Connecticut western news., 1898-10-06

at Santiago, but commended General Shafter for so utilizing what was at hand as to make the campaign suc- cess. In this part of General Wheeler's testimony there cropped out his only criticism of General Shafter. It relat- ed to the order of authorization. which placed his division fourth. Being sec ond in command and his forces consist Ing of cavalry, General Wheeler thought 1t should be first. There was objection to the transports lying off shore so great a distance while the expedition and stores were disembarking. It was difficult to determine who was in com mand of the transports. They were un- der the charge of the quartermaster's division of the army.
 The medical division, he said, was fairly we'll organized. Ordnance sup plies and rations were promptly fur nished. In reply to direct question from Governor Beaver, who conducted the examination on behalf of the com mission, General Wheeler said that in his observation he saw no omission that ordinary prudence of a commando CT or foresight of an intelligent head of staff could have obviated. There was no suffering from lack of ordnance or commissary stores; no wounded un- cared for and no ambuscade of troops; no wormy or moldy food and no neg lect of soldiers.
 Location of Camp wikoH.
 Describing the general location of Camp Wikoff, General Wheeler said it was charming. The sea almost sur rounded it. the ground was rolling. and the tents were all ditched. As rule, when the parents or other relatives came to visit the soldiers they express ed satisfaction at the care the men were given. He knew of no complaints from relatives. General Wheeler ex- plained that the reason there was so much complaint about the burials was that the burial ground was so near and so plainly in view. Only 260 of the men had died in the existence of the camp. He knew nothing of the details of in- terments and could not say whether any bodies had been buried without clothing. Upon the whole, he thought the fact that there had been no spread of yellow fever from the camp was quite marvellous. One of the greatest difficulties he had encountered was to properly control the removal of sick soldiers by their relatives in cases where sympathy and affection often acted instead of discretion. He had, he said, no medical director, but gave his orders to various physicians who seemed to be equally in charge.
 General Wheeler considered the hos pital facilities ample after the erection of the division hospitals. There were times when they were crowded for day or two; but, on the other hand, there were many times when the build ings were not filled.
 
 Wheeler said that the want of railroad facilities had been felt most, especial ly in transporting troops and in secur- ing supplies, but on this latter point there was no very serious trouble. The railroad officials had used every effort to meet the demands upon it when complaint was made to the manage ment.
 No Soldiers So Well Supplied.
 He had read to the regular soldiers the assertion that they had been in an almost starving condition, and they laughed at the report. The men assert ed that the only trouble was that they had too much, and as matter of fact | no soldiers had ever been so we'll SUD- piled.
 General Wheeler asserted that it was true some of the employees had used articles intended for the sick, and he | had been told by some ladies that phy- sicians had appropriated some of the articles, including apollinaris water, provided for the hospital. He had issued tn order for the arrest of those engaged | in such a practice. He had himself seen | boy distributing oranges among his | fellows There were," he said. "un- | doubtedly individual cases of suffering | and of neglect, but they were the excep- tion." He had investigated the charge | that the hospitals were overcrowded, and he was satisfied that such was not | the case. He made almost daily visits | ts the hospitals, and if he had found | them overcrowded the deficiency would have been made good and immediately. | We had no red tape about this or | any other matter" said the general. "but we ordered thing done, and it | was done. Our aim at Wikoff was to supply the necessities of the men, and we attempted to do so without resort ing to the formalities necessary in times | of peace."
 Replying to other allegations made by | The World, General Wheeler gave de- tails of the arrival of troops from Cuba