The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-05
AWTON
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Talks ofCuban
Campaign.
HAS NOCOMPLAINTS
His Testimony Before Col.
DENLY Of War Board.

DENLY 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
been but recently 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
troopships, The medical and commits
sary supplies were sufficient to prevent
absolute discomfort.
After giving particulars of the land
ing, Gen. Lawton described his march
to Siboney, referred to the battle of
Guasimas, and told how he pushed for
ward towards Eel Caney and prepared
Tor the fight there.
He said that on the morning before
the beginning of the battle, after hav-
ing 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 Caney, he said:
Il had received very imperative or
ders to move to my left, TO the right
of Gen. Wheeler's command, but my
situation was such that it was imprac-
ticable for me to leave Caney until l
had captured it,
Gen. Lawton said his division had lost
410 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 eff
feet that some Of the soldiers wandered
into the woods and were never seen
again.
Il never heard that before" he said.
IAN the wounded were accounted for
and they were all taken to the field
hospitals. There were no ambulances,
but some litters-how many ! do not
know
knowing there was to be a fight.
how does it happen that you did not
have enough filters, enough surgeons
and the property hospital CORPSE" Col.
DENLY asked.
We'll, l cannot say there were not
enough, Gen. Lawton replied
How do you account for the fact
that medical men did not provide them
selves with everything necessary for
taking care Of the wounded?"
~ think they did provide themselves
with everything they thought neces-
= sary, considering the material they had
to choose from. There was no time te
do more or 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 mer
while they lay in the trenches from
the I'd to the 18th OF July
he thought the quantity was sufficient
There had been no sickness worth men
tioning until after the campaign.
ALL L, aara1
bility for not having tents there, Gen
Lawton replied 81 don't fix it at al
because / don't think there was any
responsibility about it. The men were
there without tents, because of the fact
that it was impossible to unload then
from the ships for lack of facilities
There was very little complaint on ac-
count of the tents.
1T was true, as reported, he said
that the men had TO wear their shirts
for possibly 50 days without change
but this was because they had thrown
away their extra clothing
He held the climate responsible fol
the sickness that followed the cam
paign, and thought it was possible tina
with more appropriate food, better
cooking and shelter, some of the sick
ness might have been prevented.
Replying to question as to whether
the navy should not have control of the
transports, he said:
No. indeed"
You think that the army ought tc
have control of them ?"
absolutely" was the laconic reply.
while they are acting together?'
Col. DENLY asked, and the reply was:
They won't act. together. That is
where l make my point. Two men
cannot command the same affair"
Summing up, Gen. Lawton said;
Taking into consideration the things
we were to do in Cuba, its climate and
ether things being considered, can say
there were no serious or gross mistakes
made ] can say there was no lack OF
care ON the part of any of those in au-
thority whose duty ii was to look after
the interests of the camp. We hao
1ust as fine a lot OF officers as there
are in the world. no better could be
found. These men worked night and
Gay, and no human beings could dc
more than they"
Cincinnati, O., Nov. 1.-The sub-com
mittee of the war investigating eom
mittee took testimony here today. Gen
Dodge. Gen. Sexton and DR.. Connol
were the commissioners present Or
Menage, contract surgeon serving witt
the Sixth infantry, testified as to thu
absence of hospital tents for the regi
ment in Cuba
Lieut. Schendel, of the Sth infantry
testified to the supplies having beer
sufficient at Tampa and at Santiago, a.
which latter place he was eommissdry
Lieut.. Col. Miner, commanding the
Sixth infantry testified to the move
ments of his regiment from For
Thomas to Santiago and return. He re-
garded the Tampa camp as excellent
There was difficulty in getting trans
portation from Tampa to Cuba. The
transport Miami in which his regiment
went to Santiago was not fit for troops
The men would have died in their quar-
ters if the voyage had not been mild
SO thatthe portfolios were left open and
the air thus supplied. The supplies OF
the men and of the officers were the
same.
Speaking Of the attack at san Juan
hill, he said he found when they
reached the summit that Col. Egberi
had been wounded and he was in COM
mand That night no supplies came and
the men were without blankets or food
except such food as they had in theii
haversacks The witness said the com
mand began to break down about the
14th They had dug trenches by night
and lay in the wet bitches all day. The
hot sun and the wet weather broke the
men down When march of three
miles was made, not more than one
fourth of the men kept up, but all got
in by night. Nothing could have pre-
vented the sickness that followed the
exigencies Of the Cuban campaign.
Col c. B. Hunt of the First Ohio in
fantry, testified that when his regiment
reached Chiekamauga it was poorly
supplied with clothing and arms and
There is but one Angostura Bitters-Dr
Eiegert from South America
Beware of the Just as good dangerous
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