New-York tribune., 1898-11-17
THE ARMY INVESTIGATION.
CONDUCT OF THE WAR FROM A MED
ICAL POIfT OF VIEW


ne testimony befor. the War Department In
ves,,gating Commission to-day. He spoke first OF
the yellow fever hospital at Siboney. which was
under his charge ina general way. He salts
eed that the Hospital well conducted and that
,he supplies on tie whole were ample He was
sure that the morality in this hospital did not ex-
ceed per cent. There might, however have been
some suffering ir individual on account of
the insuficoncy sf supplies and for want Of expert
nursing Dr. Conner asked whether the contin-
sencv of yellow fever could not have been provided
against asking whether in his Judgment IT should
%, have been Known by the Surgeon General that
under the circumstances there would be out
break OF fever
He should have known that such were the prob
abilities" Dr. La Garde replied. " and everybody
should have known that such the chances in
sending an army into infected region in the
summer season Evidently the Surgeon General
did foresoe What would happen. and his words on
This subject written before the expedition out
ard giving warning against the invasion at the
time Il was undertaken, read like prophecy
Returning TO the care of the hospital for wounded
soldiers DR. La Garde said that between thirteen
hundred and fourteen hundred had been
treated by the surgeons at this Institution. OF
,hs wounded men there were about dozen deaths.
~ less than per cent. There had never before
heen war when the mortality record was so
small This due largely 10 the use OF the
modern rifle and the prompt methods of rendering
He thought that under the old conditions the
mortality would have been 20 per cent greater.
GENERAL SHAFTER'S ORDERS.
Colonel W. j. Jacobs. who was chief quarter
master Of the Fifth Corps at Tampa and in Cuba,
testified that General Humphrey had been in charge
Of the emNarkat:on OF troops at Tampa. and that
no order specifying wha; vessels the different COM
rnands TO occupy had been issued. In reply
% a question from Ex-Governor Beaver he said
the embarkation had been a haphazard affair. He
also thought there was great deficiency In the
provisions for Decentralization. as only two lighters
were provided. and one OF these lost o0 the
way over.
General McCook developed animated episode
by asking II there were any reasons why tho cook
ing utensils and camp equipage Of troops should
not have been forwarded from Daiquiri 10 the
troops in the field. There no reason" Colonel
Jacobs replied. except that General Skaters
order forbade
Continuing. he said tha. the order was positive.
Y did not specify what should not be forwarded,
tut Il specific In providing that only forage
and rations should be forwarded. General Skaters
orders were written, and the General had given
him strict verbal instructions 10 that they
were observed. The food had been sent to the
front cooked but he thought the men should have
had some facilities for cooking. The order had
never been changed in the month he remained at
Daiquri.
20 leave all the hospital equipments behind al
Tampa and Colonel Jacobs replied that II was his
impression such the He had personal
knowledge that General Shafter had given such an
order concerning the ambulances.
1T was expected that there would be an engage
ment. IL not?' asked Dr. Conner.
Certainly" replied Colonel Jacobs we went
down there 10 fight"
vision for taking care OF the wounded"
Il should say that these things should have been
Then" Continued .Dr Conner the Medical De
masters Department Is responsible
THE Quartermasters Department could not have
IeV W swear hat General shsfter told me not
take the ambulances. though do not recall t tnai
there any distinct orders In regard to hospitai
equipments
CAMP WIKOFF UNJUSTLY CRITICISED
Captain Jonathan y. Patton. who assistant
ouartermaster had made the contracts for the con-
structon Of the quartermaster's and commissary
buildings for Camp Wikof. gave the particulars Of
this transaction and other occurrences at that
nossibiv I'm trivial matters were promptly filled II
do not remember a single solitary thing that was
not furnished II was asked for. even
without requiring a receipt for it," he said. There
IN the newspapers concerning the delay or SICK men
ct the depots going of on furloughs There was
discomfort than IS necessary in removing SICK
At the afternoon session Captain NJ, W. Ireland
who was associated with Or. La Garde as surgeon
and executive officer in The Siboney Hospital. was
the first witness. He said that he had gone 10
Cuba on the Saratoga. but had not been able 70
HOSPITAL a. Siboney had been sufficiently well sup
piled for about hundred patients except In the
ffty. Patients in excess OF this number were com
PEELED 20 lie on their BLANKETS on the ground 'or
ihe frst week OF the hospitals history About
twelve hundred wounded men came TO be treated
within three Or four DAYS after the niIaton OF
and Notwithstanding the shortage OF supplies me
men bad as good attention there as ,t ,hey SoH,r an
Of any ships coming North without medical officers
ana StenGaS ,o a afcr % tbe.eiVes on tho trip
Or Edward L. MunsOn. who was on DUTY ~
0jlyet-a and also adiutant to Genera, Pope, chief
surgeon Of the Fifth Corps. said he had understood
,bst ali the dlficulty there was IN getting med
tcincs and supplies was due TO the lack OF raiis-
portation.
CHIEF SURGEON FORWOODs EVIDENCE
Colonel W H. Forwood. who was the chief medi-
e., Officer at Montauk Point testified that his In
structions were 10 have hand at all times tents,
beds etc and representations that they were not
there were no. correct. There was. however. some
lack OF transportation facilities. and there was dii-
Guilty IN getting supplies from the station TINS De-
Ing duo largely to the limited capacity or the Tan.
road station The hospitals were oVercro"ceo a.
times but only for few hours. lie asscIteo ui5t
mot for A minute" had patients remained ou,sue s
although here were times when cots were not on
hand In these cases the patients were laid on HaT
mattresses spread the tent floors Much OF me Sne
crowdinc Of The hospital was due 10 the lacl tIN.
many soldiers sought TO gain admission as means
ot getting furlough home THIS CONDITION OI
= ~ ~ r,jqht have resulted IN keeping deserving
mo on, w did not do much business with the
ietter-pad" SAID the witness we did not use INC
non nor resort ~ red tape but we got on our horses
= nd ,ve,, vim q vim to do what was TO be oohe
but" said DR.. Conner. these facts 40 noI e eh,
plain the other fact that there We're occasions % 49,
% ,erts vvcra overcroS ded-Nhen there We're more
fck mon than could be a coininodAtcad "hd' s''P'
were taken 10 relieve this condiuo" a~oo,,o-e and
Dr FOrwood-We increased the carpenleIs anu anu
he iahorers generally. and II possible wouu nav
,ncroosed tho fiye We rcdOubied our own pc rsohdI
exertIore worked late at nSht soInS thro"eh ram
as well as shine. . ,-s. .h,, af.or 70
coiyiug an order early In August 10 sTo = ~ tbat