Evening star., 1898-12-21


tG, conditions then prevailing?'
Transports Not Equal to the Burden.
Gen. MileS-.'No sir This he said em-
phaticaIIy and promptly. He then stated
that the ships very much crowded
and had :hcre been bad weather there
would have been suffering and discomfort
among the men on them. There might have
been fearful mortality. He declared that
there Was sufficient supply of commits
Sstrv stores. The medical supplies were not
sufficient As TO the latter he had referred
the matter to the judgment of the medical
'hi"trS- He spoke of the general regula-
ji"uS he had provided in due time for these
things Ir left the details in the hands of
lh~ SUhordjnat" officers after he had given
TIM. general directions
Cen Bravcr-"Had the question of the
Decentralization of the troops in Cuba been
provided for before leaving Tampa -
Gen Miles-"Gen. Shafter had not only
hS Svn STAFF officers. bat l instructed Gen.
LvGt.w L. supply himself with everything
necessary I supposed at the time he had
don" So but when reached Tampa l found
h. had not He had number of small pom
j"3H boats that would be utterly useless for
the purpos".
Gen Miles detailed his own efforts to pro-
vide lighters barges and tugs
Cen Heavcr-"Csivc your thought as to
he anticipated cooperation of the navy
G.u- Miles-"That was understood" He
81" h" Wa not aware that the Secretary of
ih~ Nay had protested TO the President
against lending assistance.
Referring to the time Gen Miles was at
SautIaz". Gen. Beaver asked: Were the
medical supplies at that time sufficient for
IN" needs Of the men?''
iboui Medical Supplies.
Gen Miles Possibly a dispatch from
Cen Shdftsr to me- under date of August
vii best answer that question" He
then read copy of it. and it stated that
one division. Gen. Kents, had been without
medicines for seven days. This was the
constant and chronic complaint
Whoever regulates the medical supplies"
said the dispatch. does not seem to under
stand that the men need medicines every
lay 1t continued with the recommended
iIon that some he purchased and sent. and
stated tlat Dr Wood in the hospital had
reported th= death of four men, due to lack
%. medicines. This was signed ''Shafter."
Gen. Beaver-"From what you learned
and observed while there, do you think
there waS at any time a sufficient medical
supply ~
Gen. NIies-"Of medical men and mate
rIdlS?'
Gen. Eeaver-"Yes"
Cen Niles-"No. sir
The witness stated that the hospital ac-
rommoiatious were only of temporary
character He said that the shelter was
bad Th, shelter tents did not shelter.
questioned 70 the character of the facil-
ttl-s Tor transporting the wounded he said
that they We're taken in wagons.
ten. Bea Ver-''DO you know If any of the
wounded We're lying exposed 10 the
U-athcr"''
tirn. Mf!es-'Sone were exposed in being
sent down 80 he hospitals. L saw one
train of wounded men driving along in the
tren'hing rain with nothing to shelter
Them
H. stated that on August ~ he tele-
gr8pnad Ter d corps of expert bridge and
pier builders With these he desired to in
crease the facilities for landing supplies
tie also ordered Il number of infected places
burned. He said that transportation had
-u be furnished for supplies for 1J.UDo to
-s.',- refugees and 5o,D Cuban soldiers.
Caution Not Obeyea.
Ci-u- lliles-'This had not been expected
10y me. l had cautioned Gen. Shafter not
to 1T his men enter any Spanish buildings
or % miusIe in any way with the natives.
Had ne obeyed this there would not have
been tho trouble that resulted from acting
20 The. contrary"
The army vas supplied with quartermas-
Ger and Cammi$sary stores. but not in the
h.-St WY. H had asked that fixed rations
o. sem down Z" his army in Porto Rico
when IT, went there. but il was not done.
THr food came in bulk, often without in
voices pr bills ot lading. Many tons spoiled
in The hollis of The vessels and had to De
thrown Jv-rbpard.
The scarcity OF food largely caused the
distress ~ the troops" said Gen. Miles. Il
mad advised against the shipping of beef
nsFDt-p Rico because of the abundance of
it There and because the contract meat was
IN my cpIni"n. defective. The refrigerator
beef pt which ~ tons were sent, was EN-
bJimad hr-f' The canned corned beef. of
which ltio"U pounds were shipped, was
cr-I-mu,d by the officers whose commands
w'-T- served with it
Cart HoweH-'Did Congress fix that beef
a- army rBti0n%'
Cen. AlIl-$-''NO. sir
capt. HoweIl-"Then who did? We want
10 know"
ti"r- Nli!c~-'-You had better ask the Sec
I"rary "f War or the commissary general
emf .4= nod TC.y J1I 70 rat -
(" hungry If the paymasters had been
~-ut as was asked, We could have bought
f"'t- fhey did not comply with our re-
Geu. Miles said he believed that the food
vas sent in the way mentioned, under the
rrNtArSe OF an experiment
Had Complained of the Beef.
Gen. Miles called attention to the fact
that good fresh beef could be bought in
Iprt" Rico for cents pound American
money. and he suggested it might he in
terestins to compare the cost of the refrig-
Grated beef together with the expense of
Transportation
H." said he did not know but what the
chemicals used in treating the beef were
Responsible for the great sickness in the
American army. Reports which he had re-
c"iv"d concerning it were to the effect that
This beef had an odor like embalmed
dead body
Captain HOwell-..Nere these reports ever
y
seuerJIr
General Mies-"Reports were frequently
sent in To h!m. But he seemed TO insist
that the beef b. used"
Capt tin HowtN-"Was the matter ever
brought {" the attention of the Secretary
OF Wa
Cen Mii"s-'I requested that no more of
10 he sent. If a supply of il were sent to
TIN men in this country | would prohibit
their use of II. / am having an investiga-
tiou now of the matter. | thought you gen.
t}rmeH would get on to it,
He said h sad never complained to the
Secretary Of War as to the condition of
the beef. but had asked that the supply
h,- stopped.
Camp AIger Most Objectionable.
Gen Miles testified that he had nothing
u 30 with the selection of Camp AIger
He die not learn Of it until the troops
began to reacn II. camps He said for
various reasons. n considered Camp Alger
as the most Objectionable of all the camp
grounds. Concerning Chickamauga or
camp Thomas. he stated that he expected