The age-herald., 1898-11-05
SESSION OF THE
 WAR COMMISSION Officers of the Santiago Campaign EK-
 amined at Cincinnati. GEN. H. C. EGBART TESTIFIED Was Formerly Lieutenant Colonel Oi the
 Sixth Infantry. BADLY WOUNDED ON SAN JUAN HILL The Most Suggestive Testimony of the Day Was Given by Major Grif-
 filth, Who wasin Chargeof
 Division Hospital.
BADLY WOUNDED ON SAN JUAN HILL

OlNlSlOn I1OSEAb"a.
 Cincinnati November 4-The war lhses'i- gating commission held an interesting ses- sion today. It had among the witnesses four officers who served in the Santiaso campaign, one of them being General II. C. Egbart, who, as lieutenant-coionei oi the Sixth infantry, was severely wouhdeo at San Juan Hill. Colonel Minor, now All command of the Sixth infantry, was ah- other interesting witness. Pernaps the most suggestive testimony was that gwen by Major Griffith, of Kansas City, who was in charge of the Third division hospital or the First coros
 The commission resumed its work with General Dodge, General Sexton and pr. Conner present. The first witness was Dr. Menage, contract surgeon, serving with the Sixth infantry.
 He testified as to the absence of hospital tents for the regiment in Cuba. He treated his sick in the regiment in preference to sending them back to the division hospital, because of the difficulty in transportation. The nearest hospital was perhaps mile and a half away. The medical supplies were reasonably sufficient. The appliances and supplies at the hospital the witness did not know about. His chief trouble was in getting an ambulance. This he got after two days He made no requisition for drugs but once. Dr. McGraw did most Of that work. The regiment left there about the 9th of August. At that time there were about thirty to forty in acute condition. Perhaps one-eighth of the command was reported regularly for treatment. There had been no yellow fever up to this time. The condition of the transport was as good could be given. The men had fair quar- ters and there was an abundance of SUD- plies. There was enough ice There was condensed milk and a limited amount of matted milk.
 Held in Quarantine
 They purchased with the hospital fund beef extract from the steward of the vessel. There was some available in Santiago. The regiment lost no men on the voyage The vessel was held five days in quarantine at Montauk Point in a detention camp The condition of the camp was good, except there were no beds Dr. McGraw, was in charge of the men in camp, while the witt ness remained aboard the vessel to take care of the supplies. The witness explained the movements of the Sixth from the de- 'tention camp to the regular camp and told Of the march which perhaps five-sixths of the men were able to make The regiment was in camp until in October. The com mand did not materially improve in health in that time. This he attributed largely to inability to diet the men. Being asked if ne made application to the chief medical officer for delicacies or such articles of food as were necessary, he said he did, and suc- ceeded to an extent, but not to the fullest extent He could get no ice no milk but did not specify milk or ice for them. He explained that his men who needed this special nourishment were sent to the hos pltal. From individual sources he got what was needed for other men of the ecommand
 Lieutenant Schindel, of the Sixth infant ry, was the next witness He left with the Sixth for Tampa and at Santiago was made commissary They had ample quarters on the trip from Tampa to Santiago Com missary supplies were always sufficient. ex- cept such delicacies as were unayoidab ble from rains and difficulty of transportation after the fall of Santiago, the regiment was supplied. At Montauk Point the supplies were sufficient. but during the first week were sometimes delayed until late in the day by insufficient railway facilities. This was soon remedied The men were well taken care of by the medical department After reaching Montauk Point the men rapidly broke down. Not more than twen- ty-five or thirty escaped illness of some sort. The witness was i'll twice.
 Lieut.. Col Miner
 Lieutenant-Colonel Miner, commanding the Sixth infantry, testified to the move- ments of his regiment from Fort Thomas to Santiago and return. He regarded the Tampa camps excellent There was diff ficulty in getting transportation from Tam pa to Cuba The transport Miami, in which his regiment went to Santiago, was not fit for troops. The men would have died in their quarters if the voyage had not been mild so that the port holes were left open and air thus supplied. The supplies of the nd of f1n A1-A Most of the officers were on foot from loss of horses. Speaking of the attack at San Juan hill, he said he found when they reached the summit that Colonel Egbert had been wounded and he was in command That night no supplies came up and the men were without food or blankets, except such food as they had in their haversacks.
 The witness said the command began to break down about the 14th. They had dug trenches by night and lay in the wet ditches all day. The hot sum and the wet weather broke the men down. When a march of three miles was made not more than one-fourth kept up, but all got in by night. The morning after the surrender the regiments were taken to higher ground and put in camp. By personal appeal to Gen. eral Kent he secured one wagon and cook ing utensils and change of clothing for the men.
 If the witness could have got one wagon after the surrender he could nave kept his regiment supplied. But nothing could have prevented the sickness that fol- lowed the exigencies of the Cuban cam paign. Being asked about the diet he said he would recommend pickles and vege- tables for Cuba. The canned beef was nauseating, and the men, when almost starving would not eat It. It seemed to be beef that had been boiled for extracts and was as free flom nutriment as chips. The canned corn beef was good, but We did not get 1t. The Armour and Libby beef was absolutely unfit for use when we got 1t. Colonel c. B. Hunt of the First Ohio infantry, testified that when his regiment reached Chickamauga 1t was poorly sup piled with clothing and arms and never was fully supplied, never had requisition filled complete. It he made a requisition for 800 blouses he would get 150. The sick