The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-18
THEY MADE A BAD JOB OF IT
HOW OUR SOLDIER BOYS WERE
STARTED OFF FOR CUBA.
Major Romayn Says Not an Officer
Knew Which Transport to En-
park ln--Everything Heller
Shelter.

washington, u. al.GThe
war investigating commission held a
session here today for the purpose Of
hearing the testimony of Major Henry
Romeyn, a retired army officer. He
said that he had asked at the begin
ming of the war for a military assign
ment to go to the front in his capacity
as an officer, but it was refused, and
he hen went as a correspondent of a
weekly newspaper.
His testimony covered the embarka-
ton of the troops at Port Tampa and
the campaign in Cuba. He said that
when he went to Port Tampa the bank
of the canal there was covered with
troops. He had wanted to go over with
the Tenth infantry, which was his old
regiment, but no one could tell him
where the regiment was to be found.
He asked a staff officer and several
others for this information, but no n
knew where any particular troops were
to embark.
There was great confusion as a con-
sequence as to what part of a COM
mand would go on one vessel and what
part on another, and the commands
were in some cases separated from their
stores. He had seer no order for the
systematic embarkation Of the troops
and he had heard it said thai they were
told to go aboard helter-skelter.
When asked to express his opinion as
to h preparations for the embarkation
the witness hesitated, saying that to do
SO would involve criticism of his SUPER
iors. The commissioners insisted upon
a reply and Mr.. Romeyn said that he
did not think the preparations were
such as they should have been.
There was,' he said, "a lack of surf
boats and also of order and of prepar-
alton for landing. When the landing
was undertaken the troops left the ship
Unfortunately, parts going at one
time and other parts at other tines
He told Of the efforts to tow two light
ers to Cuba, but sal that one was lost,
and it was the general impression that
tarded the progress of the fleet. In re-
sponse to a question from General Nc
Cook, Major Romeyn said that while it
was difficult to land anything. ambu-
lances and wagons could nave been
landed as easily as the artillery. He
front at the battle of Ell Caney, and it
was not used for conveying the wound
ed to the rear.
Speaking of other incidents of this
battle, he said there was general sur
prise that an inflated balloon had been
column, thus giving the Spaniards the
exact location of the troops, but he did
not know at whose orders this had been
done.
without exception, the dirtiest place he
had eve seen in his life, and that no
effort had been made to clean it before
the fever broke out. There was a de-
ficiency of proper food at the fever hos
pitfalls and the cooking was generally
poor. Any one in this hospital was H.
able to contract yellow fever. He had
been a patient in the hospital and said
there had been no neglect Of patients
by the medical attendants at this hos
pital or at the hospitals for the wound
ed. He had known surgeons in the lat
ter hospitals to work sixty hours with
out cessation.
why did they not have more sur
geons?" asked Colonel DENLY. The wit
ness said he could not answer.
Major Romeyn said he had come to
the north az a convalescent, with many
other convalescents, on the transport
Concha, and he criticised the provision
ing of the vessel in severe terms. Many
of the men were compelled to sleep on
board hunks, without blankets or pill
lows, and with no covering at night ex,
cept the cotton uniform which they
wore during the day.
"The water was offensive to both
sight and SMELL" he said, land the food
was poor and scanty, zone being pre-
vided especially for convalescents. The
meat vas canned and inferior apd
much of the bareback moulded"
He also stated that there was only
one physician on board the vessel, and
that he was a convalescent. Six men
had died on the way up and Major Ro-
meyn expressed the opinion, in response
to a question from Captain. Howell, that
with proper attention and good food the
lives of at least some Of these men
should have been saved.