Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-05
GEN. JOE WHEELER
Testifes Before the War
Investigating Committee.
Gallant Soldier Was at Front to Fight,
Not to Nose About.
But He Gives the Board Some Very Valuable
Information.


Washington, Oct. 4.-The war inves-
LEGATION commission began taking tes-
timony. today, and Major General Jo-
seph Wheeler was on the stand the
greater part of the day. There was a
full attendance of the commission and
the doors of the room in which the in
CURRY is conducted We're for the first
time, opened to the representatives of
the press.
Gen. Wheeler's testimony covered the
case of ths soldiers at two important
points, at Santiago and Wfkoff He said
with reference to the conduct of affairs
at Santiago, that there had necessarily
been some suffering in the trenches
but that Gen. Shafter had exercised
the utmost effort to protect his men.
There had been, he said, a shortage OF
land transportation facilities for a
time, and there had been no tents for
a week. The roads We're very fair.
He revealed for the first time that he
had some feeling over the fact that his
command had been given the fourth
place in Gen. Skaters order for the
landing at Santiago, when he had
thought he was entitled to be allowed
to land first on account of his rank.
The entire afternoon session was de-
voted to the examination of conditions
at Camp Wikoff on Long Island. The
general contended that Wikoff was a
model camp, the climate a salubrious
one and the accommodations quite ex-
ceptional in character. He considered
the hospital capacity equal to the de-
mands upon it and that no military
camp in history was ever so well sup
piled in all respects as was this. Red
tape methods We're entirely abolished
and the demands of the men were met
as soon as they We're properly voiced
Gov. Beaver conducted the examna-
ton, developing the essential facts as
to Gen. Wheelers rank and his com
mand.
Gen. Wheeler told of his movements
up to the first battle at La Quasima
and speaking of the proceedings after
the first battle he said he expected that
he had been reported sick and there
were some movements just prior to the
battle at Eel Caney with which he was
not familiar. Il was not sick" he
said, butt had been, on the goth and
3Oth. Still had not gone to the sick
list. l had fever. but took 1nedi-
cine and came out all right
He was in the battle of Ell Caney and
expressed the opinion that more men
had been killed in the formation of the
line than afterwards. He told of the
necessity for wading the San Juan
river, saying that the water was about
waist deep.
Gen. Wheeler recommended that
there should be well trained teamsters
regularly employed. The difficulty of
transportation after the landing was
the reason why the tents were not
brought up. why the siege guns were
not brought up, and why many other
things were not done. The roads were
in the beginning fairly good. They
were grown over. giving the appear
ance of trails, but this was due to the
rapid growth of foliage and the i'm
pediments We're easily removed.
Il ought to say" said the general in
the course of his testimony, that it
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 on
the ground with the soldiers. None of
US was mounted and we were without
tents for seven days"
Speaking of the character of the
road from the coast to the points oc-
cupied by the Americans he said, that
with such attention as they were able
to give Ito them, they We're very good.
The rains had not been severe up to
that time. The roads were narrow,
but equal to the demands. The sup
plies he considered sufficient except in
few instances and in those instances
the deficiency was only temporary.
Gen. Shafter" he said, deserves
great credit for the zeal he displayed in
this respect. He devoted himself 10
this task and l think there is no doubt
that he succeeded. We used pack
trains and there was comparatively hit
tie suffering because of the shortness
of quartermasters' supplies"
Gen. Wheeler said in response to a
question that Cerveras fleet was the
objective of the campaign. There was
no reason why the Spanish troops
should not have made sortie from
Santiago and he had asked Geh. Toral
after the surrender why he had not at
tackled. The latter replied that the
failure to do so was because his men
We're footsore. Yet Gen. Wheeler could
not accept this explanation, for the
Spanish soldiers Were not footsore.
Gen. Wheeler's opinion was that the
Spanish commander was not able to
face the Americans in the open.
Discussing the plap of campaign, he
said he doubted whether any more eff
fective plan could have been adopted.
Speaking of the medical department,
he said that at times there were COM
plants, but that they We're not serious
On occasions there was a shortage of
some of the surgeons being
sick or wounded. According to Gen.
Wheeler's belief the wounded in bat
tie were promptly cared for by the
surgeons. After the fight of July 1, all
the wounded We're carried from the
field that night The witness had
heard that there was more complaint
Of the shortage of medicine among the
infantry than in the cavalry arm of the
Going back to Tampa, he said that
at the season he Was there, the first
half of June, the site was without OBJ
lection, but he had felt that 1T would