Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-03
THE WAR INQUIRY.
A Witness Found who Says Every
thing Was All Right.

WASHINGTON. December 1.-The War
Investigating Commission resumed its Sit
| tings in this city to-day. Colonel
Charles Bird, who bad charge of the
| transportation division Of the. quarter
| master-generars department during the
war, testified in regard to the purchase
| Of mules and chartering OF transports.
| and TO contracts with railroads for carry
| ing troops. He denied that exorbtant
! prices had been 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 learn
ed Of the congestion, an order was issued
for the marking Of the cars. and a quar-
termaster's agent was sent with each
car
Colonel Bird said that the transports
occupied between Tampa and Santiago
had been fitted up only to carry the men
and supplies 10 Habana, and this was the
reason they proved inadequate for a trip
of much longer duration.
General Dodge questioned the witness
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 SHAFT
ter sailed he was supplied with six light.
ers, but he had failed to take more than
two.
Colonel Miller, also Of the quartermas-
ter-general's office, having charge of all
the army transportation. except that by
water and rail- testified that over 1900
wagons had been purchased for the use
of the army. At the beginning Of the
war It was impossible to secure any with
out delay. As a matter Of fact, all the
orders had not been filled yet.
EVERYTHING ORDERLY AT TAMPA.
Captain James Mckay, a civilian. and
an old sea captain in Florida and Cuban
waters. who, under General Humphreys
had charge Of the details Of the transpor-
tation OF the troops to Santiago, proved
an important witness. He said that COM
plete ratiOns had been put on each ship,
and that the vessels had not been over
loaded This was contrary TO previous
testimony. as was also later statement
that the vessel which each command
was to occupy had been designated be-
fore embarking. He emphasized this fact,
saying the designation had been made by
General Shafter and the colonel Of each
Of the regiments was evidently informed
IN each case He said there was no con-
fusion when the troops went aboard. u
say emphatically there was no disorder
and no confusion" he said, land that in
all cases the regiments found their quar-
ters without trouble or delay
How about the Rough Riders, the
Roosevelt Regiment asked General
Beaver
"They were assigned to the Yucatan,
and there was difficulty in their embar-
kation."
Captain McKaS also said that there had
been no confusion in unloading the stores
He testified that they had been loaded in
an orderly manner There was a list
showing what articles were in each yes
sci and there had been no mixing Oh
the various kinds of stores. II was true
as had been charged, that some Oh the
stores had never been unloaded, but this
u,os due in the main to the fact that the
stores were not needed. The tents were
not unloaded for lack Of storage room
on shore. and because they could not be
gotten to the front.
AMPLE FACILITIES FOR LANDING.
Captain Mckay said there had been no
disposition on the part or the masters
of the transports to disobey orders or 10
keen their vessels unnecessarily far out
at sea. as had been charged. There were
a great many men giving orders who had
80 antbor,tv to DO So and who knew
notbing of the sea or the local conditions.
- WIS not safe 10 hold the ships very |
close IN. He also denied that here had |
,,oon any refusal 20 land medical stores.
II had been impossible to secure labor
ssistance in Cuba. the natives refusing |
even TO assist in landing food for them
selves He was satisfied that ample |
faculties had been provided for landing |
he troops and supplies, and that there
would have been no difficulty II all the
',ehters had been available. AS it was,
four lighters had reached Baiquirl' ana
not one only. as had been reported
cantoin Mckay took exception 10 a
terence in Admiral SIMPSONS report
- u,hat he called THE wandering pro-