The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-08
Shoes Were Also Scarce, and 800 Men
Walked Into Manila BarefOOted
After the CapitulatiOn.
SOME CASES OF SUFFERING
BUT THE MAJORITY OF COMPLAINTS
WITHOUT GOOD BASIS.
Testimony of Major Jersey, of the
Quartermaster at Camp Thomas.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 7.-Three witnesses
were before the war investigating commits
sion to-day, Gen. Francis v. Greene, who
participated in the battle of Manila; Col
Lee, chief quartermaster at Camp Thomas,
and Major Herzey, who was for a time,
in command of the Roosevelt Rough Rid
ers. Each admitted the possibility of indi-
vidual cases of suffering and discomfort,
but all said that the vast majority of COM
plants were exaggerated if not without
foundation. They agreed in saying that no
army was ever abundantly and luxuri-
ousy supplied as was the American army
in the Spanish war
General Greene was the first witness to-
day. He sailed from San Francisco to Ma
Mia on the steamer China, an excellent
vessel, he said, which was inspected by
board of officers before it was chartered.
He found the ship in good condition, but
the men necessarily were crowded Four
months provisions and large quantity of
quartermasters and medical supplies were
carried. With few exceptions the loading
was carefully done, though there was some
displacement, owing to haste. General
Greene said that there was no complaint
during the voyage of a scarcity of supplies,
but during the first two days out there was
some dissatisfaction with the cooking. This
was soon improved and no criticism was
heard afterwards. .s9f +.
The details of the ocean trip and of the
battle of Manila were related in a manner
calling for the closest attention from the
commissioners, but covering the same
ground as his report to the War Depart
ment, recently made public. He spoke of the
insurgents, which lay between his forces
and the Spanish lines 1t was, the witness
said impossible to give an estimate of their
number, but he thought it was about ten
thousand. They were II well supplied with
Mauser and Remington rifles many of
which they had captured from the Span
iards, and others they had purchased
abroad
HEALTH OF TROOPS GOOD.
The health of the troops was excellent
and the commissary supplies were abund-
ant, but difficulty in getting them ashore
on account of the stores caused some hard
ships Only on one day were they without
food, but during the other twenty-four
days they had sufficient food to
sustain life, though there was
| shortage due entirely to the inclement
weather. He considered the surgeons eff
| Gent 1t had been impossible to properly
supply the men with shoes. and, as a. con-
sequence, about three hundred of the troops
| marched into the city barefooted, after the
capitulation.
General Greene thought the army regula-
tons should be adapted more to campaign
experience than at present. Since the civil
war the regulations had been refined until
they had been got down to so fine point
that you could hardly move under them.
The site of Camp Merritt San Fran
cisco, was very poor. The location was
made by General OTIS and General Greene
felt safe in denying the report that there
had been collision with the railroad author
tiles in choosing the site.
The most fragrant evidence of neglect
that he had seen during the war was in
the case of the transports at New York.
Their condition was of a character that
should have been remedied. He had also
seen green coffee issued, both in Florida
and at Manila.
Comparing the experience of his troops
with those of Turkey and Russia, he said
he had seen more suffering in the Turkish
army in a day than he had seen in the
American troops in a month, and there were
$1,000 Russian troops ill of typhoid fever at
the close of the Russian campaign. He
parison at every point was favorable to
the American troops.
The officers appointed from civil life were
willing, but as a rule were without ex-
perience and 1.-The great difficulty was that
there were not enough regulation officers
to go around
ROUGH RIDERS TESTIMONY.
Maj. Henry b. Hersey of Santa Fe. N.
NJ, of the Roosevelt Rough Riders, said
the camp at Tampa, Fla. was low and fiat,
and toward the close of his stay there in
July there was an increase of fever and kim
dred diseases. The troops were, he said,
well supplied from the commissary and
other departments, but there were some
complaints of the bearing of the physician
who was left with the squadron at this
point. He ascribed the sickness of the men
in Cuba to the climate and the hardships
of the campaign. He had come north tn
Wikoff on the Miami. which was considered
one of the worst of the transports but the
voyage was not characterized by any spe-
cial discomforts. Camp Wikoff was the
most perfect camp he had ever seen. The
water was wholesome and the sinks were
carefully attended to. The sickness of the
command decreased rapidly at this camp.
Soldiers were never taken care of so we'll
as at Montauk.
Asked about the deaths of Messrs. Tiffany
and Wrenn, of the Rough Riders. he said
that Tiffany had yellow fever and had suf-
fered more from the kindness of his friends
on landing in Boston, when he needed quiet,
than from any other source. Mr.. Wrenn
was given furlough to attend a tennis
tournament. Major Hersey next heard of
him as being Ill. though he was in good
condition when he left camp
Col. James NJ C. Lee. chief quartermaster
at Camp Thomas, said that all his estimates
for supplies had been met with remark
able degree of promptitude. Colonel Lee
dwelt on the natural difficulties of supplying
an army of $4,000 men,, who seemed to expect
To be able to turn a4aucet and get every
thing they wanted upon the spur of the mo-
ment. There were some articles which they