The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-22
Landing Facilities at Santiago Enad-
eauate, and Not Sufficient Medi-
cines for the sick.
GEN. MERRITT ALSO EXAMINED
OFFICERS AND PRIvATES OF THE
VOLUNTEER ARMY PRAISED.
The Philippines Expedition a Decided
Success, and Well Supplied with
RatiOns and Medicines.

WASHINGTON, Dec. a.-Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, commanding the United States army,
and Gen. Wesley Merritt, commander of the
American forces at the capture of Manila,
were the principal figures before the war
investigation commission to-day. General
Miles responded to the summons of the
committee only after several days consid~
Grafton. He was accompanied by his own
stenographer His examination was COM
paratively brief and not sensational. He
spoke with some bitterness as to the 'em-
bal1ned beef and the canned beef furnished
the army in the field. This he character
lied as an experiment for which some one
in Washington was responsible" He said
the landing facilities of the Santiago ex-
pedition were inadequate, and that the men
were short of rations and medicines and
might have been better protected from ex-
posure to fever contagion General Merritt
told the commission that he regarded the
Philippine expedition as a decided success.
and would conduct it on the same lines IL
he had 1t to do over. He spoke In hign
terms of the troops under him, and said his
army was we'll supplied with medicines ana
food
Lieutenant Colonel Mley, General SHAFT
ter's chief of staff, was the first witness to-
day. He testified concerning the san-
tiago campaign, largely following the lines
Of General Skaters testimony yesterday.
Colonel Miley said that while the expedi-
tlonary feet was lying at Tampa prior to
the start the troops were given every fa-
cility for bathing and shore PRIVILEGES lie
told the positions of the lines of the two
armies before Santiago and said the Span
ish lines were so conspicuous there was no
necessity for any reconnaissance in forces
tn determine them. He said there was no
doubt that there were Spanish sharpshoot-
ers between the Spanish and American
lines. but he was unable to find single IN
stance of Spanish sharpshooters firing ON
our hospitals in the rear, or of their nring
on our TANKS He spoke of the two-mlie
range of the Spanish rifles, and, describing
the American position on San Juan nils
said it would have been far more danger
ous for the men to have been a half mile
IN the rear than to remain where they were.
MILES DOES NOT TAKE OATH.
General Miles took the stand next. "Ara
YOU willing to be sworn?" he was asked.
II think" was the reply that can san
what have to say without being sworn
General Miles was fortified with larga
package of papers and had his own stenog-
rapher He gave his evidence in clear un"
hPSitatlnR
ing both the Santiago and Porto Rico expe-
ditions. He opened by describing the rails
road confusion in getting the war munitions
70 Tampa. pointed to the lack of govern-
ment storehouse facilities there and said
the cars at one time were held back as far
as Columbia. S. c. He said that when the
transports were loaded 1t was found impos-
sible to put more than fifteen thousand
men aboard and they were equipped as we'll
as possible under the circumstances. II
was most Fortunate he said, that the
transports had good weather. If they had
encountered a severe storm the loss OF hfa
or the suffering, at least, must have been i
fearful AS il was, with fair weather, tha
men below. crowded in with the mules and
supplies, could get on deck, which would
have been impossible otherwise"
The commissary stores taken, he saide
were sufficient, but the medical supplies
were inadequate. He had left the loading,
excepting for general directions, TO the
corps commander. General Shafter. He
found, just before sailing. that there were
a number OF pontoon boats being takens
which would be utterly useless fo4 the pur-
pose. and he himself had secured two
barges from the owners there and had tak-
en- other steps, but the supply Of such boats
taken was very inadequate. THE expedi~
tion,' he continued, should have been fur-
nished with launches, naphtha or steam,
and tugs for towing steamers to the shore.
We relied entirely on the engineer officers
and the engineer department for these. In
the second expedition to Porto Rico Theses
were furnished. but they arrived too late
to render much assistance" He said before
the first fleet sailed from Tampa estimates
had been definitely made for the number oG
boats TO be furnished the transports and the
number to be furnished by the navy to as~
sist The most cordial assistance, he added,
had been promised on the part Of the navy
MEDICAL SUPPLIES SHORT
At Santiago the supply Of tentage ana
food was very limited.
Were the medical supplies at that timo
sufficien. for the needs at commando" he
was asked.
In reply, he read a dispatch from General
Shafter on Aug. 4, which referred 70 a
chronic scarcity OF medicines" and that
four men had just died from lack of medic
cines There was at no time, said General
Miles. sufficient medicine for the troops.
General Beaver-From what you learned
and observed while there. do you think
there was at any time a sufficient medical
supply?
General Miles-of medical men and ma
terials?
General Beaver-Yes.
General Miles--No, sir
The witness stated that the hospital Sc
commodations were only of temporary
character lie said that the shelter was
bad. The shelter tents did not shelter,
Questioned as to tho character OF the fa~