The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-04
LAWTON TESTIFIES
And Makes a Good Case for the War
Department

Department.
washington. Nov. 4-Acting for the
war investigating commission, Col. Den
by has taken the testimony of Gen.
Lawton who was in command of the
second division of the Fifth corps, in
the. Santiago campaign and who has
but recently been relieved Of the COM
mand of the department of Santiago.
His narration began with the en-
barkation of the troops at Tampa.
Speaking of the voyage over, he said
the transports were furnished as well
as could be expected, as they were not
troop ships The medical commissary
supplies were sufficient to prevent absO-
lutte discomfort. True, there was some
confusion, owing to misunderstanding
of orders, but the general did not be-
lieve that any real hardship had been
occasioned thereby.
After giving particulars of the land
ing, Gen. Lawton described his march
to Sfboney, referred to the battle of
CuasinaS and told how he pushed for
ward towards Ell Caney and prepared
for the fight there. He said that on the
morning before the beginning of the
battle, after having laid his plans before
Gen. .Shafter, he rode with his brigade
commanders over the ground pointing
out to each of them the position he was
to occupy. Referring to the result of
the battle at Ell Caney he said:
''I had received very imperative orders
to move to my left, to the right of Gen.
Wheeler's command but my situation
was such that it was impracticable for
me to leave FL Caney until had cap
tured it,
General Lawton said his division had
lost 410 men, killed and wounded, and
that all the wounded had been account
ed for. This latter remark was brought
out by the suggestion made by Col
DENLY that a statement had been made
| to the effect that some of the wounded
! soldiers wandered into the woods and
were never seen again.
Il never heard that before he said.
! ''All the wounded were accounted for
and they were all taken to the field hos
pitals.''
There are no ambulances but some
| litters-hOw many, he did not know.
knowing there was to be a fight,
how does it happen that you did not
have enough htters, enough surgeons
and the proper hospital corps2'' Colonel
| DENLY asked.
'Weu. 1 can not say there were not
enough Gen. 1awtOn replied.
How do you account for the fact
! that the medical men did not provide
| themselves with everything necessary
for taking care of the wounded?"
Il think they did provide themselves
with everything they thought necessary
considering the material they had to
| chose from. There was no time to do
more, or to get more surgeons than we
| had. They were distributed to their
| various commands
! The general said that while it was
! difficult to get supplies to the men while
| they lay in the trenches, from the End
| to the 18th of July. he thought the guam
| tity was sufficient. There had been no
J sickness worth mentioning until after
| the campaign. There had been no tents
| except the shelter tents which some had
| until just previous to the embarkatiOn
| for the United States.
! Asked where he fixed the responsible
! ty for not having the tents there, Gen.
| LawtOn replied: Il don't fix it at all,
| because I don't think there was any
( responsibility about it. Then men were
| there without tents because of the fact
| that it was impossible to unload them
| from the ships for lack of time and ia
| cilities. 1t is a difficult matter to unload
/ a ship in a rough sea. There was very
! little complaint on account of the tents.
| Complaints did not come to me, and I
| was with my men constantly. That they
| should have to lie out as they did was
| one of the contingencies absolutely nee
essary in the conduct of the war;
| It was true as reported, he said that
| men had to wear their shirts for pos
| sibly thirty days without a change but
| this was because they had thrown away
| their extra clothing.
| He said the climate was responsible
| for the sickness that followed the cam
paign, though it was possible that with
| more appropriate food, better cooking
| and shelter, some of the sickness might
have been prevented. He had, he said
| remained in Santiago until about two
| weeks since and while the health con-
| ditiOns were now improving there had
| been much suffering among the soldiers
! left there. ut is my opinion he said.
that anyone going from this climate
| to Cuba will have to suffer that ac-
| climatizing there.
VINCENT BY 700.