The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-16
Gen. Breckenridge Ascribes Much
to the Deity.
HE CRITICISeS SKATER
General Miles Has More of the Genius of
Command and Would Have Done
Betssr-Evils Insvitabls Under
the American System.

tht ihNccti8dtiDn tofnuiS$iOu tb-
day. His testimony to-day dealt with
the campaign in Cuba and the trans
portation of troops to the island. He
went to Cuba as inspector general. Ar
irving at Tampa he had observed the
preparation for the disbarkation Of
troops and concluded that they were
quite inadequate. He said there was
no preparation for landing in the face
OF an enemy other than that which the
navy might furnish. Speaking of the
conflict of authority on the transports.
he said the masters OF the vessels did
not respond as promptly as might have
been desired.
True" he said. there was a little
navy cadet on board each OF the ves-
sells, but he had no authority. An ac-
tual navy officer of the quartermaster's
department on each vessel would have
been better"
Asked as to his opinion Of the result
OF the campaign. Breckenridge said he
Thought IL was consistent with the
character OF the men who conducted
IL; that was to be expected from the
limitations of General shafter. I think
IL would have been different II Miles
had been in commando: that It would
have been more satisfactorily conduct
ed. I think he has more OF the spark
and genius OF command than any man
in the army, and / am sure IL he had
charge he would have been In the front
rank"
Ex-Governor Woodbury. suggested
that the battle in front OF San Juan
had been fought and victory won with
I'm eight days Of landing.
Breckenridge in reply said the victory
had been won when Torars nerve
gave out" This. he continued. had
hco Of all
had been won In its earliest stages.
He believed the war was the Lords
war and the wonderful success was due
TO his supervision. While he consid-
cred the result as marvelously COM
mendable. he did not feel that Shafter
was above criticism In the conduct OF
the campaign. He could not believe the
result was misrule. But he ascribed
the outcome to the fact that the army
was one which was capable OF meeting
all calls.
mo matter how it-was tsngled up"
he said. 1T went to victory"
He had at a time quoted Lord Beres-
ford. when he said to his army upon a
certain occasion, II have led you into
a devil OF a fix and II is now your duty
to night like hell to get me out OF it,
Resuming his remarks OF a general
character. Breckenridge expressed the
opinion that there had not been enough
fighting to obscure other results COM
mon to war. He thought the evils
which had been experienced were inev-
table under our American system. He
traced all the trouble to want of prep
aration and mobilization in time of
peace. Replying to a question from
Woodbury.. he said considering the sys-
TEN he thought the government had
done far better in its conduct of the
war than anybody had expected. and
just about one-fourth as well as II
should have done It,"
General McCook asked Breckenridge
II he had visited Shafter when the
latter was III at Santiago. and Breck-
enridge replied he had done so.
Did he then offer the command Of
the army TO you. as reported in the
press?''
Breckenridge replied: II very much
prefer not to answer that question.
You should ask Shafter. Such conver-
sation as occurred between Shafter and
myself is not Of q character TO be
spoken OF lightly. fall to see how
a reply from me would promote the
object OF your inquiry. II Shafter has
not repeated the conversation. i ought
not to do so''
Captain Robert W. Dowdy. who was
master of transportation at Montauk
Point. stated that at the beginning Of
the campaign the transportation facil-
tiles were inadequate. though they
were d1terWardS Improved.
DR.. William q. Weaver Of the 9th
Pennsylvania volunteers WAS the FIRST
witness before the war commission at
the afternoon session. and he proved
an important witness. as he gave de-
tailed information concerning the con-
duct OF a regimental hospital at Camp
Thomas DIR. Weaver said that typhoid
had broken out about June Is and that
It had Increased from that time until
the Goth Of August. There had been
about 800 cases Of this disease in the
regiment and 2s or 30 deaths. The
doctor said there was an insufficient
supply of drugs and that at times he
failed to get what was needed. Quinine
was one Of the articles Of which there
had been a scarcity and 100000 pills
were secured from home. He said that
at one time there were so or so typhoid
patients at the regimental hospital be-
cause there was no accommodation for
them In the division hospital. At an
other time there We're s. fever patients
In the company tents for whom ad-
mission could not be secured In any
hospital. division or regiment
In summing up the causes Of diseases
In the camp. DIR. Weaver included over
work as one reason. The reveille
sounded at 4:30. and after that time
the men were kept quite constantly en-
gagged with drills and other exercises
until 6.15. notwithstanding that the
weather was intensely hot. He ex-
pressed the opinion that the water from
the Chickamauga creek was polluted.
He considered the water in this stream
as hardly fit to battle In. much less to
drink. His Information was that there
were possible sources of contamina-
ton above the intake Of the pipe line
system.
DR.. Weaver related his difficulties in
securing tents for the regimental hos
pital. and he said that In one case Chief
Quartermaster Lee refused to allow the
regiment TO have a tent which was stor-
ed and which was its property. Colonel
Lee said the tent could not be taken
out except in the proper military man.
ner. but the regiment had never been
able to ascertain what he required and
had never secured the tent. The defect
was supplied by taking the officers
mess tent for hospital purposes. In