Connecticut western news., 1898-12-22
TESTIMONY OF SKATER
Commander at Santiago Before
 War Inquiry Board.
HIS STORY OF THE CAMPAIGN.
There We're Errors of Judgment, He Admits, hut on the Whole Thinks
 Affairs Were We'll Manaxed-says
 He Left Ambulances Behind.

There Were Errors of Judgment, He
 Affairs Were We'll Manaxed-says
 He Left Ambulances Behind.
 Washington, Dec. 21.-General Shaf- ter appeared rather unexpectedly be- fore the war investigation commission yesterday afternoon and told his story of the Santiago expedition. He was supported by his aid, Colonel Miley, who was with him in Cuba, and flank ed by large portmanteau of papers, to which his aid occasionally applied for reference.
 General Shafter's story of the opera tions around Santiago was tersely told, but at times quite vivid in its recital and interesting in detail. Briefly sum- med up, his estimate of the Santiago expedition was that it had been a mili- tary success and cheap at the cost of 500 lost in the fight. He considered the expedition to have been as we'll fitted out as the time allowed would permit and said that in looking back he had no criticism of his plans to make and would not change them if the events had to be gone through again. He said he had no complaints of any sort to
 
 at this time if he had.
 After brief preface General Shafter went into a detailed account of his preparations for the Santiago expedi- ton. He said his plans were changed three times by the department, and once he actually started but was called back by the report of Spanish warships off the coast. He said the transport fleet was not sufficiently large to accommo- date 17,000 men for any length of time at sea, but all were SO anxious to go that he risked considerable crowding to take all the men possible. He admitted that he took chances in doing this, but said the weather was good and there was no mishap to regret. The men were regulars almost entirely, fully equipped, and he saw that they were made as comfortable as circumstances permitted.
 AS to medical supplies. General Shaf- ter said: You know medical supplies are the one thing that a commanding officer or a line officer never knows anything about. The surgeon Is sup posed to know what he wants. My medical officer said he thought he had enough medical supplies for the tenn porary service to which we thought we were destined. Events proved, how ever, that the surgeon was mistaken. The ammunition supply was ample"
 As to supplies, General Shafter said there was nothing essential left behind.
 How about the ambulances?" asked General Beaver.
 Hindsixht Better Than Foresight.
 As to the ambulances." said General Shafter, T take the whole responsibili- ty myself. I ordered and supervised their loading. After events proved that 1t would have been better to have taken 10 or Is additional ambulances and left that many wagons behind, but wagons can be used for two purposes, and ann balances can be used for but one. l took the wagons. and the wounded had to be transported in them after the first days fighting. I must say that on rocky muddy road, such as we had there, that there Is little difference in comfort between an ambulance and an escort wagon. The men were put on straw in the bottom of the wagons, and we did the best we could for them. Am balances would have been better. but the hindsight is always better than foresight"
 Concerning the landing facilities with the expedition, General Shafter said they had two large barges, one of which was lost en route, and small tug, the Captain Sam, whose captain deserted during the night. The boats capacity of the transport fleet was sufficient for the landing. as the events proved.
 How about getting the supplies to the front for the men?" asked General Beaver.
 Tt was the one problem of the cam paign, and 1t taxed us to the utmost, said he. 'If 1t had not been for the pack train, we could not have done it. and the expedition would have been a failure"
 General shafter said he regarded the landing of the expedition as eminently successful They lost only two men out of a total of 10000 men and 30 anil mals. It was a remarkable record.
 There has been considerable criticism from the medical officials about getting their medical supplies ashore" said General Beaver. Were any such com plaints brought to you?"
 "A majority of the regimental sur geons left their medical chests on their vessels. When I found this out. I put Dr. Goodfellow aboard the Nantec and had him collect these chests. As soon as they were landed they were put on wagons and distributed to the men"
 As an additional explanation of the difficulty in furnishing supplies ashore General Shafter said at one time with an army of 21, 900 men he had to issue rations to 40, 900 people. the excess being the refugees from Santiago women and children for the most part. whom he could not allow to starye. ...
 As to the care of the wounded, Gen eral Shafter said they were cared for as carefully as the circumstances would permit. "The doctors worked like Tro- jans. They deserved and received com mendation from every one. They work ed till they were sick and worn out. The doctors were mostly young men. You can't get very old and experienced sur geons to go on a summer campaign for S100 month. But. they were splendid fellows. Compared with the civil war. the wounded were better cared for in Cuba than they were then"