Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-03
A NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT
TALKS OF SANTIAGO CAMPAIGN. e
PASSES SEVERE CRITICISMS
SAYS THERE WAS MOST SERIOUS
LACK OF PREPARATION.
Declares That Conditions on Trans
port COncha Were Very Bad
General Sanger Criticises
Management of Affairs
Mt Chickamauga.

the war investigating commission held a
session here to-day for the purpose of
hearing the testimony of Major Henry
Romeyne, retired army officer. He said
that he had asked at the beginning of the
war for a military assignment to go to
the front in his capacity as an army Off
Ger; but it was refused and he then went
as 4 correspondent of weekly newspa-
per.
His testimony covered the embarkation
of the troops at Port Tampa and the
campaign in Cuba. He said that when he
went TO Port Tampa the bank of the canal
there was covered with troops. He had
wanted TO go oyer with the Tenth infar-
try which was his old regiment, but no
one could tell him where the regiment was
to be found. He asked a staff officer and
several others for the information but
none knew, nor did anyone appear to
know on what vessel any of the particu-
lar troops We're to embark. There was
great confusion, as a consequence of which
part of command would go on one
vessel and part on another and the COM
mands were in some cases separated from
their stores. He had seen no order for
the systematic embarkation of the troops,
and he heard it said that they were told
to go aboard helter-skelter.
When asked to express an opinion as to
the preparation for the embarkation the
witness hesitated, saying that to do so
would involve criticism of his superiors.
The commission insisted upon 4 reply and
Major Romeyne replied that he did not
think the preparation was such as it should
have been.
There was" he said. "a lack of surf
poats, and also of order and of preparation
Tor landing. When the landing was un-
dertaken the troops left the ships inGis-
crlmlnltelS. Df oip
one time and other part at other times"
he told of the efforts to tow two lighters
over to Cuba, but said that one was lost
and that 1t was the general impression that
| 1t was lost on purpose, because it retarded
the progress of the fleet.
In response to q question from General
McCook. Major Romeyne said that, while
| 1t was difficult to land anything, ambu-
iances and wagons could have been landed
| as easily as the artillery. He had seen
only one ambulance at the front at the bat
| tie of Ell Caney, and it was not used for
conveying the wounded to the rear
Speaking of other incidents of this bat
| tie, he said there was general surprise that
| an inflated balloon had been carried at the
| head of the attacking column. thus indi-
| eating to the Spanards the exact location
| of the troops, but he did not know at
whose orders this had been done.
He said the town of Siboney was, without
exception, the dirtiest place he had ever
seen in his life, and that no effort was
| made to clean it up before the fever broke
| out. There was a deficiency of proper food
at the fever hospitals. and the cooking vas
| generally poor. Anyone in this hospital
was liable to contract yellow fever He
had been patient in the hospital, and said
| there had been no neglect of patients by
| the medical attendants at this hospital or
| at the hospitals for the wounded
| he had known surgeons in the latter
| hospitals to work sixty hours without ces-
| sation.
| Why did they not have more surgeons?"
| asked Colonel DENLY. The witness said he
| could not answer.
! Major Romeyne said he had come north
| as conVaiescent with many other con-
yalescents en- the transport Concha. aud
| he criticised the provisioning of the vessel
| in severe terms. Many of the men We're
compelled to sleep on board hunks, without
blankets or pillows, and with no covering
| at night except the cotton uniform which
"The water was offensive to both sight
and SMELL he said, '.and the food was
poor and scanty. none being provided espe-
| cially for convalescents. The meat was
| canned and inferior, and much of the hard
| tack moulded
He also stated that there was only one
| physician on board the vessel and that
| he was a convalescent. Six men had died
on the way up. and Major Romeyne ex-
| pressed the opinion. in response to Il Ques-
| ton from Captain Howell that, with prop
! er attention and good food, the lives of at
least some of these men could have been
| saved. He said he was unable to place
| the responsibility for the neglect, but that
| the captain of the vessel had stated that
when he made application to go to Jama.-
| ing on the voyage from Santiago, the re-
| quest was refused.
| General Wilson. Ex-Governor Beaver and
| Captain Howell go to Camp Meade to-mor
| row for the purpose of inspecting that
| camp.
vestigation commission finished its work
| here to-day and left at 2:55 o'clock this aft
| ernoon over the Queen & Crescent railway
| for Cincinnati. The members of the COM
| mission expressed themselves as highly
| pleased with what they accomplished here.
They also complimeted highly the condition
| of things they found at Camp Hamilton.
| The members of the commission who We're
! in Lexington were General Granville NJ.
| Dodge. chairman; Colonel Sexton and DR..
| Connor.
Yesterday committee of prominent citi-
zens of Lexington, including Mayor Sim
rail- and ex-LIeutenant Governor Afford.
/ went to Washington TO confer with the
president and see what chance there is for
! a retention of the encampment of troops
! here. kilograms received to-day from the
committee say that the troons must leave
for the Southern camps. but that Secretary
Ager has nriGmed r., that b thsy anryr will i'll be
| cuperate. after they have seen service in
| Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philippines:
to-day was General Joseph P. Sanger. who
has had command of the Third division He
said the Second division camp at Chicka-
mauga was badly located. being in rocky
| ground. where sinks could not be deeply
dug.
When asked why the quartermaster's
| department could not furnish articles nee
| essary fer supplying the army, General
| Sanger said: The complex system of fur
| nishing supplies to our army is at fault.
| II there was one department to supply all
wants of the army there would be no
clashes. and these complications could not
| arise. At Chickamauga the control of my
division hospital was taken from and
taken by the chief surgeon of the corps"
| The general then went into discussion
of the complex system of our war regula-
| tons. taking away of regimental surgeons
and the alleged mismanagement which led
up to the overcrowding of The division hos
pitai and the great spread of typhoid.
General Sanger said he considered the
weak point in Camp Thomas was Its bad
| sanitary condition. The men had plenty
l of clothing. and had plenty to eat. 1t was
in bad sanitary condition.
There We're over 6o licensed hucksters
was sold. Il believe General Brooke tried
20 do all he could 10 bring the camp 10 a
good sanitary condition, he said. but he
was surrounded by medical board which
affairs. Dr. Huidekoper especially thought
DR.. Griffith was unnecessarily alarmed. Dr.
Griffith insisted that case diagnosed as
typhoid malaria fever was in reality ty-
phoid fever"
When asked whether high medical officers
at ChickamaEga paid close attention to
their duties. General Sanger said: II don t
know about others, but saw great deal
Of Or: Huidekopper, who came through our
General Sanger thought Chickamauga
would have been healthy place for a
camp, had the proper precautions been