The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-05
GEN. LAYTON TESTIFIeS.
Thinks No Gross Mistakes Were Made a


Thinks No Gross Mistakes We're Made at
Santiago.
Washington, November 4.-Acting for
the war investigation commission, Col
DENLY has taken the testimony of Gen.
Lawton, who was in command of the Sec
ond division of the fifth corps in the San
tiago campaign and who has but recently
been relieved of the command of the de
partment of Santiago.
His narration began with the en- barka-
ton of troops at Tampa. Speaking of the
voyage over, he said the transports were
furnished IA we'll as could be expected as
they were not troopships The medical
and commissary supplies we're sufh cient
to prevent absolute discomfort. True,
there was some confusion owing to mis-
understanding Of orders, but the general
did not believe that any real ha dshfp
had cen accustomed thereby.
Referring to the result of the battle at
Ell Caney, he said: 81 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 Caney until
had captured 1t"
Gen. Lawton saidsshis division has lost
40 men killed and wounded and that all
the wounded had been accounted 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 wand
cred into the woods and were never seen
again. -,
"All the wounded were accounted for.
"There were no ambulances, but some
litters-how many don't know.
"Knowing there was to be fight, how
enough litters, enough surgeons and the
proper hospital corps" Col. DENLY asked
swell, l cannot say there were not
enough" Gen. Lawton replied.
ssHow do you account or the fact that
medical men did not provide themselves
with every thing necessary for taking care
of the woundedf"
81 think they did provide themselves
with everything they thought necessary,
considering the material they had to
choose from There was no time to do
more or get more doctors than we had
They wers distributed to their various
commands
The General said that while it was diff
cult to get supplies to the men while they
lay in the trenches from the I'd to the
18th of July, he thought the quantity
Asked where he fixed the responsibility
for not having tents there, Gen. Lawton
replied: 81 don'G Tx it at all, because
don't think there was any responsibility
about it, The men were there without
tents because of the factsthat 1t was i'm
possible to unload them from the ships
for lack of facilities. !"
Ii was true az reported, he said, that
men had to wear their shirts for posi-
bly, 80 days W thout aSchange, but this
was because they had thrown their extra
clothing away. He held the climate re-
sponsible for the sickness that followed
the campaign, though it WAS possible
that with more appropriate food, berter
cooking, some Of the sickness might have
been prevented. He had remained in
Santiago until about two weeks since and
proving there had been much suffering
among the soldiers left there.
''lt Is my opinion" he added, that
any one going from this climate to Cuba
will have to suffer the acclimatizing fever
there doubt II one per cent have
escaped absolutely"
Replying to question as to whether
the navy should not have , control !! OF the
"Takine into consi Grafton the conditions
that we were obliged TO face, the charao-
ter Of the country, its climate and other
things being considered, can say there
were no serious nor gross mistakes made.
I can say there was no lack of care ON
the part OF any of those in authori v
whose duty 1t was to look after the inter
q lot of officers AS there are In the world:
no better could be found. These men
worked night and day and no human be-
ings could do more than they.