The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-22


At Santiago tho supply OF tcntage and
food was very limited.
s.were the medical supplies at that time
sufficient for tho needs OF the command =
he was asked.
In reply he read dispatch from Gem
eral Shafter. on August Ia, which referred
to "a chronic scarcity of medicines" and
that four men had Just died from lack OF
medicines. There was at no time, said
General Miles, sufficient medlcine for the
General Beaver--rrrom what you learned
ana observed, while there. do YOU think
there was at any time n sufficient medical
supply?
terials?
General Beaver--Yes.
General Miles--No sir.
The witness stated that the hospital ac-
eornmodations were only of temporary
character. He said that the shelter was
bad. The shelter tents did not shelter.
Questioned as to the character of the
facilities for transporting the wounded, he
said that they were taken in wagons.
General Beaver~-Do you know IL any Of
tho wounded were lying exposed to the
weather?
General Milestone were exposed in
being sent down to the hospitals. saw one
train OF wounded men driving along IN the
drenching rain with nothing to shelter
them.
Ho had taken measures personally to
correct matters and ON July IL, had tele-
graphed for a we'll equipped corps OF pier
and bridge builders. etc, and had ordered
places burned. General Miles ga d the
transportation facilities wers uved to carry
supplies to come 5000 to 10000 refugees
from Santiago and about 5000 Cuban troops.
"Thie" he stated In answer to ques-
I
cautioned General Shafter to keep his men
out OF the Spanish buildings and to keep
the men away from the natives. Had he moi
done as he d.G the army would have been
much better supplied
His army in Porto Rico, he said had
been supplied In a way with quarter
masters and commissary stores but not
In the best way. A. Porto Rtco he had
asked that fixed raiions be sent. but in
stead they We're sent down in bulk without
Invoices or bills OF lading and In many
cases stores were spoiled In the hot wealth
er and thrown away This cause1 great
embarrassment and loss of stores ana de-
prved troops of food.
He asserted that the scarcity OF food
largely caused the distress OF the troops
He had advised against the hpping OF
beef to Porto Rico. both because tn are was
an abundance Of IL on the lslaad as well a.
because of his belief that ii was detective
He characterized the refrigerator beet, OF
which there were 327 tons seat, as "em-
balmed beef. and said the canned FIR sh
beef OF which 19S, 900 pounds had been
shipped there, was condemned by officers
whose commands used it.
who fixed that beef as an army Ia
tion?"
You'll have to ask some one here in
Washington. You had better ssk the ssc-
retaIy Of war or the comnhssary general.
IT was sent lis food. II they had not tslsen
that they would have had TO 70 hungry
II they had sen. paymasters down there as
asked we could have bought food. but
they did not DO that"
General Miles suggested that the fool
was Sent to his large army under pre,ense
of an experiment
General Miles called attention to the
iact that coed fresh beef could be bought
in Porto Rico for 6 cents n pound Aneri-
can money, and he suggested 1t might be
interesting TO compare che cost of the re-
'riSerated beef together with the expens "a
VI transportation.
He said ne aid not know but what the
chemicals used in treating the beef We're
responsible for the great sickness in the
American army. Reports which he hal
received concerning It were 10 the effest
b1'. this beef had an cdor like an en-
balmed dead body
Captain Howell-were these eports ever
Drought TO ME attention OF the commits
sary general?
General Miles-Repor's were frequently
sent In TO him. but he seemed 10 ;rsts,
that the beef be used.
Captain HowelWas the matter ever
erorght to the attention Of the secretary
of war?
General Miles--I requested that no more
OF 1t be cent II a supply OF n were son.
10 the men In th!s cossEy I would pro-
hlbit their use Of it. am having an in
Nestigaiion now Of he IN alter | thought
YOU gentlemen would get into It.
Hs said he never complained 20 she Sec
rotaTy of war as 10 the coalition OF beef,
but had asked that the supply he o ped
General Miles stated the first pleas 20
sending troops 10 Cuba We're not his. 20
he WIS opposed % sending troops there
'AntA ceryera's flee. was located The
question at the outset was the naval prob
lom. and the dispatch of troos in his
Judgment then hinged 90 which fle {
Should destroy the other II The Sp7 n 'sh
had destroyed the United States fleet tho
United States would have been blocked
for number o. years. III we had had a
force In Cuba then we would have xlost It
as II would have been impossible to cat it
back here" he said.
He was opposed also 10 sending large
force TO places like Havana or Matan a
because OF bhe large percentage of yellow
fever deaths there. He eaid ehe destru,-
ton of Cervera's fleet settled that problem.
He said he wanted TO operate with a small
force against the Spanish forces by hanlss-
Ing Thorn during the slckly season. al ling
the Cubans and not endangering the l,yes
OF his own force. He also at frat favored
taking Porto Rico to prevent the Spanish
from using that as a base OF oaerations
General Miles gave details OF the Porto
Rico expedition. organization and obsta-
clee.
Concluding with his opinion of camp
sites. he said the fiIrsr he knew of the Sc
lection Of Camp Algcr. Va, the most OBJ
fectionable camp In his mind. was when the
regiments began reaching there AS TO
chickamauga. he had recommended mobll-
izing the regulars there, but he never an
ticipated 10000 men would be sent there
and when he found II overcrowded he had
distribution of the forces
among other localities
General Wesley II. Merritt was the frs;
witness OF the afternoon. He began his
lestimcny by a description Of the operations
iround Manila, prior to It's capture. Ow-
ing to ft,s smal,ness of his force. he sali
ne army was compelled u, operate along
The sea front in evaporation with the |
navy Had there been larger American |
'ofce on land the city could have been
aiken from the high ground inland but |
his was impracticable without leaving our |
,oza Me-