The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-05
.IAWTON ON THE
CUBAN CAMPAIGN.
He Tells the Commission There Were
No Gross Mistakes Made.
CLIMATE WAS RESPONSIBLE
For Most of the Sickness-NO Lack oil
Care from Those in Authority-1he
Physicians Were Capable and
Did All That Men Could.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-Acting for
the war Investigating Commission, Colo
mel DENLY has taken the testimony Of
General Lawton, who was in command
Of the Second Division of the Fifth
Corps in the Santiago campaign, and who
has but recently been relieved Of the
command Of the Department Of Santiago
Ills narration began with the em0arka-
ton Of the troops at Tampa. speaking
of the VOYAGE over ne said the transports
were furnished as well as could be
expected as they were not troop ships.
The medical and commissary supplies
we're sufficient to prevent absolute dis
comfort True there was some confusion
owing 10 misunderstanding Of orders but
the general did not believe that any
real hardship had been occasioned there
by.
WHY HE DID NOT OBEY.
Referring 10 the result Of the battle at
FL Caney. he said:
81 had received very imperative orders
TO move to my left. to the right of Cen.
Wheelers command. but my situation
was such that it was impracticabie for
me to leave Caney until / had captured
it,"
General Iawton said his division lost
40 men killed and wounded, and that
all the wounded had been accounted for.
There were no ambulancCs. but some
litters-how many he did not know
Knowing there was TO be a fight, how
does it happen that you did not have
enough nttcrs enough surgeons. and the
proper hospital corps?' Colonel DENLY
asked.
well. | cannot say there were not
enough" General Lawton replied.
How do you account for the fact
that the medical men did not provide
themselves with everything necessary
for taking care Of the WOundedy
TIE BEST THEY HAD.
81 think they did provide themselves
with everything they thought necessary,
considering the material they had To
choose from. There was no time TO do
more or get more surgeons than we had.
They were distributed 10 their various
commands"
The General said that while 1t was diff
cult TO get supplies to the men while
they Law in the trenches from the "a
to the nth Of July. he thought the guam
tity was sufficient. There had been no
sickness worth mentioning until after
the campaign. There had been no tents
except the shelter tents, which some
had until just previous to the emDarka-
ton for the United States
Asked where he fixed the responsibility
for not having the tents there General
I,awton replied: 81 don't fix IT at all be-
cause don't think there was amy respOn-
sibility about IT, The men we're without
tents because they could not unload them
from the ships for lack of time and iacill-
ties for unloading them. There was very
little complaint for want of tents. That
the men should have to lie out as they ala
the men looked upon as one Of The con-
iiugencies absolutely necessary i'm war.
CLIMATE RESPON
The men were for some time without a
change hut this was because they had
thrown away their extra clothing. Ho
held that the climate was responsible for
most of the sickness. but thought there
might have been more appropriate food
and better cooked. 1T IS my opinion,
ne said that any one going from this
climate 70 Cuba will have 10 suffer that
acclimation fever
Summing up General Iawton said;
"Takine into consideration the condi-
tions that we were obliged 10 face the
character Of the country its climate and
other things being considered. I can say
there we're no gross mistakes made.
can say there was no lack OF care on the
part of any Of those in authority whose
duty II was 20 look after the interests OF
tho camp. We had with us as Inc stan
of physicians as there are IN world.
These mon worked nfcht ana Qay anu ID
human being could do more than lNey'