Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-23
ROOSEVELT ON THE STAND
Rough Riders Colonel Before War Investi-
eating Commission.
There Was Lack of Transportation,
Canned Beef Was Dad and
Medical Supplies Scarce.

Investigating commission in New York yes
terday afternoon. In reply to a request
from General Wilson, he told of the equip
ment and music ring in of the LIST Volunteer
Cavalry. known as the Rough Riders.
When we reached Tampa Colonel
Roosevelt said, there was a condition Of
utter confusion We were dumped outside
a mile away from our camp. No one knew
where the camp was. There was no one
to tell us where to go or what to do. After
waiting twenty-four no IRIS 1 took the law
into my own hands and bought food for the
men and horses. Later, when we found
our camp, we We're all right"
Were YOU reimbursed Tor your outlay?"
Il never asked it. 1t a persona, mat
| ter entirely.
Colonel Roosevelt said great condition
| OF confusion existed at Tampa. Nobody
seemed to know anything and no arrange
ments were evident as 20 what transports
were to be used. His own regiment was
assigned to the Gucatan. Incidentally ne
had heard that the I'd Infantry and list
New York Volunteers were also assigned
to the Yucatan AS soon as he heard that
| he hurried on the Rough Riders and took
possession of the ship ana held it against
other regiments. His men had decided to
get to Cuba, and they got there.
What Caused Confusion
DO YOU attribute all the confusion" ask
ed Gen. Wilson, Ito lack of Intelligence on
the part of the men in charge or to the
natural overcrowding of work?'
81 was only a lieutenant colonel and
could not know whose the fault was
Replying to other questions. Colonel
Roosevelt said the food was ample and
with the exception of the canned roast beef
good. The beef was very bad. Colonel
Roosevelt told of the voyage to Cuba and
OF the Decentralization Of the regiment at
Baiquri. The regiment was one of the first
w
ated with Colonel Roosevelt in the Navy
Department. sent a Cuban pilot on boa ri
the 9ucatan, and he took the transport
mile and half nearer shore than any of
the other transports There was a great
scarcity of material for landing men, horses
and supplies.
Colonel Roosevelt. still replying to ques-
tons, told in detail of the march of his
regiment to its first camping place.
After supper he continued, Colonel
Wood told us that We're to start next
morning to take the Spaniards
The next mornings march was a hard
one. especially for the men. There were
no opportunities for bankers. 1t was so
| hot that about 100 men dropped out for
| rest, and when the first Spanish outpost
vas discovered, Colonel Wood ordered 81
lence, and was sent to the right to depioy
| with the right wing.
| When the Spaniaris began firing I did
not know what was up. 1t was my first
| experience. They Were using smokeless
| powder, and L could not see where they
were.
Located the Spanfards.
When / located the Spaniards with my
glasses did not know what to do, but
knew it was good rule, If in doubt to go
ahead and so went ahead"
Colonel Roosevelt CLOSED over the further
details of the fighting He paid a warm
tribute to the gaiiantry Of Assistant Sur
geOn James w. Church, a former Princeton
foot ball player, who, he said, more than
| once ran to the firing line and carried
wounded men on his back to the division
hospital. Colonel Roosevelt then told how
| the regiment camped out for the night.
Asked about the rations, he said:
we had the regulation rations of salt
| pork, hard tack, coffee and sugar, but the
men wanted vegetables, and l wanted to
get some for them. l took forty men with
the officers horses to Siboney and tried
to buy them. The department refused to
sell me beans and tomatoes unless / could
certify that they were for officers con-
sumption. l stretched my conscience as
far as | could, and then boarded a trans
port and purchased about 500 pounds of
beans. The change did the men good.
1t was too hot to eat nothing but the regu-
lar rations."
Colonel Roosevelt went on to tell of the
advance on Santiago and of the night of
July /, when the regiment slept in the
trenches. He spoke of the advantages Of
the smokeless powder and said that the
United States artillery was frequently
driven from its positions because of the
targets made by the clouds of smoke that
resulted from each discharge of the black
powder.
Plenty of Ammunition.
Was your command fully supplied with
food and ammunilion?" asked General Will
son.
The ammunition supply excellent;
the food supply was Insufficient There
was plenty of food back of Sboney. i sup
pose it was lack of transportation facili-
ties that kept without good food until
| July ~. l organized a transportation corps
with the officers horses and went to Sib-
| oney and got food for the men. Then
| later ! got into Santiago and bought rice
and milk. II we had had the mule trains
| that we were forced to leave behind at
| Tampa there would have been no lack of
| supplies
| Replying to questions, Colonel Roosevelt
| said other regiments at the front suffered
| from lack of supplies. One man of the
| lst Illinois Regiment visited the Rough
| Riders camp and offered 81 for seven hard
| tacks. Two hundred men of the regi-
ment came to the Rough Riders camp
| and ate the broken hard tack. The Rough
| Riders had enough to eat, but it was the
| expenditure. There was a great scarcity
| of ali medical supplies at the front. OK
| cept qunine and calomel. and great lack
of surgeons ard hospital stewards.
|
Roosevelt said there was great confusion
| for the first few days after the arrival of
the troops
Troops Badly Treated.
During those days" he continued. Il
| do not think our men were treated as well
| as they should have been so near home but
| after that there was nothing that l could
| find fault with l thought our brigade was
| admirably treated and our sick admirably
| cared for. The record was badly kept at
| the hospital, but the work was crowding
| the authorities, and our regiment records
| were also badly kept L don't care to COM
plain about 1t. OF course, can only speak
| for the experience of my own regiment"
| Why was there scarcity of medical
| supplies in Cuba?" asked DIR. Conner
| Il don't know. l heard there were plenty
| on the ships. There was lamentable need
| of ambulances. l think we could have done
| better with fewer men and moro trauspoc-
| tation."
! Were the privations greater than you ex-
| pected?"
| Il did not expect anything. 1 went to
| take things they came. / think that
| nearly all the priSations there might have
| been avoided IL the transportation facilities
had been better arranged"
| Regarding the condition of tina wounded
| after the fighting in front of Santiago, Col