Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-10-12

very severe up to that time. he
roads were narrow, but equal to
the demands. The supplies he
considered sufficient except in a
few instances, and in those IN
stances the deficiency was only
temporary. General Skater" he
said, deserves great credit for the
zeal he displayed in this respect:
He devoted himself to this task and
I think there is no doubt he sue.
ceeded. We used pack trains and
there was comparatively little sui.
fering because of the shortness OF
quartermasters' supplies"
General Wheeler said in response
to a question that Cervera's fleet
was the object OF the campaign.
There was no reason why the Span
ish troops should not have made a
sortie from Santiago and he had
asked Gen. Toral after the sur
render why he had not attacked.
The latter replied that the failure
to do so was because his men were
footsore. Yet Gen. Wheeler could
not accept this explanation fortthe
Spanish soldiers were not tootsore.
Gen. Wheeler's opinion was that
the Spanish commander was not
able TO face the Americans in the
open.
THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
Discussing the plan of campaign
he said he doubted whether any
more effective plan could have been
adopted. Speaking of the medical
department he said at times there
were complaints but that they
were not serious. On occasions
there was a shortage of surgeons;
some of the surgeons being sick or
wounded. According to General
Wheeler's belief the wounded in
battle were promptly cared for by
the surgeons. After the fight OF
Tulv I, all the wounded were car
ried from the field that night. The
witness had heard that there was
more complaint of the shortage of
medicine among the infantry than
in the cavalry arm OF the service.
Going back to Tampa he said
that at the season he was there, the
first half of June, the site was
without objection, but he had felt
that it would be wet later in the
season. 1t was his impression that
Tampa had been selected as a camp
site after the beginning Of the war
and was incidental to the intended
move on Havana. There was, he said,
at times, some shortage of supplies at
the camp "but nothing" he added,
that a soldier could complain Of. "
They had comfortable tents and the
commissary supplies were sutfi-
cient. The water supply also was
good. He said the men in his COM
mand were we'll taken care Of.
However, very few men were at
that time sick. He had himself
gone into the hospitals and had
found the men doing well.
General Wheeler said he had no
control over the supplies which
were taken to Santiago OH the
transports when he left Tampa.
This was attended to by the differ
ent staff officers. He only knew
from conversation with these that
there was an abundance of supplies
of all character.
Returning to the Santiago cam
paign he said that only two regi.
ments had reported shortage of
rations and he had Immediately
telephoned to the rear and the
shortage which was due to accident
had been adjusted. There was
suffering when the men were COM
PEELED to lie on the breastworks.
The meat was poor and they had
no bread but hard tack. They
were forced to live in the sun and
water alternatively and necessarily
there was much sickness. While
they had the full quota of doctors
and nurses if more had been fur
nished the men would have been
better cared for. AS for rations,
three days supply was generally
issued, Whenever the troops
went into action they would throw
their food away, as we'll as their
packs, and they often did not re-
cover them.
General Wheeler took up the
common report that the Cubans
stole goods thus discarded. 1t was
not fair he said, 10 thus accuse the
natives, for there was so much OF
this f1otsam and ietsam that, hun