Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-28
MORE OFFICERS TESTIFY.
War Investigation Commission Continues Its
Work at Huntsville. Ala.

Huntsville, Ala, Oct. 27.-The war in
vestigating commission began its work,
today, with Captain Augur, who was in
the quartermaster'S department at Tam
pa. He said that for time the depart
ment was swamped there, and he attri-
buted the congestion to the railroad.
Captain Cullen, a volunteer surgeon,
said there was a shortage of ambulances
at Tampa and that the camp conditions
were bad.
Colonel Duffy of the 69th New York,
| said his command had never lacked COM
missary supplies, but that there was some
delay in furnishing quartermaster's
stores. The sick had been well cared for
and he had heard no criticisms from the
men.
Captain Parkhurst of the I'd Artillery,
detailed the participation of the artillery
! in the siege of Santiago. There were
times when his men did not have time to
| eat, but there was no time when they
| did not have food
First Lieutenant Goblin of the 2d
| Artilley, who was in the Santiago
campaign, said the only material defect
| in the supplies was in the powder,
which he thought should have been
| SillohClCSc. liz Sclu tIidt III SOlHS W
Cuba the guns and horses were sepa-
rate, but he understood this could not
be avoided. He was the only member
of his battery who had not been sick
| as a result of the Cuban campaign,
| but he did not think the sickness could
| be prevented.
| Major Lobe. in command of the 9Th
| Cavalry. complained of the difficulty
of securing lumber, firewood, horses
shoes and stoves in the camp here. He
stated that the tents were of poor ma
! terial and leaked. He also said there
had not been sufficient money supplies
in Cuba. and that the transport Gate
City. in which the command came
North, was poorly suited for the pur-
pose.
Capt. Stretch of the 10th Infantry,
| gave in detail the hardships of that
regiment during the San Juan fighting
He said there was no time when the
men had nothing to eat, but he did not
remember having drawn a full ration
while in Cuba. He said the sick OF
the command were fed at Montauk bet
ter than they ever had been before in
their lives.
The commission devoted the after
noon to an inspection of the camp at
this place. The camp was found in
good order throughout. The men gen.
orally were putting things in order
very much as though they expected to
remain all winter. There were several
complaints of poor tents and portion
of the LIST Florida Infantry which is
camped here, was clamoring for stoves
and underclothing. A large majority
of the men at this point are regulars
who participated in the Cuban cam
paign. and their camps generally were
kept as clean as kept at home.
DIR. Comger and Gov. Beaver, who
visited the general hospital, found a
very interesting case there in a man
in whom life had been kept for the past
three weeks by keeping him immersed
in water heated to 90 degrees. The
mans leg had been amputated at the
hip Joint because of the severing of the
femoral artery.
The commission held session at
night and after examining a few wit
nesses left for Chattanooga at II
! O'Clock.
The principal witness at the night
session was DIR. Chas. NJ. Lee. who was
. executive officer at the detention hos
pital at Montauk point. He said the
hospital was crowded, that on occa-
sions when large numbers of new men
were received it was necessary to re-
: move men from their beds and put
them on the floor in order to make
t room for them all. He said there was
e deficiency of medical supplies and he
! did not think their treatment was such
n as the patients should have had so
i near New York City.
I The inspecting commissioners, who
e visited the general hospital here, to-
day, found the institution without
! stoves. They took the matter in hand
= and by night the depot quartermaster
had secured so, with the promise that
they should be mt I'M fonaorrcr,