The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-23
TEDDY TESTIFIES.
Governor Elect Roosevelt APP
pears Before the Commission
Appointed to Investigate the
Conduct of the War.
MUCH TO CRITICISE
But Being Only a Lieutenant
Colonel He Said
He Could Net Tell Who Was to
Blame For Tt.
MUCH TO CRITICISE

New York, Nov. 23.-The last witness
before the war investigating commits
sion yesterday was Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt, governor-elect of New York,
who ia reply to a request from General
Wilson told of the equipment and mus
tering 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
outside a mile away from our camp.
No one knew where the camp was.
There was no one to tell US where to go
or what to do. After waiting twenty
four hours I 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 out
lay?"
It never asked it. 1t was a personal
matter entirely
Colonel Roosevelt said a great condI-
ton of confusion existed at Tampa No
body seemed to know anything and no
arrangement was evident as to what
transports were to 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 Riders and took
possession of the ship and held it against
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 in
telligence on the part of the men in
charge or to the natural overcrOWding
of wOrk2"
I was only a lieutenant colonel and
could not know whose fault it was"
Replying to other questions, Colonel
Roosevelt told of the voyage to Cuba
and Of the disem barkaton of the regi-
ment at Baiquiri The regiment was
one Of the first to land Captain Shaw,
who was associated with Colonel ROOse-
welt in the navy department, sent
Cuban pilot on board the Yucatan, and
he took the transport a mile and a half
nearer the shore than the other ships.
There was a great scarcity of material
for landing men and horses.
Colonel Roosevelt, still replying. to
questions, told in detail of the march
of his regiment to its first camping
place.
After supper he continued colonel
Wood told US that we were to start
next morning to take the Spaniards.
The next mornings march was hard
one, especially for the men. There were
no opportunities for f1ankers. 1t was so
hot that about 100 men dropped out for
a rest, and when the first Spanish out
post was discovered Colonel Wood or
dered silence, and 1 was sent to the
right to deplOy with the right wing.
when the Spaniards began firing I
did not know what was up. 1t was my
nrSt experience. They were using
smOkeless powder, and I could not see
where they were.
When 1 located the SpanIards with
my glasses did not know what to do
but knew it was a good rule if in
doubt to go ahead. and I went ahead
Colonel Roosevelt CLOSED over the
further details of fighting. He paid a.
warm tribute to the gallantry of Assist
ant Surgeon James w. Church. a former
Princeton football player, who, he said
more than once ran to the firing line
and carried wounded men on his back
a ri al
Welt then told how the regiment camped
for the night.
Asked about the rations, he said: 1--WE
mad the regulation ratiOnS of salt pork,
hard tack coffee and sugar, but the men
wanted vegetables and I wanted to get
them for them. took 40 men with the
officers horses to Siboney and tried to
buy them. The department refused to
sell beans and tomatoes unless I could
certify that they were for officers con-
sumption I stretched my conscience as
far as I could and then boarded a trans
port and purchased about 500 pounds of
beans. The change did the men good
Colonel Roosevelt went on to tell of
the ADVANCE on Santiago and of the
night of July 1, when the regiment
slept in the trenches. He spoke of the
advantages of the smokeless powder
and said that the United States artil-
lery was frequently driven from its po-
sition because of the targets made by
the clouds of smoke that resulted from
each discharge of the black powder
Was your command fully supplied
with food and ammunition? asked Gen.
Wilson.
The food was insufficient. There was
plenty of food back at Siboney. I sup
pose 1t was lack of transportation ia
cilities that kept US without good food
until July "a I organized a transporta-
ton corps with the officers horses and
went to Siboney and got food for the
men. Then, later, I got into Santiago
and bought rice and milk If we had
had the mule trains that we were forced
to leave behind at Tampa. there would
have been no lack of supplies
Replying to questions, Col. Roosevelt
said other regiments at the front suffer
ed from lack of supplies. One man of
the First Illinois regiment visited the
Rough Riders camp and offered seven
dollars for seven hard tacks. Two hun
dred men of the regiment came to the