The Monte Vista journal., 1898-11-26
ROOSEVELT HEARD.
TEsTlFIEs BEFORE THE WAR
BOARD.
He Details Hh Experiences showing the
Lack Of Proper Plana for tbs Can.
paiga-Says Nultla should Ne Drilled.

w
uess before the War investigating COM
| mittee to-day.
Colonel Roosevelt told OF slip-shod
methods prevailing in the army and
| said the system OF the War Depart
mcnt was seriously at fault.
The National Guard. he said, should
be drilled ms are the European troops.
Long marches should be taken and the
men should have experience boarding
transports.
Colonel Roosevelt. in reply to n re-
quest from General Wilson, told OF the
equipment and mastering OF the First
volunteer cavalry, known as the
Rough Riders.
when we reached Tampa" Colonel
Roosevelt said. there was n condition
Of utter confusion. We were dumped
outside. II mile away from our camp.
No one knew where the camp was.
There WAS no one To tell us where 10
20 or what To do. After waiting
'wenty-four hours | took the law into
ny own hands and bought food for the
men and horses. Later. when we found
Dnr camp. we Were all right
Were you reimbursed for your out
iay:"
Il never asked 1t. II was a personal
matter entirely"
Colonel Roosevelt said great condi-
tion OF confusion existed ut Tnmpa,
Nobody seemed 10 know anything and
no arrangements We're evident us 10
what transports We're to bc used His
own regiment was assigned to the Yu.
rltan.
incidentally he heard that the Seven
ty-iirst New York volunteers and Sev.
nnth infantry were also assigned In the
iucatah. As soon ms he heard that he
hurried on the Rough Riders and took
possession OF the ship and held II
against the other regiments. His men
had decided to get 10 cuba. and got
there.
DO you attribute all the confusion"
asked General Wilson. TO lack OF In.
ielligcncc on the part of the men In
Charge. or TO the natural overr0w,lin.
Of work.
Il was only n lieutenant colonel and
| could not know whose fault II was"
Replying To other questions. Colonel
Roosevelt .7lid the food was ample and
with the exception Of the canned roast
beef. WAS good. The beef WAS cx-
trrmcly bad
Colonel Roosevelt told Of the VOYAGE
10 Cuba, and Of the Decentralization OF
ia" regiment nj Dailuiri. The regl-
n"nt was one of the first To land. Cap
ain Shaw. who was associated with
Colonel Roosevelt In III. Navy DEPART
mcnt. sent Il Cuban pilot on board the
lucaian and he took the franspnr, n
nile and u half nearer the shore than
other shipS
lhcre was n great scarcity Of mater
lil Tor landing men and horses. Col
mel Roosevelt. still replying 10 Iucs-
ions. told in detail Of the march OF his
regiment 10 its first camping place.
After supper" he continued. Col
,ncl Wood told us thar we were 10
start next morning TO take the Span
ards. The next morning of the march
was hard. especially for the men.
There Were no opportunities for
i'ankcrs. II was 50 hot that about 1UD
men dropped out for rest. and when
the first Spanish outpost was discov-
cred. Colonel Wood ordered silence.
aud ] was sent Ia the right to deploy
with the right wing.
When the Spahlar,ls began frlng
did not know what WAS up. II was my
hrst experience. They were using
sinokclcss powder. and I could not see
where they We're.
when ! located the Sianlar,is with
my glasses md not know what To do.
but ! Knew II was u good rule. II In
doubt 10 90 ahead. and Went ahead
Colonel Roosevelt glosscd over fhc
further details Of fighting. lie paid a
warm tribute TO the gallantry OF As.
sisinnt Surgeon James W. Church, for.
iner Princeton football player. who. he
shid, NOR" than once ran To the firing
line ahd carried wounded men on his
back 10 the division hospital. Colonel
Roosevelt then told how the regimen,
cninped for the night. Asked about
the rations, he said:
I'VE had the regulation rutIons of
salt pork. hard tack. coffee and sugar.
but the men wanted vegetables and I
wanted To get them. I look forty men
with the officers horses to Siipncy and
tried To buy them. The department ~.
fused to sell me beans and to,iu toes
unless ! could certify that they were
Tor officers consumption. I stretched
my conscience ns far nv I could and
then boarded transport and pn.-
chased 80 pounds of beans. The
change did the men good"
Colonel Roosevelt went on TO tell Of
the advance On Santiago and Of III.
night OF July LIST. when the regiment
slept In the trenches. lie spoke Of the
advantages Of the smokelc~s powder
and said the United Stnic- artillery
was frequently driven from It's position
because OF th" targets made by She
clouds of smoke that resulted from
each discharge OF the black powder.
Was your command fully supplied
with food and nmmunitiony' nnkc,i
General Wilson.
The ammunition supply wns excel.
lent. The food was Insufficient. Their.
was plenty of food back NJ Siioncy. 4
suppose II WIS lack Of TRANSFORMATION
facilities That kept us without good
food until July 2tth.
organized n transportation corps.
with the Officers horses. and went fo
slboncy and got food for the men.
Then, later l got Into kanilng0 and
bought rice aud milk. if We hnd hnd
the mule trains that We were forced
10 leave behind NJ Tampa there would
have been no lack 81 supplies"
Reply Ing to questions. Colonel ltoosc.
welt said other regiments at the front
| suffered from lack of supplies. One
man of the First Illinois regiment. Wis.
liinH the Rough ltidcrs' camp, offered
e for seven hard ,nckn.
Two hundred men Of the regiment
came to tho Rough Riders camp nu,t
nte the broken har,iinck. The Rough
RIDERS had enough to cat. hut II was
the result Of individual effort mud in.
dividunl expenditure. There was n
great scarcity of all ~, dicnl supplies ~
the front. except Vuininc md cnion,el.