The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-01
THE ARMY INVESTIGATION.
wheeler and Lee to Give Testimony
Letter to an Editor.


Letter to an Editor.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3O.-The war inves-
tigating commission to-day decided to ask
General Lee to follow General Wheeler in
giving testimony concerning charges made
against the War Department and suggested
wednesday of next week as date when
he could be heard General Wheeler will be
before the commission on Tuesday and will
he interrogated both about Camp Wikoff and
the Santiago campaign the examination
concerning Santiago covering especially the
facilities for caring for the sick and
wounded and the precautions taken to pre-
serve the health of the men in the trenches.
The commissioners state their purpose is to
make a very thorough investigation of these
features of the Santiago campaign, but Vice
Chairman DENLY to-day stated that the
policv of calling General Miles or General
Shafter had not yet been under considera-
ton. The decision to call General Lee at so
early date was reached to-day because of
the knowledge of the fact that he is now
in the city and is likely to be soon ordered
to Cuba.
The commission to-day continued its ex-
animation of letters bearing on charges of
rnismana cement, some calling attention to
such charges and others attempting to re-
flute them Many of the letters referred to
newspaper reports of abuses, and in most
of such cases letters were sent to the editors
in question asking them for specific informa-
ton. Among other newspaper publications
considered was an editorial article from the
Brooklyn Eagle. making various charges
concerning the abuse of sick soldiers by
subordinate officers and referring especially
to the death of Lieutenant Lafferty, under
the heading Medical Murders; Their Vic
Tins and Their Cause" In this instance the
secretary was instructed to send an espe-
cially prepared letter to Hon. ST. Clair Nc
KeIway, the editor of the Eagle, the letter
reading as follows:
II am directed by the presiding officer to
ask you whether you have any facts within
your personal knowledge upon which you
have based the charges set forth in that
article, and whether, if so, you will obige
the commission by furnishing them with
those facts in compact and explicit form
The commission would be glad to
have testimony of kind that can be used
In this investigation, not only relating to
the circumstances attending the death of
Lieutenant Lafferty, at Camp WikofT, as
alleged in the article under consideration,
but also relating to the other incidents to
which you make reference. Such testimony
is exactly what the commission wants. Viii
you oblige this body with what you have at
your disposal or can obtain for the pur-
pose?'
Many of the charges received by mail are
quite vague in character. One man wrote
that he had heard of an instance in which
the body of dead soldier had been buried
at Camp Wikoff in an entirely nude condi-
ton, but he did not specify the regiment
or company in which the soldier had served
In another case an officer in a Pennsylva-
MIA regiment wrote that he had been at
Camp Thomas and at Fernandna and
Tampa, Fla, and that he knew the charges
of mismanagement were false. He ex-
pressed his willingness to come to Wash
ington and give the commission the infor-
nation at his command at his own expense
To-day's letters deal especially with the
conditions at Camp Wikoff. They relate to
the lack OF preparation of the camp before
the soldiers were received. In one instance
a minister wrote that he had pointed out
the inaccessbility and exposed condition OF
the location and the poor condition Of the
water before the place was selected The
members OF the commission express their
detrminafIcn 70 make very complete In