The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-05

Washington, Oct. 4.-The war invest
timony today, and Maj. Gen. Joe
Wheeler was on the stand the greater
part of the day. There was q full
attendance of the commission, and the
doors of the room in which the in
quiry is conducted We're for the first
time opened to the representatives of
the press.
Gen. Wheelers testimony covered the
case of the soldiers at the two i'm
portant points of Santiago and Wi
koff He said with reference to the
conduct of affairs at Santiago that
there had necessarily been some suf-
fering IN the trenches, but that Gen
Shafter had exercised the utmost eff
fort to protect his men. There had
been, he said, shortage of land trans
portation facilities for a time, and
there had been no tents for a week.
The roads were very fair.
He revealed for the first time that
he had soma feeling over the fact that
his command had been given the
fourth place in Gen. Skaters order
for the landing at Santiago, when he
had thought he was entitled to be al
lowed to land first on account of his
rank.
The antire afternoon session was de-
voted to the examination of conditions
at Camp Wikoff on Long Island. The
general contended that Wikoff was a
model camp, the climate a salubrious
one, and the accommodations quite ex-
ceptional in character He consid-
cred the hospital capacity equal to the
demands upon il, and that no military
camp in history was ever so we'll sup
piled in all respects as was this. Red
tape methods were entirely abolished,
and the demands of the men We're met
as soon as they were properly voiced.
Chairman Dodge stated to him the
scope of the commissions duties, and
asked Gen. Wheeler whether he had
any objection to be sworn. He replied
that he had not, and Maj. Mills, re-
corder for the commission, adminis-
tered the oath.
EX-Gov Beaver conducted the ex-
animation developing the essential
facts as to Gen. Wheeler's rank and
his command.
Gen. Wheeler stated that he left
Tampa for Cuba on the 14th Of June,
but that he had no knowledge of the
plan Of campaign before going aboard
the transport. He then told of the
voyage.
On June 81 Gen. Shafter ordered him
to disembark the next day, which he
did, with a portion of his command.
He rode into the country four miles
that day, and the next moved his
troops to Jaguriacita. He then began
his accommodating, arranging with Gen.
Castillo of the Cuban army to send Gu
ban troops with his men for the re-
connoitering. but unfortunately the
Cubans did not keep the engagement.
He told of the first battle at La Quais-
ina, stopping to compliment especially
the regular troops, and also to speak
of their excellent firing. They soon
learned to diStruSt the reports and eS-
Inmates Of the Spaniards.
Gen. Wheeler had not been able on
his own account to secure any accu-
rate estimate of the Spanish loss dur
ing the American approach upon San
tiago.
Speaking Of the proceedings after the
first battle, he explained that he had
been reported sick, and that there
were some movements prior to the
battle at Ell Caney with which he was
not familiar.
Il was not sick" he said, but had
been on the 29tA and S0th StilA~g4 had
not gone to the sick list had a fever
medicine, and came out all right"
He was in the battle OF Eel Caney, and
expressed the opinion that more mer
had been killed in the formation Of ths
line than afterward. He told of the
necessity for wading the San Juan riv-
er, saying that the water was about
waist deep.
Il ought to say" said the general In
the course of his testimony, that il
was magnificent to see officers of high
rank go ashore with their packs or
their backs accepting all the fortunes
of war with their men. They slept or
the ground with the soldiers. None OF
us was mounted, and we were without
tents for seven days.
Speaking of the character of the
road from the coast to the points oc-
cupied by the Americans, he said thai
with such attention as they were able
to give to them, they were very good
The rains had not been severe up tc
that time The roads were narrow, but
equal to the demands. The supplies
he considered sufficient, except in 6
few instances, and in those instances
the deflci agey was only temporary.
"Gen. Shafter," he said, deserves
great credit for the zeal he displayed
In This respect. We devoted his time
to the task, and / think there is nc
doubt that he succeeded. We use6
pack trains, and there was compara-
lively little suffering because of short
ness of quarternaster's supplies"
Gen. Wheeler said in response to g
question that Cervera's fleet was the
objective Of the campaign. There was
no reason why the Spanish troops
should not have made sortie from
SANTIAGO and he asked Gen. Toral after
the surrender why he did not attack
The latter replied that the failure tc
do SO was because his men were foot
sore. Yet Gen. Wheeler could not accept