Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-05
WHATLAWTON SAYS.
TESTIMONY BEFORE WAR COM
MISSION OF SANTIAGO COMMANDER.
THE CAMPAIGN IN CUBA
Considering the Character Of the
Country, No Gross Mistakes We're
Made-Ne Lnci< of Care ON Part of
Those In Authority.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. November A.
Acting for the War Investigating Com
mission, Colonel 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.
His narration began with the embarka-
| ton of the troops at Tampa. Speaking
| OF the voyage over he said the transports
were furnished as well as could be ex-
pected, as they were not troop-ships. The
medical and commissary supplies were
sufficient to prevent absolute discomfort.
| True. there was some confusion, owing
10 misunderstanding OF orders. but the
| General did not believe that any real
! hardship had been occasoned thereby.
Referring 70 the result OF the battle at
| FL Caney he said:
II had received very imperative orders
TO move to my left. 10 the right or Gene
raj wheeler's command but my situation
was such that It was impracticable Tor
me TO leave Caney until l had captured
it."
| IAl Vi a olDli<<Ass-A-'.
General Lawton said his division lost
40 men killed and wounded. ana mat SIi
the wounded had been accounted 1or'
There were no ambulances, but some III
ters how many he did not know.
knowing there was to be night, now
does IL happen that you did not have
enough litters, enough surgeons, ana tne
proper hospital corpsT' Colonel Tehoy
asked.
"Wen. 1 cannot say there were not
enough" General Lawton replied.
How do you account for the fact that
the medical men did not provide them
selves with everything necessary Tor TAX
ing care Of the woundedF
IL think they did provide themselves
with everything they thought necessary
considering the material they had 10
choose FROM There was no time 10 90
more or get more surgeons than we had.
They were distributed to their various
commands
FOOD FOR MEN IN TRENCHES.
The General said that while 1t was diff
fcult 10 get supplies TO the men while
they lay In the trenches, from the "a u
the 18th OF July, he though the quantity
was sufficient There had been no sick
ness worth mentioning until after the
campaign. There had been no cents, ex-
cept the shelter tents which some had,
until just previous to the embarkation for
the United States.
Asked where he fixed the responsibility
for not having the tents there, Genera
I Lawton replied. Il don't fix II at all
| because l. don't think there was any re
! | sponsibility about IL. The men ~er'
without tents because they could no
unload them from the ships for lack o
time and facilities for unloading them
There was very little complaint for wan
OF tents That the men should have L
lie out as they dill, the men looked upo
as one of the contingencies absoutel.
3 necessary in war
CLIMATE RESPONSIBLE FOR SICK
NESS.
|, The men were for some time without
\ change OF clothing, but this was becaus
: they had thrown away their extra cloth
> ing. He held that the climate was r.
: sponslble for most of tho sickness. bu
u thought there might have been more al
II prOpriate food and food better cooked
e 1T is my opinion" he said, that an
one going from this climate 10 Cuba vi
e have to suffer that acclimation-feyer.
ID Summing up, General Lawton said
n Taking into consideration the condition
10 that we were obliged 10 face. the chard'
. ter of the country its climate. and otht
s things being considered, / can say theT
v were no gross mistakes made. l can ga
there was no lack OF care on the part
any OF those in authority whose duty
- was TO look after the interests Of ih
: camp. We had with US as fine SD
of physicians as there Is in the worl'
These men worked night and day, and =
n human beings could do more than the
: did"
= MORE CAMP ABUSES.
~ CINCINNATI, November 4-The wa
!, Investigation Commission had int-fes %
!, sessions to-day. II had among the VII
y nesses four officers who served in the Sar
!, tiagO campaign.
y PERKINS, the most suggestive testimon
WAS that given by Major Griffith, OK kaI
=, sas City, vino was in charge Of the Thir
L. Division Hospital First Corps, Chick;
manga Major Griffith testified regardin
ie the camp conditions at Chickamauga al
the hospitals. He had difficulty In &c
Of ting enough tents, and when he secure
"A the proper number he found the last on
Of poor quality. From private and Sta
sources the regiments were supplied WI
VI hospital tents AS a rule, the men detail
id cd as nurses were unfit. The staff OF u
w. Division Hospital was inadequate wh'
n. the increase Of sickness occurred. Sicl
et ness among the surgeons reduced u
e. working force. lie said there would has
ID been no difficulty in getting hundreds
or competent surgeons al Chlckamauga VIII
e in a week. He said he knew many appl
&c cations were refused.
RED-TAPE AND THIRTY-YEAR
A. PEACE.
ms He attributed the failure at Can
q: | Thomas hospital TO red tape and pea
n for thirty years" which incapacitated Il
er department for expansion on emersenc
he one great difficulty in getting supplies
us drugs arose from passing requisitlol
from the division surgeon to the cor
be surgeon and the surgeon in chief Tn
ne required a week. BE asked the cor
ar commander on June 10Th 10 have the I
ue phoid patients isolated. The epId en-
could have thus ->re been avoided, b
no attention was given 70 the request.
ID A number Of other witnesses we're e1ai
nd lned, but nothing new was developed.
Fred. j. Flueger. OF Newport, KY, u
IN. titled 20 seeing maggOts on a sick man
he a hospital tent at Chlckamauga.
BE HEARING AT HARRISBURG.
res CAMP MEADE, MIDDLETOWN. p
ie- November 4.-Chief-commissary Allls
Of and other officers at corps headquarte
NY went 10 Harrisburg to-day 70 appear
ne fore the subcommittee OF the War live
zee ugating Board. The committee held hes
~ lngs al the Lochiel Hotel relating
ne Camp Alger and other camps establish
az the breaking out u the war. The I,
ier timony Of the WITNESSES heard to-day Z
ne not add materially TO that taken al 9th
places BY the board.
ial
RELIGION AND THE PRESS.