The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-23

on the Berkshire, and have often won
dered IL they died because they had no
money 70 pay for foo
Mrs. l. c. Woodhouse. who was az Camp
Wikon nearly every day for five weeks
after August 6, corroborated the testimony
presented by Mrs. Allis and Mrs. Garrard,
Miss Chadwick and Mss Lowell.
TEDDY TAKES THE STAND.
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came in
while Mrs. WOodhouse was on the stand.
Colonel Roosevelt next took the stand.
and in reply to a request from General
Wilson, told of the equipment and muster
ing Of the first volunteer cavalry, known
as the Rough Riders.
When We reached Tampa" Colonel
Roosevelt said, there was a condition of
utter confusion. We were dumped out
side, mile away from our camp. No one
knew where the camp was. There was no
one 10 tell US where 10 go or what 20 do.
After waiting twenty-four hours ! took
the law into my own hands and bought
food for the men and horses. Later. when
we found our camp. we were all right"
Were You reimbursed for your outlay?'
II never asked II. Il was a personal
matter entirely"
NOT BIG ENoUH TO KNOW.
Colonel Roosevelt said a great condition
OF confusion existed at Tampa Nobody
seemed to know anything and no arrange
ments were evident as TO what transports
were 10 be used. HIS own regiment was
assigned TO the YUcatan. Incidentally he
heard that the Seventy-first New York
volunteers and Seventh infantry were also
assigned to the Yucatan. As soon as he
heard that he hurried on the Rough Rid
ers and took possession of the ship and
held it against the other regiments His
men had decided to get to Cuba, and got
there.
DO You attribute all the confusion"
asked General Wilson. Ito lack of intel
ligence on the part of the men in charge.
or TO the natural overcrowding of work?''
Il was only lieutenant colonel and
could not know whose fault Il was"
Replying to other questions. Colonel
Roosevelt said the food was ample, and
with the exception of the canned roast
beef was good. The beef was very bad.
Colonel Roosevelt told Of the voyage TO
Cuba and OF the decentralization of the
regiment at Daiquiri The regiment was
one of the first 10 land
Captain Shaw. who was associated with
Colonel Roosevelt in the navy DEPART
ment, sent Cuban pilot on board the
Yucatan and he took the transport a mile
and half nearer the shore than other
ships. There was great scarcity Of ma
terial for landing men and horses
THE ROUGH RIDERS FIRST MARCH.
Colonel Roosevelt, still replying TO ques-
tons, told in detail of the march of his
regiment to its first camping place.
After supper" ne continued. Colonel
Wood told US that we were TO start next
morning TO take the Spaniards. The next
mornings march was a hard one es-
pecially for the men. There were no op-
portunities for fiankers. 1t was so hot
that about 100 men dropped out for a rest,
and when the first Spanish outpost was
discovered Colonel Wood ordered silence
and I was sent to the right to deploy with
the right wing.
when the Spaniards began firing I
did not know what was up. Ii was my
first experience. They were using smoke
less powder and 1 could not see where
they were.
WHEN IN DOUBT. GO AHEAD.
when 1 located the Spaniards with my
glasses did not know what to do. but
go ahead; and I went ahead"
Colonel Roosevelt CLOSED over the fur
ther details of the fighting He paid
warm tribute to the gallantry of Assistant
Surgeon James W. Church. a former
Princeton football payer, who, ne said. !
more than once ran to the firing line and |
carried wounded men on his back TO the |
division hospital. Colonel Roosevelt then |
told how the regiment camped for the !
night.
HOW TEDDY GOT RATIoNS.
Asked about the rations, he said:
1--WE had the regulation rations of salt |
pork, bareback, coffee and sugar, but the |
men wanted vegetables and 1 wanted 20 /
get them for them. I took forty men. |
with the officers horses. to Siboney and |
tried 70 buy them. The department re- |
fused TO sell me beans and tomatoes I'M
less I could certify that they were for |
officers consumption I stretched my
as far as I could and then |
boarded a transport and purchased about
800 pounds Of beans. The change did the
men good
Colonel Roosevelt went on 10 tell of l
the advance on Santiago and OF the night
the trenches. He spoke Of the advantage
of the smokeless powder and said that
the United States artillery was frequently
driven from its position because Of the
targets made by the clouds OF smoke that
resulted from each discharge OF the black
powder.
MORE BULLETS THAN BISCUITS.
'Was your command fully supplied with
food and ammunition asked General
Wilson
the ammunition supply was excellent
The food was insufficient.
There was plenty Of food back a. ST.
honey. 1 suppose 1t was lack OF trans
portation facilities that kept US without
good food until July q. organized b
s. s. 8. CT
c~-o~~