The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-03
INVESTIGATION OF THE WAR.
IMPORTANT FACTS PLACED IN Pos
SESSION OF THE CoMMrrrEE.
.,,r,uc,b Eood was Plentiful. There
WAS n Delay In securing
Nccessary Rations.

Washington, November 1.-The was in-
vesupatine commission held a session mere
today for the purpose of hearing the 'es-
tmony of Major Henry Romeyne. re-
fired army officer. He satd thai ne nao
asked at the beginning oil the war lot
a military assignment TO 20 " 'ne
front In his CAPACITY as an oiilcer. pu' ~
was refused and he then went as corIe-
epondent of weekly newspaper. HIS tes-
dtn,ony covered ahe embarkation OF the
troops at Port TAMPA and the camp1igh
IN Cuba He said that when ne wene "
Port Tampa the bank of the canal unsre
was covered with troops. He wanted 10 so
over with the Tenth regiment of imahtry'
which was his old regiment but no one
could tell him where the regiment cou'o
be found. He asked staff officers anu
others for this information. but none could
tell, him nor did any one appear TO Know
OH what vessel any of the particular troops
were to embark.
There was great confusion. IN conse-
uuence of which a part of command wou'u
go on one vessel and part ON another anu
the commands we're I'm some cases separ-
ated from their stores. He had seen no
order for the systematic embarkation OIL
the troops and he had heard 1t SAID uhat
they were told to 20 aboard heiter-skelVei L
When asked 10 express an opinion as W
Tho operation for the embarkation he nesi-
tated and then said that to do so wouiu
involve criticism of his supercrs. me
commissioners insisted upon repiy anu
Mr., Romeyne replied that he did not th'hh
the preparation was such as II snoula nave
heen,
~ here was" he said "a lack of SURF
heats and also of order and preparation
far landing When the landing was IN
certain the troops left tie ships inais
criminately. parts going at one time ana
ether parts at other times
He told of the effort TO tow two iishte.s
over TO Cuba. but said that one was ios'
and that il was the general IMPRESSION
that il was lost on purpose because II re-
tarded the progress of the fleet.
La response TO the question from Genera!
McCook. Major Romeype said that while
IL was difficult to land anything. amou,
lances and wagons could have been laAaea
as easily as artillery. He had seen only
one ambulance at the front ut the bat'le
Of Ell Caney. and it was not used Tor con
veying the wounded to the rear. Speaklnp
of other incidents of this battle ne salo
there was general surprise that the initiated
balloon had been carried at the mead OF
| the attacking column thus lndicatiaiE
| the Spaniards the exact location OF the
| troops. but he did not know at whose or
| ders this had been done.
| He said the town of Sibonev was withou'
| exception the dirtiest place he mad ever
| seen 10 his life and that no effort wa
| made to clean 1t uD before the fever ptoh'
| out There was leiieehcY ot p,On 100
| food at the fever HOSPITALS and the COOK
| li.g was generally lOor Anyone IN this
| hospital was liable to- contract yellow FEVER
| ne had hsen patient in the hospital ant
| said there had been no regiect OF pattern
| bv the medical attendants at THIS hoSpi.a
| or at the bcspitals for the wounded. n
| had known surgeons in the latter hosplthl
| 10 work sixty hours without cessation.
| "Wry did they not have more surgeons?'
| asked Colonel DENLY.
| The witness said he could not answer
| Major Romevne said that he had com
| North AS a convalescent with many othe
| convalescents on the TRANSPORT Concho. ant
| he criticised the provisioning of the vesss
| in severe terms. MANY of the men war
| compelled 10 sleep on board hunks withou
| blankets OF pillows and with no covelln'
at night except the cotton uniform the
| wore during the day
"The water was offensive to both sigh
and smell" he said. "and the food wa
poor and scanty. none being provided. es
peolally for convalescents The meat wa
| canned and inferior and much of the har'
| tack moulded
He also stated that there was only on
| physician aboard the vessel and that h
was convaIescent. Six men haG died ol
| the way up and Major Romeyne express
the ortuion in RESPONSE 10 a question from
| Captain Howell that with proper attention
| and good food the lives of at least som
| of these men could lave been saved. II
said he was unable TO place the resDonsi
| lility for the neglect. but that the captain
| Of the vessel Rad stated that when he mad
| application to go TO Jamaica for fresh
food and water before starting on the voy
| age from Santiago the request was refused
| General wilson Ex-Governor Beaver
+, and Captain Howell 90 to Camp Meade
tomorrow Tor the purpose of inspecting
that camp.
AT LEXINGTON.