The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-05
SANTIAGO AND WIt0FF
THE GROUND COVERED BY THE
GENERALS TESTIMONY.
sUFFERlNGs OF TROOPS AT SANTIAGO
Due for the Most Part to Conditions Over Wbic1
the War Department had no Control.
Camp Wikof Model
Camp.

Washington, Oct 4.--Ihe war lnVeSti-
eating commission began the taking of
testimony today, and Major Gen. Joseph
Wheeler was on the stand the greater
part Of the day. There was full
attendance of the commission, and the
doors OF the room in which the inquiry
is conducted were for the first time
opened to representatives of the press.
General Wheeler's testimony covered
the case Of the soldiers at the two inn
portant points of Santiago and Wikoff.
He said with reference to the conduct
of affairs at Santiago that there had ne
cessarily been some suffering in the
trenches, but that General Shafter hal
exercised the utmost effort to protect
his men. There had been, he said, Il
shortage of land transportation facili-
ties for a time and there had been no
tents for week, and the roads were
very fair. He revealed for the first
time that he had had some feeling over
the fact that his command had been
given the fourth place in General Shat
ter's order for the landing at Santiago
when he had thought he was entitled to
be allowed to land frst on account of
his rank
Discussing the plan of the Santiago
campaign he said he doubted whether a
more effective plan could have been
adopted.
Speaking of the medical department he
said that at times there were com
plants, but that they they were not
serious. On occasions there was a
shortage Of surgeons, some Of the sur
geons being sick or wounded.
According to General Wheeler's be-
lief the wounded in battle were prompt
" cared for by the surgeons After the
fight o. July 1st, all the wounded were
carried from the field that night. The
witness had heard that there was more
complaint of the shortage of medicine
among the infantry than in the cavalry
arm of the service.
Going back TO Tampa he said that at
the season he was there, the first half
Of June, the camp-site was unobjection-
able, but he had felt that it would be
wet later in the season.
'"There was" he said, "at times some
shortage of supplies at the camp, but
nothing that a soldier could complain
Of"
General Wheeler said he had no con
trol over any of the supplies which were
taken to Santiago ON the transports
when he left Tampa This was attend
ed to by the different staff officers. He
only knew from conversation with these
that there was an abundance of the sup
plies of all character.
Returning to the Santiago campaign.
he said that only two regiments had
reported a shortage of rations and he
had Immediately telephoned to the rear
and the shortage, which was due to
accident, had been adjusted. There
was suffering when the men were COM
PEELED to lie behind the breastworks.
The meat was poor, and they had no
bread but hardtack. They were forced
TO lie in the sun and water alternately
and necessarily there was much sick
ness. While they had the full quota Of
doctors and nurses, he thought that if
more had been furnished the men would
have been better cared for. AS for ra-
tions, three days supplies was generally
issued. Whenever the troops went into
action they would throw their food away
as well as their packs, and they often did
not recover them.
In reply to questions he stated that
he never had heard Of any shortage of
commissary or ordnance supplies at San
tiago, but he had been told that the
medical supplies were short. Yet he had
no personal knowledge on this point lie
had seen wounded men crawling to re-
lief tents.
He said that as a rule the quality of
hard-tack was good. Where there was
any deterioration it was due to local rains
and not from the fact of original inferi-
oritV.
The spirit of the army was such, he
said, that there was no disposition to
complain. They were all proud to be
there and willing to undergo the hard
ships.
Replying to a question from Colonel
DENLY, General Wheeler said the regu-
lars had shown a greater ability to take
care of themselves than the volunteers.
Captain Howell asked to what he at-
tributed the development of disease af-
fer the capitulation of Santiago and
General Wheeler replied that it was due
ia the climate and to the exposure made
necessary. He had, he said, known of
no instance of sick or wounded men dy-
ing Of want or care. So far as he knew
there was general commendation Of the
medical corps, except that on one or two
occasions there had been some grumbling