Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-16

was so he went into the field as offer
ing the only arena in which he could
be of real service. He had intended
to say in effect there is the desk in
my Office, do as you please with it.
Gen. Sanger was there; he, too, is
from Michigan. I thought he could
take control of the Office if it was
desired, but he did not remain.
Continuing his testimony bearing up
on the inspector generals duties he
said that his criticism of the change
was based on the fact that it deprived
of
THE CENTRAL AUTHORITY
securing information and as a conse-
quence the Office was practically use
less. ''The order had the effect of
cutting the umbilical cord" he said,
land the circulation was not good AS
a result of the change he had failed
to find any there.
Resuming his remarks of general
character Gen. Breckenridge expressed
the opinion that there had not been
enough fighting to obscure other re-
suits common to war. He thought the
evils which had been experienced were
inevitable under our American system.
He condemned this system as most
reprehensible and said the volunteer
soldier must always suffer the worst
of the consequences. IF the regular
stands up under it better than the vol
unteer it is only because he has had
time to adjust himself to the unfavor-
able conditions" He traced all the
trouble to the want of preparation and
mobilization in time of peace and that,
in turn, to the failure of Congress to
appropriate the necessary money Tor
reforms. replying to question from
Mr.. Woodbury. he said that consider
ing the system he thought the govern
ment had done far better in its con-
duct of the war than anybody had eX-
OAAO 1890
! well as it should have done
Gen. McCook asked Cen. Breckin-
ridge if he had visited Gen. Shafter in
| his tent when the latter was i'll at
Santiago, and GEM Breckenridge re-
piled he had done 50.
| did he then offer
THE COMMAND OF THE ARMY
to you as has been reported in the
press"
Gen. Breckenridge replied: Il very
! much prefer not to answer that ques-
ton. You should ask Gen. Shafter
f#eggn ten. s6aftefS d mvsslf on tb ha
| occasion is not of character to be
spoken of lightly. / fail to see how &
reply from me would promote the OBJ
| ject of your inquiry. You want tC
know what Gen. Shafter did, not what
he may have thought of doing. If Gen
Shafter has not repeated the converse
ton | ought not to do So"
GAS matter of fact he did not turn
| the command over to you" suggested
Gov. Beaver, to which Gen. Breckin-
| ridge responded: mo, he did not, and
| | do not think there is any improperly
| in my saying that he could not have
| done So"
With this the matter was allowed tc
| drop, and Gen. Breckenridge was eX-
! cused.
Capt. Robt W. Dowdy, who was mas
| ter of transportation at Montauk Point
stated that at the beginning of the his
tory Of the camp, the supply of trans
portation facilities was inadequate
though they were afterwards improved.
While there had been much criticism
of the railroad running to the camp he
upon it very satisfactorily. He said
there was not a suficiency of ambu
lances, but that there were enough of
them to carry all sick soldiers who
were not able to walk. 1t was not true
that these vehicles had been used for
purposes other than those for which
they were intended and the newspaper
stories to the contrary were made out
of the whole cloth. He described the
strike of the carpenters at the camp
and said that many of the men at first
employed were tramps and utterly
worthless.
DR.. Conner questioned Gen. Brecken-
ridge about the condition o. the
SINKS AT CAMP THOMAS
when the troops left there, saying that
it had been represented TO the commits
sion that some 5000 of them had been
found to be uncovered. The General
replied that necessarily some of the
sinks had been left uncovered: that it
was difficult to clean up after large
army evacuating a camp. He said,
however, that he had foreseen this
and had asked $500 from Washington
for the purpose of putting the sinks In
proper condition. This money had not
arrived before his departure, but he
supposed it had been received later