The evening times., 1898-11-18
MAJOR LA GARDk's TESTIMONY
(From the New York Evening SUM-

(From the New York Evening SUM-
An important witness before the War
Investigating Commission yesterday was
Major Louis A. La Garde, who was In
charge of the hospital at Siboney from
the landing of thefFffth Army Corps un-
til the middle of August, going home at
that time only because he was wofully
broken in health. OF all the heroes of the
war La Garde was one of the most genu-
inc. Only man Of his indomitable cour-
age and remarkable mental poise could
have successfully managed the hospital
at Siboney. The difficulties with which
he had to contend would have appalled,
and unnerved most men. Utensils that
are supposed to be indispensable in a
military hospital, as well as nourishing
foods for the sick and wounded, were
lacking but La Gardes unvarying reply
to the complaints of his hospital stewards
was, We'll, we must do the best we
can" The man was always patient. gen.
tie, sweet-tempered and forbearing, but
his energy was electrical. In the harrow
ing days when the wounded were being
brought into Siboney, he denied himself
sleep and seemed to give up eating. No
sooner were the wounded made as COM
loTldDle as cOnulliOHS Woulu permit IMAM
yellow fever broke out. and La Garde
faced the new horror with characteristic
coolness 1t was wonderful that with the
great responsibilities resting on him he
did not go mad in the days that followed
The true story of the yellow fever at
Siboney has never been told, and 1t new
er Will be told unless DR.. La Garde opens
his lips. 1t was not the policy of the
military authorities to give out the true
facts of the situation, but II is known
that there were more cases and more
deaths than the public had any concep-
tion of at the time.
DR.. La Garde, ii may be supposed.
would prove to be a witness who could
not be diverted from the truth by person
al considerations, for he had suffered too
much TO gloss over the seamy side of
things at Siboney. So we find him as
serting that he was not permitted to
to take with him to Cuba the ambulance
train which he got together at Tampa.
The result was that the wounded were
jolted about in mule wagons until they
cried to the driver when he stopped not
to start up again, for Gods sake! Beef.
tea, and milk, said Major La Garde, the
hospital did not have except by grace
of the cOmmissary department. The
stock of medical supplies was short be-
cause, while there were plenty of them
on the transports, they had not been un-
loaded. 1t was not the Government that
furnished La Garde with delicaCies for
the sick and necessaries for the wound
ed, but the Red Cross Society. Every
thing, in his opinion, was subordinated to
pushing the army 10 the front, and it.
looked as if those in command expected
to land without opposition and take San
tiago in the same way" In other words.
there were not likely to be many wound
ed, and the hospital would not have much
TO do. Major La Garde finally testified
that on landing al Siboney on June q
he advised that the squalid buildings of
the place be burned. His counsel was not
needed. siboney rHas irazed by fire only
after the plague iappSired. few more
conscientious, fearfeSs witnesses like La
Garde and the truth will be laid bare.