The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-23
ROOSEVELT ON THE STAND.
GoyEHNDR-ELECT TEsTIFIES he
FORE THE WAR COMMISSION.
Describes How His Men Suffered for
Supplies, Until He Went Out and
Purchased Them-Thinkx the Mil

NEW YORK, Nov. Col. Theodore
Roosevelt was the leading witness before
tie war Investigation board today.
Col Roosevelt took the stand and told
of the equipment o; the Roaga Riders
When We reached Tampa he sac,
We were Dumped outside, nile as4s
from our camp. No one Knew where me
camp was. There WIS no one 10 zen
Ia where TO 30 or what 20 do After
waiting twenty-lour hours / took the law
into nay oBn hands and bought food Tor
the mea and horses. Later, ~Lien touad
our camp We were all right"
Wee yoQ reimbursed for your OUT
layT''
Il never asked 1t. II was e personal
matter entirely"
Col. Roosevelt said a great deal OF con-
fusion existed at Tampa Nobody seemed
70 know anything and no arrangements
Were evident - 10 what transports ware
70 be used. Ills own regiment was as
signed 20 the Yucatan.
Incidentally be heard that the Seventy
IrsI New York and Seventh infantry were
also assigned 70 the Yucatsn. As soon as
he heard that ne hurried on the Rough
Riders and took possession OF the ship and
he'd II against the other regiments. HIS
men had decided 10 get 10 Cuba. ard got
there.
DO you attribute al the confusion said
Gen. Wilson, Ito lack OF intelligence on
the part Of the men in charge or TO the
natural overcrowdlng az work?
could rot know whose fault IL was.
Replying to other questions Col. koose-
Welt said tbs food was ample and Win the
exception of the canned roast beef, was
good. The beef was very bad. Co. Roose~
YeIt told Of the voyage 10 Cuba, and OF thu
Decentralization OF the regiment at DaiquiFi.
The regiment was one Of the first 10 land.
Cap. Shaw. VINO was associated Win Iul.
Roosevelt in the navy department. sent
Cuban pilot on board the Yucatan and he
took the transport \ mile and half nearer
the shore than other ships There was
great scarcity Or material Tor landing men
and horses Col Roosevelt. still replying
10 questions told In detail of the march Of
his regiment 10 It's first camping place
After supper" he continued. Co.
Wood told us that we were 10 start naxt
morning To take the Span!ards The next
morning the march was hard one espe-
c.a!iy for the men,.
Col Roosevelt gave brief details Of the
fighting. Asked about the rations he said:
We had the regulation rations of salt
pork, hard tack. coffee and sugar, but the
men wanted vegetables and / wanted 10 get
them for them. / took forty men with the
officers horses 30 Ssboney and tried 10 buy
them The department refused to sell me
beans and tomatoes unless could certify
that they were for officers consumption.
l stretched my conscience as FAR as | could
and then boarded a transport and purchas
"a about 500 pounds OF beans. The change
did the men good"
Replying TO questions. Col. Roosevelt
said other regiments AZ the front suffered
from lack of supplies. one man OF the
First Illinois regiment visited the Rough
Riders camp and offered s. for seven hard
tacks. Two hundred men OF the regiment
came to the Rough Riders camp and ate
the broken hard tack. The Rough Riders
had enough TO eat but it was the result OF
individual effort and individual expendi-
tuFe. There was a scarcity of all medical
supplies at the front, except quinine and
calomel, and a great lack OF surgeons and
hospital stewards.
In reference 10 Camp Wkoff. Col. Roose-
first few days after the arrival of the
troops. During these days he contin-
ued. II do not think our men were treated
rs we'll as they should have been, SO near
home; but after that there was nothing
that could md fault with"
why was there scarcity of medical
supplies I'm Cuba2' asked Or. Conner
II dc not know. ] heard there was plen-
~ on the ships, There was iamcntable
need OF ambniances. | think we could have
done better with fewer men and more trans
poftation."
Have You anything you can suggest 10
us for the future?" asked Gen. Wilson
Il believe all the difficulties we met with
could he ohviated in the future If the Ma
tional Guard was trained as are the armies
OF foreign countries. Give them long
marches. Let them mass at San Antonio
and move 10 Galveston or some other place
March them to a port and embark them
No matter II IL does cost money. LEI them
he trained Each year LEI the army in
peace he put through the experience 1t must
have N time Of war
Col Roosevelt referred the commission
20 his OFFICIAL report for any further par
experience during the campaign
The commission then n. iotlrned