Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-04
A GLOWING TRIBUTE TO MEN
Officers and Soldiers Slept wiihou, Tents for
Seven Days.
POOR MEAT, no BREAD But BAREBACK.
The Western Men Made IN. hest soldier.
sud Were BETTER Able To Take
Care Of Themselves.

Washington. oct 1.-THE war lnvestl.
CATION committee began Its examination
Of witnesses today by placing Gen. Joe
Wheeler on the stand. Chairman Dodge
stated 20 him the scope Of the COM
missions duties. and asked Gen. Wheel
or whether he had any objections 90 be
sworn. lie replied he had none and h.
was sworn.
Ex-Gov. Beaver conducted the ex-
animation. developing tho ESSENTIAL
facts AZ 70 Gen. wheslcr's rank and his
command Gen. Wheeler stated that he
| left Tampa for cuba on the iat OF Juno,
but that he had no knowledge OF the
place ~ campaign before going aboard
the Transport. lie then told q tho
voyage. ON June as, Gen. shafter or
dcrcd HIM TO diaombark tho next day.
which he ala. with portion Of his
command. lie rode Into the country four
miles tina, day. and the next day moved
his troops to Jaguara city. lie thcn be-
EAn his accommodating. arranging with
I Gen. Castillo OF the Cuban army, 10 send
troops with his men for the recon
noitere. hut unfortunately the CubanA
did not Keep the engagement. lie told
% tho nTut battle at the La QtIaAama,
stopping 10 compliment specially the
regular troops. and also to speak
| OF their excellent firing. Thcy soon
| learned To mlatruat the reports and eatl-
mates % the SpaniardA. Gen. Wheeler
/ had not been able on his own account
50 secure any accurate estimate Of the
Spanish loss TO thu American approach
| upon Santiago.
I -. a. a.
first bRttlce, he explained that he had
been reported sick. and therc were some
movements jr.St prior to the battle at
III cancy with which be was not IA
mllar.
II was not sick" he said. ''but had
bccn on the esth and s0th. san had
ronc on the sick list. l had fever.
but I appreciated the situation. took
medicine and came out all right"
HOW MEN WE'RE KILLED.
He was In the battle Of M caney and
expressed the opinion thar more men
had been killed In the formation " the
line than afterwards He told OF the
nccsnuity for wadlng the San Juan
river. saying that the water was about
waist deep.
Il ought 10 say" said the general In
the course ~ his testimony, that T.
was magnificent TO see officers % hlgh
rank 10 ashore with their packs on their
backs, ACCEPTING all the fortunes u war
with them
Thoy slopt on the ground with tho
soldiers Nune OF Us were mounted. and
we slept without tents FOR seven days"
Speaking % the character OF the roads
from the coast 90 the points occupied
by the Americans he said that with
such attention a. they were able 10 give
10 thoan. they wcrc very good. The
rains had not been severe up 10 That
time. The roads WIRE narrow, but equal
70 the demands The supplies he con-
sidercd Sufficient, except IN few
instances, and In those Instances the de-
fclrncy was only temporary.
Gen. Shaftcr." he said. deserves
grvat credit Tor the zeal he displayed In
this respect. lie devoted himself 10 this
task. and think there Is no doubt that
he Huccssdcd We used pack tralna, and
there was comparatively little suffering
because OF the snoguicss Of quarter
masters supplies"
Gen. Whistler said In response TO a
question that Crryera'a Net was the OBJ
lsctiye point ~ the campaign. Therc
was no reason why the Spanish troops
should not haye made a s0riie frum Can
ilago. ard he had asked Gen. T0rai, af-
ter the surrrpicr. why he had not at
tackled. Tho latter replied that the fall
tifa 20 DO 20 was because hlA men were
fooinore. Yet Gen. WheGr could not ac-
cept this explanation. for the spanish
soldiorawcre not footsore. Gen, Wheelers
opinion was that tho spanish com
mander was not able 90 face the AmeH-
ears IN the open.
Reviewing the plan OF campaign he
said he doubted whether any murc e.
fectivc plan could have been made.
Speaking 81 the medical department he
aid thai at times there were com
plants. but they wrr not ssioua. on
occasions there was
SHORTAGE OF SURGEONS.
some OF she surgeons being sick or
wounded According 20 General
Wheeler's belief, the wounded In battle
were promptly cared for by the sur
After the hght Of July 1. all tho
wounded were carried from the field
: that night The witness had heard that
there was more complaint oi The short
are OF medicine among the Infantry
than In the cavalry service
Going back 20 Tampa ne stld thht at
tho season he was there the firat half
OF June tho site was without objection,
hui ne had felt that it Would be wet
later Ia the season 10 was his impress
Tlon that Tampa has been selected as a
camp site after the beginning or ihe
war and was Incidental 20 the Intended
movement on Havana. There was, no
snid. al times some shortage OF supplies
nj the camp, but nothing" he added,
"thnt a solder could complain Of"
They had comfortable tents ana the
c.mmlssary supplies We're huinclsnt-
7rhe water supply also was good,
He said the men In his command were
| VOL taken care OF,
However, very few men were at that
limo sick lie had himself gone Into
Inc hospitals and had found the men
Ggnerni Wheeler said he had no con-
irol over any OF the supplies which
were lak.n TO Santiago on the trans
porta when he left Tampa. THIS waa
attended 10 hy the Inherent stan oih-
Gers. lis only knew from conversation