Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-08
WELL SUPPLIED.
No Army Ever So Abundant|y
Supplied
As American Army in Last War, Says
Gen. Greene,
Col. Lee and Major Hersey Before the War
Investigation Board.

Washington, Oct. Three wit
nesses were before the war in
vestigation commission, today, Gen. |
Greene, who participated in the battle |
at Manila, Col. Lee, chief quartermas- |
ter at Camp Thomas, and Major Her.
sey, who was for a time in command of
the Roosevelt Rough Riders. Eachl
gave testimony covering his expert
ence. and while each one admitted the
possibility of Individual cases of suffer-
ing and discomforts. all said that in
the vast majority of cases complaints
were exaggerated, if not without foun-
dation. They agreed in saying that no
army was ever so abundantly and lux
urously supplied as was the American
army in the Spanish. war;
General f. Y. Greene, who
was in charge of one of the
divisions of United States troops at
the battle of Manila, was before the
war investigation commission at It's
forenoon session, today. He sailed
from San Francisco to Manila ON tins
steamer China, an excellent vessel, he
said. which was inspected by board
of officers before it was chartered. He
found the ship in good condition, but
the men necessarily were crowded.
Four months provisions and large
quantity of quartermasters' and medi-
cal supplies were carried. With few
exceptions, the loading was carefully
done. though there was some misplace
ment owing to haste.
Gen. Greene said that there was no
complaint during the voyage of a scar
city of supplies, but during the frs
two days out, there was some dissatis-
faction with the cooking. This was
soon improved and no criticism was
heard afterWard. The details of the
ocean trip and of the battle of Manila
were related in manner calling for
the closest attention from the commits
sioners, but covering the same ground
as his report to the war department,
recently made public. He spoke of the
insurgents. who lay between his forces
and the Spanish lines. 1t was impossi-
BILE to give an estimate of their num-
Der. but he thought it was about 1000.
They were we'll supplied with Mause-
and Remington rifles, many of which
they had captured from the Spaniards
and others they had purchased abroad
lacEol. DENLY asked what the insur-
gents were doing while the battle was
on. They were trying to get into Ma
nila,' said Gen. Greene. "And while
the leaders were trying to preserve or
der, tine rank and file were not SO CO.
plant and it was evident that they
wished to enter the town to secure
compensation for their services" He
stated that some of them did get foot
hold in the suburbs and he had liter
| ally pushed body of 1000 of them into
| the sea. They complained sharply but
| did not fire on the men.
| The health of the troops was excel
| lent and the. commissary supplies We're
abundant, but there was difficulty in
getting them ashore on account Of the
food but during the other "a days, they
had sufficient food to sustain life. Ow-
| ing to the difficulty of getting fresh
meat ashore, they had it only three
days out of the entire time they We're
in camp. But all was done that could
| be done to supply the wants of the
men, as the shortage was due entirely
10 the inclement weather.
There were only 20 or 80 sick in his
command. He considered the surgeons
efficient and had heard no complaint
from the men in the hospitals. The
sinks were inspected twice daily. He
said the volunteer troops originally
| had brown canvas uniforms, but they
we're practically worn out by the hard
work in the trenches. It had been i'm
possible to properly supply the men
with shoes, and as a consequence about
300 of the trops marched into the city
| of fha continuation.
Gen. Greene thought the army regu-
lations should be adapted more to cam
paign exigencies than at present. The
commissary was so restricted that in
case where a lighter sank with rations
for regiment the commissary couio
issue others without the authority OF
a board of survey. Since the civil war
there has been a determined effort to
refine the regulations until they mao
been gotten down to so fine point
that you can hardly move under them.
Speaking of the camp at San FRANCISCO
he said that the site of Camp Mefritt
was very poor but he did not know
whether better site could have been
secured. The location was mace by
Gen. Otis, and Gen. Greene felt SAFE In
denying the report that there had been
collision with the railroad authorities
in choosing the site. The sinks ana
the crowded condition of the camp
caused the greatest annoyance
Gen. Greene stated that the most
fragrant evidence of neglect that ne
had seen during the war was IN the
case of the transports at New YORK.
Their condition was of a character tnat
should have been remedied. he hao
also seen green coffee issued both IN
! Florida and Manila.
| Gen. Greene spoke in high terms OF
the spirit of the men. They made no
complaint and were anxious to co Ineir
share of the fighting and work. COM
pairing the experiences OF his troops
with those of Turkey and Russia, ne
said that he had seen more suffering
in the Turkish army. in day, that ne
had seen in the American troops IN
! month. OF the efficiency OF the officers
| appointed from civil life, he said that
they were willing, but as a rule were
without experience and 1.-The Difficulty
was that there were not enough resu-
lar army officers to go around.