The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-06
War Investigation Commission

War Investigation Commission
Washington, December 2.-The war
investigating commission resumed It's
sittings in this city today. Colonel
Charles Bird, who had charge OF tha
transportation division OF the quarter
master generals department during thS
war. testified in regard to purchase OF
mules. chartering OF transports and
contracts with railroads for carrying
troops. He denied that exhorbitant
prices had beer paid. The congestion
at Tampa, he said. was due to the fact
that more supplies were sent to that
point than could be handled. When
they learned OF the congestion. an or
der was issued for the marking OF cars
and a quartermaster's agent was sent
with each car.
Colonel Bird said that the transports
occupied between Tampa and Santa
go had been fitted up only to carry the
men and supplies to Havana and this
was the reason they proved inadequate
for a trip of much longer duration.
General Dodge questioned the wit
ness about the deficiency in the matter
| of lighters, bringing out the fact that
| he had suggested to General Miles the
use of pontoon trains. When General
Shafter sailed he was supplied with six
| lighters, but he had failed to take
more than two.
Colonel Crosby T. Miller, also Of the
QuartermaSter generals office having
charge of all the army transportation
except that by water and rail. testi-
fled that over 1000 gon had been
| purchased for the use OF the army.
! At the beginning OF the war Ii was i'm
possible to secure any without delay.
as a matter of fact all the orders had
not been filled yet.
Captain Jas. Mckay. a civilian and
an old sea captain in Florida and Gu
ban waters who under General Hum
phrey had charge of the details OF the
transportation of the troops to Santa
| 60. proved an important witness. He
said that complete rations had been
put on eaCh ship and that the vessels
had not been overloaded This was
contrary to previous testimony, as was
also a later statement that the vessel
which each command was TO occupy
had been designated before embaring.
He emphasized this fact, saying the
designation had been made by General
Shafter and the colonel OF zach of the
regiments was evidently informed i'm
each case. He said there was no con-
fusion when the troops went aboard.
II say emphatiCally there was no dis
order and no confusion" he said. land
that i'm all cases the regiments found
their quarters without trouble or de-
lay"
How about the Rough-Riders. the
Roosevelt regiment?' asked General
Beaver.
They were assigned TO the ucatan
and there was no difficulty in their
e~mbarkatiOn."
| Captain Mckay also said that there
| had been no confusion in unloading the
| stores. He testified that they had been
/ 1nnin1 in IN nrInr1u n T6nr
was a list showing what articles were
in each vessel and thee had been no
| mixing of the various kinds OF stores.
IT was true as had been charged that
some Of the stores had never been un-
loaded. but this was due in he main
to the fact that the stores were not
needed. The tents Were not unloadnd
for lack Of storage room on shore AMI
because they could not be gotten to the
| front.
Captain Mckay said there had been
no disposition on the part OF the mas
ters Of the transports to disobey orders
or to keep their vessels unnecessarily
far out at sea. as had been charged.
There were a great many men giving
| orders who had no authority to do go
and who knew nothing OF the sea or
the local conditions. 1t was not safe
to hold the ships very close In. He
also denied that there had been any
1 al 10 anu HlfDltdl SlpTeS. 1T naI
been impossible TO secure labor assist
ance in Cuba, the natives refusing
even to assist in landing food For them
| selves. He was satisfied that ample
facilities had been provided for land
ing the troops and supplies and that
there would have been no difficulty IT.
| all the lighters had been available. As
it was. four lighters had reached Dali
| quiri and not one only, IA had been re-
| ported.
Captain Mckay took exception 10 a.
| referenc in Admiral SIMPSONS report
to what he called the wandering pro-
| c~livities Of the transports" AS Il mat
ter Of fact" he said. III the Transports
| developed any wandering procliv1tiex
this fact was due To the navy
He then related that a naval vessel
had made the rounds the first night 81
ter arrival TO allow the officer in com
mand 10 notify the transports that "A
| change had been made in the directions
] for landing. He thought Captain Han
| ker had given this information and he
had stated that they were 10 pursue a
south southeast course. He had said
nothing az 10 how long they should
steer in that direction. This cours-
pursued indefinitely would carry them
SIX points OF the coast. This order led
the transport officers generally 20 con-
CLYDE that they were To sail To Porto
REQ and az "A matter Of fact the Knick-
erbocker did sail thirty-hve miles AMI
got lost for twelve hours on recount
Of the order. only coming back when
found that none OF the feet was with
him.
Captain Mckay had not completed
his testimony when the commission
adjourned for the day.
The Louisiana Naval Reserves boat
Washington. December 1.-THE