on which my son was lying was even more filthy than the room. I cannot describe to you the condition of my son's body, except to say that neither his hands or face had been washed in eight days. (The attendant admitted this to me). The reason given for his being in this condition was that he, the attendant, had but one helper in the ward and there were eighteen cases there at that time. I asked if I might put a nurse in there to take care of him and the physician said that could not be allowed. I offered to put in a trained nurse and pay all expenses. I then asked if I myself might be allowed to go in and clean him up and take care of him. The physician very kindly in manner all of the time said that it could not be. I then asked if I would bring clean clothes for him if they would clean him up and put them on him so that his mother might see him again and not have to remember him in the plight she had just seen him. They said they would gladly do so. I went to Lawton and got clean clothes and when I returned they had made some effort to wash his face and hands, although they were still grimy and black. His clothes were changed, his bed straightened out and his mother was called to see him again. There was no change made in the condition of the room. Before leaving I again made a plea to be permitted to care for him, gladly taking all risk, but the rules were inflexible. I could not be admitted in any way. The attending physician was kind to us and I do not wish to imply that he was in any way to blame. He told us, however, as we were about to leave that we should not return for three or four days. To this order I had no intention of giving heed, neither did I. His mother did not see him again. The next morning early his father-in-law, Mr. W.N. Harris of Arkansas City, Kansas, went to the ward and while the mercury was down about zero, there was no fire in the room, the bedding was on the floor, the boy lay on the bed naked with the exception of a thin night shirt that was up around his neck. About three o clock that afternoon I found him in the same condition, and the room without fire. The next morning at about eight o'clock we found him in practically the same condition. No one knew of our visits to the hospital except two workmen who were working on the sewer ditch in front of the hospital. To them I made myself known and the purpose of my going to the hospital. I refer now of course to the visits we made after we were instructed not to visit the hospital. On neither of those visits was there an attendant in the room, or fire in the stove. A perfectly well man would have become sick in that room. The mercury was around zero all of the time.

At this time I went direct to the chief of the Medical Staff and told him the situation and asked to be permitted to go and attend my boy. He immediately gave orders that I be admitted and be given every facility for caring for my son. I went at once, but I was too late as he died about fifteen minutes after I got into the ward, and before I was permitted to do anything for him.

That you may know something of the fearful handicap that the Government works under in the matter of competent help I give you this one instance. I requested the attendant to give my son a drink of water. He went out and brought in a small bowl of water and tried to get son to drink from it but he could not. He said I guess that I had better get a funnel. (The boy was lying on his back with his mouth open). He came back in a moment with a funnel made of a piece of newspaper and putting it in my sons mouth was in the act of pouring the bowl of water into my sons throat when I stopped him. He said what shall I do. I said get a spoon. The poor fellow had not thought of that. My son died in a few moments. I at once hastened to the office of the Adjutant and asked for the body and was very courteously treated and assured that I could have the body that evening. I then hastened back to the ward where my son died to see how the body was prepared for burial, and as I had my pass into the building I did not stop and knock but opened the door to enter when it struck something that would not let it open further; I looked and saw that it was my son's body lying on the floor of the hall, and it was his head that I struck with the door.

I received every possible courtesy from the officers and medical attendants at the base hospital. I am not now filing any complaint against any man. I have no other purpose in giving you these facts than to get you to do your utmost to see that these boys of ours who are yet to die at these camps may have the care that every true man wishes that they might have. There are at least cour witnesses to most all of the facts that I have written here who will be willing to testify to the truth of them if it would be the means of helping the authorities to bring about better conditions.

I trust, Mr. Allen, that you will believe me when I say that I am not in any sense seeking revenge for the death of my son. If in his dying he is the means of securing better attention for the many boys that are yet to suffer and die in these camps I shall feel that his death was not in vain.

Wishing for you success in your endeavors for humanity, I am

(Signed)
C. D. Hestwood.