Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-25
EXPERIENCE IN CUBA
testimony BEFORE DODGE COM
MISSION on THIS POINT.
zen HAD ENOUGH TO EAT
~ They Had Eaten More They
Nyoutd Have Been sici<er-oniy De-
t.otion WINS In Not Having
PROPER Food for sick.


....-.5 ABOUT "a dozen witnesses. includ-
,..a number Of volunteer officers. 1t is
... expected that the commission will
-... for Huntsville TOMORROW night.
Major David Vlckcrs. who was .nspcc-
,.-s.roral OF the Second Division OF the
third corps at Chickamauga. attributed
. troubles I'm that camp 20 the shallow
...s Of the sinks He said. also that some
, The recimental officers insisted on
81, king poor selections Of camp sites, and
t- one instance q Mississippi colonel, who |
... put his men in a swamp, insisted |
,-.n remaining upon tho ground, raging |
chat a Mlssissippian had a na-Iral a. |
,..tv for swamps. Nevertheless, his men 1
..re taken sick. Major Nickcrs also COM /
med that the drinking water was poor. |
III. thought the camp site unfit for so |
.-es am army. lie claimed II was not !
r-.a that the privates were fed better |
tu the officers. He said that at one
-u. the beds OF patients were on me
t..r Asked as 20 the competency or the /
surgeons at the hospitals he said There
was one man in the hospital whose prone
mss 10 profanity untitled him Tor the
service. This man was Major Hubbard
f.reeon Of the Ninth New York. His
profanity was OF such a villainous cha-
r.eter." said Major Bickers. "as to
,retty nearly make me sick, and know
IF could not have had a pleasant effect
upon patients
CONDITIONS AT SANTIAGO.
Northumberland Bisbee. In command
Cf the First Infantry told the story OF the
transportation OF his regiment 10 san
ffIeo briefly described the hghung ABOUT
Santiago spoke Of his experience III C1Da.
Of the return 90 MOntauk POINT ana OF
tne stay az that place and the transfer
south Asked if landing at Santiago
could have been accomplished, ne repIleu'
THE facilities were so poor that / thlhk
rot At least. / should say that II hau
been on shore no enemy would nave beeu
permitted 10 land. l cannot say no" II
was with the Spaniards'
He said there was considerable diihcul-
IL IN getting food while in front OF san
tiago. but that the men had had enough
lie said If there had been more TO eat
the men would probably have been SICK
o. He EXPRESSED the opinion that the
only deprivation had been In not having
,roper food for the sick. They could not
take the food in the condition IL was In
ne said. He thought the rauons contain
cd too much fat meat for the cuIhd' e.,
Colonel Bisbee stated that hlnseI anu
sixteen men were the only members OF
his REGIMENT who had not been III al
some time during the Santiago campaign
eft had been impossible 20 secure medl-
cal supplies" said the witness, 'and II
we had had them we could not have car
ried them" He added that the army was
badlv broken up I'm that respect, anC
cd not get into shape. for some reason
Jta said the men were just beginning u
break I'm health when Santiago surrender
al and the capitulatiOn came at just TN
right time. After the surrender Of tn
CITY there was plenty for all 70 eat.
THE SPANISH TROOPS.
Speaking Of the Spanish troops Colone
Bisbee said: Il think about three tourth
Of them would have enlisted, Dut 10
tbeir home ties They found that W
were giving them better treatment tha
their own government did. l am satishe
tbair own officers were swindling them
The officers were fat and sleek lookinl
but the men were i'll and pale, ana al
parently underfed.'
He did not believe there was suincieI
number Of doctors I'm the Cuban can
paipn and he thought the contract SUI
gaous were capable doctors, but were nc
familiar with army methods ana dld NJ
know how to get the necessary neui
c,ues. Speaking generally of the CUBA
experience. he expressed me opiiio
that the supplies had been as liberal
could have been reasonably expected
Colonel Risbee said he had not con
planned OF the voyage north. Inc leg
ment was held at the detention can
for three days. He said in reply TO que
lions from General McCook, that On
tress signal had been put out Tor loo
while they lay out at sea, and Wheh son
vessel came alongside he had called @
20 those aboard 10 bring them IoOd. 1
stated. I'm explanation, that the food WI
wanted for the officers mess. ne M
had enough" he said, 'such as II Wds
After this and while at Montauk' IN
cot more than they needed. We got
from the people Of the New York Ken
Association and citizens. They sent
everything, including whiskey and char
paene-far more than We wanted.
said he knew of no deprivation at Mo
taul, "The raw recruits were how'll
10 got into a house, butS;hat was all.
on INFANTRY DID NOT SUFFER-
Major Dempsey, Of the Second tesul
Infantry covered very much the S"i
eeround as Colonel Bisbee. lie sald u
his command had never curing Vne :.
ttaqo campaign suffered for want Oh 81
- Non had sometimes at night l
lent Of covering. but not Of To-
Not more than half the men IN the ie
Int were lit for duty at the uule ol
,rrender Of Santiago. He had heaI0
l[etor say that Quinine ana castor
a.. only medicines he could
49, Deupgey said the only dehcle'
bo bsd discovered at Montauk vas III
meter az transportation facll''lVS'
LINED 10 be taxed. He had also ng
"a doctor say that there W. S"nttal
ctent beds i'm the regimentai hosp''"'
10 accommodation of the sick loo
other members Of the TWO Iesi..0
., ycquIars stationed here, VINO W.
smined were Captain warns 90
Eirgr Lieutenant Lutz, OF the So
ouarfermaster-Ser hatz' o.,
Trsr. private Feltus. Of the firs's y"
,frmaster- Sergeant stahl. OF the SEQ
s1d private Hounchell, Of the secoh9,
testi6ed that while there was a oeny'7
60 rstions while the troops We're III
trencbes in the vicinity Of Sanu'so' ="
was no real suffering on the part oi
,nen on mis- account. and for the
,pev EXPRESSED themselves as sa'.S
maj they had received as good at'en'
as tbev could have expected uhue'
circumstances.
ALABANuANs WERE HEAlsi II
colonel Bullard. Of the Third Aaoa
which mad been stationed AT mobile
viouslv 10 coming 10 Admission sara
command had received all necessary
piiea and that the health OF me @
mand had been good throughout
Colonel II. NJ. Seaman, or me fou
Wisconsin. complained that the supp
FOR his regiment drawn at lamp 10