The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-05
WHEELER ON THE STAND
He Praises Gen. Skaters Work
in the Santiago Campaign.
LITTLE FAULT TO FIND
He Knew OF No Case Where the Sick or
Wounded Died From Lack OF Care
by Physicians-The Supplies
Were sufacient.

Washington. Oct. 4.-The war inves-
tigation commission began the taking
of testimony to-day and Major General
Joseph Wheeler was on the stand the
greater part OF the day. There was a
full attendance of the commission, and
quiry was conducted were. for the first
time. opened to the representatives Of
the press. General Wheeler's testimony
covered the case of the soldiers at the
two important points Of Santiago and
wikoff. He said with reference to the
conduct Of affairs at Santiago that
there had necessarily been suffering in
the trenches, but that General shafter
had exercised the utmost effort to pro-
tect his men. There had been. he said
a shortage of land transportation facil
tiles for a time and there had been no
tents for a week. The roads were very
fair
Then general contended that Wikoff
was a model camp, the climate a salu-
brious one and the accommodations
quite exceptional in character. He con-
sidered the hospital capacity equal tn
the demands upon IL. and that no mill
tary camp in history was ever SO well
supplied. in all respects as this was.
Red tape methods were entirely aboi-
ished and the demands Of the men were
met as soon as they were properly
voiced.
Washington, Oct 4-Gen. Joseph
Wheeler was before the war investiga-
tion commission this morning. He told
of the embarkation from Tampa and
In nd In Cuha Of the pamanta
with Cubans which they failed to keep,
of the reports of his own illness, which
he by great efforts overcame, of the
battle of FL Caney and of the magnifi-
cent actions of officers of high rank,
accepting without comment the for
tunes of war. Speaking of the charac-
ter of roads the Americans were obliged
TO traverse to reach the point where
the American forces attacked the Span
iards. he said .-they-xN r-nokro1H~b but
equal to the demands. The supplies.
he stated, were sufficient except in a
few instances. and those instances were
only temporary. He eulogized Shafter.
Wheeler said in response to a ques-
tion that Cervera's fleet was the objec-
tive point of the campaign. There was
no reason why the Spanish troops
should not have made a sortie from
Santiago. and he asked Toral after the
surrender why he had not attacked.
The latter replied that the failure TO
do so was because his men were foot
sore yet Wheeler could not accept this
explanation. for the Spanish soldiers
were not footsore Wheeler's opinion
was that the Spanish commander was
not able to face the Americans in the
open.
Reviewing the campaign. Wheeler
doubted whether any more effective
plan could have been devised. He
thought there was nothing seriously
wrong with the medical department.
and the sick were promptly cared for.
Going back to the camp at Tampa, he
said the site was without objection, and
as to supplies, There was nothing the
soldier could complain Of" Returning
to the Santiago campaign. Wheeler said
only two regulars reported shortage
of rations and the shortage, which was
due to accident. and was at once adjust
ed. There was. of course, suffering when
the men were in the trenches and there
was much sickness. While they had
a full quota of doctors. he thought IL
they had more men they would have
been better cared for. He had no per-
sonal knowledge OF any shortage of
medical supplies. Wheeler thought the
health of the regulars was better than
that of the volunteers because of the
fact that the regulars were more used
to camping out. The witness knew Of
no case where the sick or wounded
died from want of care by physicians.
He heard of no confusion in securing
supplies from Tampa. The generals
memory was not distinct as to the
complaints from physicians Of his COM
mand as to the scarcity of medical
supplies, but he thought there were
some such complaints. and in such
cases he had supplies furnished as soon
as possible.
In this connection General Wheeler's
testimony revealed the fact that he
had felt somewhat hurt that his had
been the fourth command ordered to
be landed. when he thought his rank
entitled him to the first landing. Gen.
erai shafter had given the order which
thus affected him.
Speaking of the sleeping apartments
of the transport, General Wheeler said
they were quite warm and there was
some discomfort. He had often gone
down among the men at night and
found that there was comparatively lit
tie complaint except for the heat. Com
ing back from Santiago to Montauk
he had sailed on the Miami, having
chosen IL because IL was said to be
the worst. He found IL very comfort
able. and when they landed there were
only "a sick. and only three or four OF
these were too i'll to stand up for in
spection. There was plenty of water
on the vessel. and a sufficiency Of ice
for the sick. though not for others
After the destruction OF Cervera's fleet
the army was more abundantly sup
piled than any army in the field had
ever been.
For the future he recommended that
the men should be kept of the ground
and be well sheltered from the rain by
good tents. There should also be much
care in regard TO the transportation
facilities and as 10 medical and COM
missary supplies. He said in reply to
question that the tents had been
taken on board the transports so no
time should be consumed in removing
them.
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