Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-02
HE HAS NO FAULT TO FIND WITH
ARMY MANAGEMENT.
WHYVOLU NTEERS JARED BADLY
THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PRO-
VIDE FOR THEMSELVES.
Lack of Experience and Training,
Coupled With the Immensity of
the Tasks to Be Accom-
pIished, Caused Most
of the Trouble.

WASHINGTON. Oct. Major General
Coppinger has made a report to the war
department as follows:
Subsistence departmeut-In my judg-
ment the quality OF subsistence furnished
by the department was good and the guam
tity ample. The regular troops lived WELL
The volunteers in too many cases messed
badly. bu. this was owing to the ignorance
of inexperienced officers who did not know
how TO procure and care for the rations and
the ignorance of cooks who did not know
how to cook them. have been especially
impressed by the comfortable messing OF
regular soldiers close to my headquarters.
while volunteer troops in an adjoining field
were subsisting on chunks of ill'cooked beef
and vile biscuit-an excellent field oven ly-
ing neglected and upset close by.
ITO sum up, the subsistence department
did we'll The volunteer troops in many
cases suffered for want of wholesome food
because they did not know how to handle
the rations furnished.
"Quartermaster'S department-Clothing
camp and garrison equipment were some
times of poor quality. the natural result
of an effort to equip some 225.Ooo men when
supplies had been prepared for only, 25,eoo-
This difficulty in supply was much increased
by the lack of knowledge on the part OF
staff officers fresh from civil life. ignorant
of the methods and manner of supplying
an army. At Tampa. the difficulty was
| again increased by the crowded and con-
gested condition existing along the rail-
road tracks and store houses scattered over
| the sands. In many cases the men suffered
| from lack of clothing when a good supply
| was on hand within five miles Of their
| camps
1.-THE quality of team mules furnished by
the department was very good The treat
| inert they received in many instances was
\ atrocious. Unframed anI often brutal
| tean,sters, without proper wagon masters.
| serving under unframed regimental quar-
| termasters amidst the Tampa sand hills.
under the burning sun, produced the re-
suit that might be naturally expected
dead, dying and disabled mules This was
| the natural outcome of a declaration OF
| war without organized trains. trainmas,"rI
CT experienced regimental quarte.ma ster-'.
| who knew how to handle them In m
judgment the horses furnished our cavalry
We're good.
'.Ciothing-The United States clothing
| on hand at the declaration of war was
good but some of the dark blue trousers
ami shirts We're of poor quality.
ION the whole. considering the emergency.
! l think no blame can be attached to the
! Quartermaster's department in this matter.
form We have ever had. is not satisfactory
as yet. 1t is of inferior quality, not well
cut. failed 10 find in the quartermaster' 5
storehouse at Tampa a single infantry coat
large enough in the chest for full chested
| man.
/ Medical department-While many COM
| plants have been made regarding medical
| supplies, my experience with the Fourth
| corps leads me to believe that the surgeon
| general has accomplished an arduous task
| under very trying circumstances. 1t Is diff
| ficult to provide a full supply of medical
| supplies when troops are ordered suddenly
! to many unexpected places and when the
! movements are accompanied by serious
| outbreaks of sickness This difficulty was
| increased in many instances by the fac'
that most of the regimental. brigade anc
| division surgeons were entirely new tC
military work. / am well satisfied that tbs
surgeon general worked admirably to sup
ply my corps and was ably assisted by
Chief Surgeon Robert NJ. OReilly, Z
whose ability and energy feel, on behaI
of my troops, deeply indebted.
Ordnance departmental the outoreal
of the trouble with Spain We had abou
2i5oO men, infantry. well supplied witt
. | arms but short of ammunition. a Few day
after we were called on to equip for tn
) bility in the time allowed. We placed man!
, of these men in the ranks short OF cart
: | ridges short of cartridge belts, armed VIII
muskets of antique pattern. interesting
| a museum but out Of PLACE in moderi
: | battle For this have no blame whateys
? | TO attach to the chief Of ordnance. ii
> | was simply given an impossible task.