The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-12-22
GEN. MILES OBJBCTED.
Don't Want to Testify Before
War Investigators.
SHAFTER APPEARED Az A WITNESS
He said Medical supplies Were short
BlaDsd ~ Upon Ills Chief surgeon
shouldrred RrsrOrsibIity For Lack of
AmbuIaucrs Trnisrd As,or aud Briee.

w ASliINHIDN, dec. Gl.--OSneIhi OnhL-
ter appeared rather unexpectedly before
the war investigation commission and
told his story ofthe Santiago expedition.
The commission stated that General
Miles communicated to the commission
his unwillingness to volunteer testi-
mony. A message was accordingly sent
to the adjutant general directing him to
request the appearance of General Miles
before the board. No reply had been
received TO this communication when
General Shafter rather unexpectedly
appeared.
After a brief preface General Shafter
went into a dCU lied account Of his
preparations for ne Santiago exredi-
ton. He SAID his plans were changed
three times by the department, and
once he actually started, but was called
back by the report of Spanish warships
off the coast. He said the transport
fleet was not sufficiently large to accom-
modate 1000 men for any length OF
time at sea, but all were so anxious to
go that he risked considerable crowding
to take all the men possible.
As to medical supplies, Gen. Shafter
said:
You know medical supplies are the one
thing that u commanding general or hne Off
Ger never knows anything about. The surgeon
il supposed TO know what he wants. My medi-
cal officer said he thought he had enough
medical supplies for the temporary service 10
which we thought we were destined. Events
proved. however, that the surgeon was mis-
taken. The ammunition supply WAS ample
AS to supplies, General Shafter said
there was nothing essential left behind.
"How about the ambulanCes?" asked
General Beaver.
General ShafteT replied:
As to those ambulances, / take the whole
responsibility on myself. l ordered and super
vised their loading. After events proved that
1t would have been better to have taken 10 or
10 additional ambulances and left that many
wagons behind. But wagons can be used for
two purposes and ambulanCes can be used for
but one. took the wagons and the wounded
had to be transported in them after the first
days fight. | must say that ON a rocky
muddy road, such we had there, that thero
is little difference in comfort between an am.
bulanCe and an escort wagon. The men were
put on straw in the bottom OF the wagons,
and we did the bJst We could for them. Am.
balances would have been better, but then
hindsight Is always better than foresight.
Concerning the landing facilities with
the expedition General Shafter said
they had two large barges, one of which
was lost enroute, and q small tug, the
Captain sam, whose captain deserted
during the night. The boat capacity Of
the fleet was sufficient for the landing.
General Shatter said he had arranged
with the Cuban General Castillo the
day prior to the landing, to have ,00e
men back of Baiquirl to catch the Span
| iards when they were shelled out by the
navy. Castillo was three hours late
however, and ali the Spaniards got
away.
CHOW about getting the supplies to
| the front for the mem" asked GelTeral
| Beaver
lit was the one problem of the cam
| paign and it taxed US to the utmost, "
! said he. "If it had not been for the
| pack train we could not have done it
and the expedition would have been q
failure"
| General Shafter said he regarded the
landing of the expedition as eminently
successful. They lost only two men
and 80 animals out Of a total Of 10000
men. 1t was remarkable record.
There has been considerable oriti-
cism from the medical officers about
getting their medical supplies ashore, "
said General Beaver "Were any such
complaints brought to you?"
"a majority Of the regimental sur.
geons left their medical chests on their
vessels. When found this 9at, put
DR.. Goodrelow aboard the Manteo and
had him collect these chests. AS soon
as they were landed they were put on
four wagons and distributed at once TO
the men"
AS an additional explanation of the
difficulty in furnishing supplies ashore,
General Shafter said at one time with
an army of 2l 900 men he had to issue
rations to 10000 people, the excess
being the refugees from Santiago,
J women and children for the most part,
| whom he could not allow to starve.
AS to the care of the wounded, Gen
eral Shafter said they were cared for as
carefully as the circumstances would
permit. He further said:
The doctors worked like Trojans. They de.
served and received commendation from every
! one They worked till they were sick and
worn out. The doctors were mostly young
men. You can't get very old and experienced
| surgeons to go ON u summer campaign for SlO6
| a month. But they were splendid fellows
| Compared with the Civil war. tho wounded
| were better cared for in Cuba than they wers
then.
Touching the signal corps, General
Shafter said he was "served admirably" "
Asked if he thought his own sickness
! luu SllSNb Ou bhS SuIOSSS VI bl6
ban campaign, General Shafter said:
No. most decidedly. The campaign was car
ried out planned from the start, and nv
health or sickness did not alter a single plan
knew l was going to have sick army on my
hands in that country, pretty soon, and
simply rushed matters TO an issue as soon a,
possible. For myself, was not seriously sick
1t is true l had the gout so had to wrap m y
foot up in a gunny sack and could not get il IN
a stirrup and so had to build platform from
which to get ON my horse. But l certainly had
not expected to be subjected to personal oriti
csm for this 1t was II military necessity
Governor Woodbury. asked how the
staff officers appointed from civil life
turned out.
General Sha1ter said:
They were mon a., "a rule who had no prcvi
6us military experience and might not have
been Of much use N executing u military ma
noeuyTe. Bur Etl three of them on my staff
and for carrying orders, distributing rations Il
the refugees ANA "A thousand necessary things
they We're Invaluable. Beginning with Colonel
John Jacob Astur, VINO Was perhaps the most
inexperienced, they We're splendid fellows and
did what they had to DO, AsJOr foil in with
the work, ate his beans and did his duty "A,
cheertully and rNreaIuYusly as though uu had
not a dollar Ca..,iu Buce, the son Of Seua
tor Brice, was HI uNnullaut officer and dld inc
work ~ toadiur those hungry people at Clney
| At times he hal TO take an axe helye and stand
| of some Of tn, men VIII. were llorpug back
the weaker women and ch.ldr.u ana he did 4
effectively.
|