Evening journal., 1898-11-08
CHAFFEE TESTIFIES.
Tells Colonel Denby What He
Knows Of Army Matters.
HIS PART IN SANTIAGO CAMPAIGN.
Says He Was Perhaps Responsible
For Lack OF Artillery - Santiago
WAS Better Defended Than He
Thought-Montnuls Camp.

the testimony or Major GenefaiS Law
ton and Abner X. Chaffee. General
Chaffee's testimony was typewriter
and was given out for publication last
night.
General Chaffee was a lieutenant
colonel In the Third cavalry, but in May
last he was made a brigadier general
and at Tampa was placed in command
OF the Seventh. Twelfth and Seven
teenth regiments OF infantry. When he
arrived at Port Tampa, he was ordered
20 embark his men on the Cherokee and
Iroquos. He discovered that the ca
pacity OF the boats had been overesti-
mated and II was found necessary to
load three companies on the ID. II. Mil
Ter. There was a little delay at Port
Tampa, caused by report that Spanish
ships had been seen in the channel
north Of Cuba.
General Chaffee remarked that he
was ignorant of his destination when
he left Tampa. The order Of the COM
mandlng general Of the Fifth corps di-
rected him 20 take ten days travel ra-
tions, sufficient to last until June Is.
The delay in Tampa bay had not been
accounted for, and when the transports
arrived Off Santiago on June 20 the sup
though the rations had not been entire
iy consumed. General Chaffee said that
he thought that all the transports go
ing to Cuba were overloaded, but not
harmfully so.
General Chaffee described the landing
OF the troops The boats from the navy
were TO assist. but the only boats he
saw were the steam launches and or
navy should have handled the boats.
The surf was very high and beat the
boats considerably. After a landing
was made the troops went into camp.
They had shelter tents. Early on June
"a he marched his command to the VI
clnity OF General Lawton's camp and
was ordered to go 10 the assistance OF
General Wheeler. He saw dispatch
from General Wheeler saying that he
had met with a larger force than he ex-
pected and asking for aid. He pushed
forward, but on arrival found the en-
gagement over and the Spaniards in re-
treat This was the battle Of Las
Gauslmas.
"on June 2S. 20 and 30" said Gem
eral Chaffee. IT did considerable recon-
noiterlng. Twelve hundred Cubans had
reported for that service and outpost
duty There We're men there who knew
every trail in the country and they
were Of great service TO me. I opened
the road toward Caney. so that the ar
tillery could pass. The road was sinply
a mule track at first.
1T also cleared a position for the ar
tillery on the 30th General Lawton,
General Ludlow Colonel Miles and my
self went out over the roads. and on
this occasion General Lawton assigned
20 each brigade commander the place at
which he was to arrive that night. We
oil moved out and bivouacked for the
night. General Lawton gave instruc-
tions that my brigade should attack
Caney from the eastward. On July /
sent the Twelfth infantry TO my left.
and I conducted the Seventh and Sew
enteenth by a roundabout road, joining
the Twelfth Infantry about o'clock.
There were six blockhouses around Ca
ney"
General Chaffee said he had only one
battery Of artillery. That knocked a
stone fort TO pieces. but there was not
sufficient artillery to demoralize the
garrison.
why did you not have more artil-
iery?" asked Colonel DENLY.
'Well, It had not been landed" Cen
eral Chaffee replied. II suppose, per-
haps, II was my own fault. The place
turned out much stronger than had
any idea OF. 1 lost 80 officers and men
killed and lac wounded"
when you took Caney, general, what
did you fnd?"
'Tfonnd many dead and wounded The
Spaniards lost very heavily. What were
not killed, wounded or captured seemed
to have retreated 10 the ravines. We
got 1873 prisoners"
Referring to the American wounded,
he said they lay directly IN front Of the
town. "A man could not raise his hand
without, II being shot" he continued.
'The FIRE Of the spaniards was very ac-
curate. The American wounded were
taken just below the slope OF the hill
and attended by the surgeons There
was one reglmental surgeon to a regl-
ment and no ambulances, but there
were hospital corps men there with
each surgeon. one surgeon for a regi-
ment is not enough for battle. In my
opinion there should never be less than
one surgeon 10 400 men, which would be
one surgeon to a battalion" Colonel
DENLY inquired whose business II was
10 see that enough surgeons were pro-
vided, and General Chaffee said he did
not know whether the medical director
OF the Fifth corps had been told that
there was going to be a battle or wheth.
er General Shafter had Instructed the
medical department to make provision.
Speaking OF commissary supplies
General Chaffee testified that at no time
was his brigade without food. Rice
would make an excellent food for mer
I'm Cuba. he said. but it could not be
taken into battle. His men had the field
ration, which was supplied from day te
day by the use Of pack mules.
Referring again to the wounded, tbs
general said that he believed that ev.
cry soldier OF his brigade was properly
attended 70 before nightfall. There wa.
no hospital tent. and the only shelter
for the wounded was when the shelter
tents were put up, two pieces pinned
together making a tent.
Colonel DENLY again remarked upor
the absence Of ambulances, and Gen
eral Chaffee responded: 1T was not il
the possibility OF man TO put an am
bulance on the field that day. The con
ditlon Of the roads was such that the,
could not be got there and II was i'm
possible to put wagon transportation oi