The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-11

In Colonel Lees Criticism Of the Work
Of the War Department I'm she Last
Five Month~-TestimOhy Before the
War Investigauon Commission

Washington. October Three wit
nesses were before the war investigat-
ing commission today-General Greene.
who participated in the battle of Ma
Mia, Colonel Lee, chief quartermaster
at Camp Thoma and Major Hersey.
who was for a time in command Of
the Roosevelt Rough-Riders. Each
agreed in saying that no army vas
ever so abundantly and luxuriously
supplied as was the American army in
the Spanish war.
General F. V. Greene. who was in
cargo Of one of the divisions Of Unit
ed States roops at the battle of Ma
Mia, was the first witness. He sailed
from San Francisco to Manila On the
steamer China, an excellent vessel, he
said, which was inspected by a board
Of officers before ii was chartered. The
health of the troops at Manila was
excellent and the commissary supplies
abundant, but there was difficulty in
getting them ashore on account of the
storm. This caused some hardships.
n day they were without food, but
during the other twenty-four lays
they had sufficient food to sustain life.
There were only twenty or thirty sick
I in his command. He considered the
surgeons efficient, and had heard no
complaint from the men in the hospi-
tails. The sinks were inspected twice
daily.
1t had been impossible to properly
supply the men with shoes and as a
consequence about 800 of the troops
marched into the city barefooted after
the c~apitulation.
General Greene thought the army
regulations should be adapted more
to campaign experiences than at pres
ent. The commisSary vas SO restrict
ed that a case where a lighter sank
with rations for a regiment, the com
missary could not issue others, with
out the authority of a board of survey.
Speaking of the camp at San Fran
cisco, he said that the site of Camp
Merritt was very poor, but did not
know whether a better site could have
been secured. The location was made
by General Otis, and General Greene
felt safe in denying the report that
there had been COLLISION with the rail-
road authorities in choosing the site.
| General Greene stated that the most
fragrant evidence of neglect hat he
had seen during the war was in the
case of the transports at New York.
| Their condition was of a character
! that should have been remedied. He
had also seen green coffee issued both
| in Florida and at Manila.
Comparing the experience of his
| troops with those of Turkey and Rus
| STA, he said he had seen more suffer-
ing in the Turkish army in a day than
he had seen in the American troops in
a month, and there were 5000 Russian
| troops ill with typhoid fever at close
of the Russian campaign. He spoke
from observation and said the COM
parison at every point was favorable
to the American troops.
MAJOR HERSEY TESTIFIES.
Major Henry B. Hersey, of Santa Fe,
N. NJ, of the Roosevelt Rought Riders,
was next examined. He said the men
were generally in good health at a
main, at Tampa, which was the next
stopping place. He complained, how
ever, that at the latter place the camp
was low and fiat and toward the close
of his stay there in July there was an
increase of fever and kindred dis
eases. The trOops were, he said, well
supplied from the cOmmissary and 9TH
er departments, but there were some
complaints against the physician who
was left with the squadron at this
point. The chief cause of criticism ap-
peared to be his bearing toward the
men.
AS TO CAMP WIKOFF.
At the afternoon session Major Her.
sey related his experience and OBJ
servatiOns at MOntauk Point. He had
come north on the Miami, which was
considered one of the worst of the
transports. Still the voyage was not
characterized by any special discom-
forts. He considered Camp Wikoff the
| nncT norfaot oarp ha had ever Cpan
COLONEL LEE ON THE STAND.
This witness was followed by Colonel
James G.. Lee. who was chief quarter
master at Camp Thomas during the
history of that camp. He said that
neither the regulars nor the volun-
teers had sufficient transportation ia
cilIties when they came in, and their
wants in this respect were supplied.
He had Immediately made estimates
for supplies, and all had been met with
a remarkable degree of promptitude.
Colonel Lee dwelt upon the natural
difficulties of supplying an army of
$4,000 men. They were impatient as
a rule and seemed to expect to be able
to turn a faucet and get everything
they wanted upon the spur Of the mo-
ment. There were some articles OF
which they were never able to get a
sufficient supply-army trousers fol-
instance. He remembered one case in
which there appeared likely to be a
clash in the making of contracts with
the railroads for the transportation OF
troops, in which men who were his
juniors in the Washington headquar-
ters were manifesting a disposition tC
interfere with him by prescribing con-
ditions with which it was impossible
to comply. He had protested in SHARP
and vigorous language. and thereafter
there was no trouble, as the Washing.
ton Office receded from it's position.
:, General McCook asked for the name:
of those who had interfered and insist
ed upon having them. After hesitat'
ing somewhat, Colonel Lee said ths
difficulty arose in the transportation
branch of the department in charge o.
Colonels Hecker and Bird.
Pressed to enter into particulars, Col
mel Lee aid that his contention wa:
that he should be allowed to make al
the rates. He found that the passen
ger rates had been made at Washing
ton and while these were very low h
/ found whom ha ca fn getting friaph