The Portland daily press., 1898-10-05

ished.
Washington, October 4.-The war in
vestigation commission began taking
testimony today and Major General Joe
Wheeler was-on the stand the greater part
of the day. There was full attendance
of the commission and the doors of the
room in which the inquiry is Conducted
were for the first time opened to the
representatives of the press. General
Wheeler's testimony covered the case of
the soldiers at two important points, at
Santiago and Wyokf. He said with
reference to the conduct of affairs at
Santiago, .that there had necessarily been
some suffering in the trenches, but that
General Shafter had exercised the utmost
effort to protect his men. There had been,
he said, shortage of land transportations
facilities for a time, and there had been
no tents for q week. The roads were very
| fair. He revealed for the first time, that
hs had some feeling over the fact that his
command had been given the fourth place
| in General Skaters order for the landing
at Santiago, when he had thought he WAS
entitled to be allowed to land first, on ac-
count of his rank.
5 The entire afternoon session was de-
voted to the examination Of conditions at
| Camp Wykoff on Long Island. The Gen
eral contended that Wykoff was model
camp, the climate a salubrious one and
| the Accommodations quite exceptional in
character. He considered the hospital
/ capacity equal to the demands upon 1t
| and that no military camp in history was
ever SO we'll supplied in all respects as
was this. Red Tape methods were entirely
abolished and the demands of the men
were met as soon as they were pro perly
voiced.
| Washington, October 4.-The war in
| vestigation commission began examina-
tion of witnesses today by placing Gen.
Joseph Wheeler on the stand. Chairman
Dodge stated to him the scope Of the COM
missions S duties and asked Gen. Wheeler
whether he had any objection to being
sworn. He replied that he had not and Ma :
| jor Mills, recorder of the commission ad-
ministered the oath. Ex-Gov. Beaver con-
Quoted the examination. Gen. Wheeler
1 told of his movements up to the first
battle at La Quasada and spea king of the
proceedings after the first battle he said
there was some movements just prior to
the battle of Ell Caney which was not
familiar ST was not SICK" he said, Hbut
\ 1 had been on the 29th and 3Oth. Still 1
had not gone to the sick list. I had
fever, but took medicine and came out
all right He was in the battle OF I'll
| Caney and expressed the opinion that
more men had been killed In the forma-
tion of line than afterwards. He told OF
the necessity for wading the San Juan
river, saying that water was about waist
deep.
II ought to say said the General in
| the course of his testimony, "that 1T was
magnificent to see officers Of high rank go
| ashore with their packs on their backs,
accepting all the fortunes of war with
their men They slept Se6e on a. the grouna
mounted and we were without tents for
seven days"
| Speaking of the character of the road
| from the coast to the points occupied by
the Americans, he said that with such at
tention as they were able to give to themi
they were good. The rains had not been
severe up to that time. The roads were were
narrow, but equal TO the demand. The
supplies he considered sufficient except IN
a few instances and in those instances the
deficiency was only temporary.
! General Shafter," he said, deserves
great credit for the zeal he displayed in
this respect He devoted himself to this
task and think there is no doubt that
he succeeded. We used pack train and
there was comparatively little suffering
because of the shortness of quartermaster' s
supplies.
| General Wheeler said in response to a
question that Cervera's feet was the OBJ
| jectivc of the campaign. There was no
reason why the Spanish troops should not
have made sortie from Santiago, and he
had asked General Toral after the sur
render, why he had not attacked. The
latter replied that the failure to do SO was
because his men were foot sore. Yet Gen
eral Wheeler could not accept. this ex
PLANTATION, for the Spanish soldiers were
not footsore. General Wheeler's opinion
was that the Spanish commander was MOI
able to face the Americans in the open
Discussing the plan of campaign, he said
he doubted whether any more effective
plan could have been adopted: Speaking
of the medical department., he said that
at times there were complaints, but that
they were not serious. On occasions there
was a shortage OF surgeons; some OF the
surgeons being sick or wounded. Acco rd
ing to General Wheeler's bellef, ths
wounded in battle were promptly cared
for by the surgeons. After the nght OF
I ia ,0rytiQ