The record-union., 1898-12-22
Generals Miles and Merritt Before
Investigation Commission.
Give Testimony Relating to Campaigns In
West Indies and Philippines.
The Commanding General Com
plains Bitterly as to the Meats
Furnished Troops in the Field,
Characterzing It as an Experi-
ment for Which Someone at
Washington Was to Blame.

WASHINGTON, Dec. I.-General
Nelson A. Miles, commanding the
United States Army, and General Wes-
ley Merritt, commander Of the Amer
lean forces at the capture of Manila,
We're the principal figures before the
War Investigating Commission to-day.
General Miles responded to the sum-
mons of the Commission only after d
days consideration. He was accom-
panied by his own stenographer. His
examination was comparatively brief,
and not sensational. He spoke with
some bitterness as to the 'embalmed
beef and the canned beef furnished
the army in the field. This he char
acterized as an experiment for which
someone in Washington" was re-
sponsible. He said that the landing
facilities of the Santiago expedition
were inadequate, and that the men
We're short of rations and medicines,
and might have been better protected
from exposure to fever cOntagion.
General Merritt told the Commission
that he regarded the Philippines eX-
pedition as a decided success, and
would conduct it on the same lines ii
he had to do it over. He spoke il
high terms of the troops under him.
and said his army was we'll supplied
with medicine and food
THE HEARING OF TESTIMONY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-Lieuten-
antColonel Miley, General Shafter's s
chief of staff, testified before the War
Investigating Commission to-day con-
cerning the Santiago campaign, large
ly following the lines of General Shat
ter's testimony.
Colonel Miley said that while the ex-
peditionary force was at Tampa prior
to the start the troops were given
every facility for bathing and good
shelter. He said the Spanish lines
were so conspicuous that there was no
necessity for any reconnaissance in
force to determine them.
He said there was no doubt that
there We're Spanish sharpshooters be-
tween the lines, but he was unable to
find a single instance of Spanish sharp
shooters firing on our hospitals in the
rear or Of their firing on our f1anks
He spoke of the two mile range OF
the Spanish rifles, and describing the
said it would have been far more dan
gerous for the men to have been a
half mile in the rear than to remain
where they did.
General Miles took the stand next.
Are you willing to be sworn?" he
was asked.
II think" was the reply, that I
can say what l have to say without
being sworn"
General Miles was fortified with a
large package of papers, and had his
own stenographer. He gave his evil
dence in a clear, unhesitating way, and
went into details regarding both the
Santiago and Porto Rican eXpedi-
tions. He opened by describing the
railroad confusion in getting the war
munitions to Tampa, pointed out the
lack of government storehouse facil-
tiles there, and said the cars at one
time were held back as far as Colum-
bia, S. G. He said when the ships We're
loaded it was found impossible to put
more than $1,000 men aboard. and
they were equipped as we'll as possible
under the circumstances.
TT was most Fortunate" he said.
that the transports had good weather.
If they had encountered severe
storm the loss of life or the suffering,
at least. must have been fearful AS
it was. with fair weather. the men
below, crowded in with the mules and
supplies, could get on deck, which
would have been impossible otherwise. -
The Commissary stores taken, he
said, We're sufficient, but the medical
supplies We're inadequate. He had left
the loading, except for general direc-
tions, to the commander General Shaf-
ter He found just before sailing that
there were a number of pontoon boats
being taken which would be utterly
useless for the troops, and he himself
had secured two bargeS from the own
ers there, and had taken other steps,
but the supply of such boats taken was
very inadequate.
''The expedition" he continued,
should have been furnished with
launches. naphtha or steam or tugs,
for towing barges from the ships to the
shore We relied largely on the engi-
neer officers and the engineer depart
ment for these. In the second expedi-
ton to Porto Rico these We're furnish
ed, but they arrived too late to render
assistance"
He said before the first fleet sailed
from Tampa estimates had been def
nitely made of the number of boats to
be furnished the transports and the
number to be furnished by the navy to
assist The most cordial assistance. he
added, had been promised upon the part
Of the navy. At Santiago the supply
Of tentage and food was very limited.
'Were the medical supplies at that
time sufficient for the needs Of the COM
mand?" was asked.
In reply he read dispatch from Gen.
eral Shafter on August 4th. which re-
ferred to chronic scarcity of medi-
cines, and that four men had Just died
from lack of medicines There was at
no time, said General Miles. sufficient
medicine for the troops He remem-
bered seeing one train for the sick with
no covering over the wagons.
General Beaver-From what you
learned and observed while there do
you think there was at any time a
sufficient medical supply?
General Miles-Of medical men and
materials?
General Eeaver-Yes.
General Miles-No, sir.
he cfo