The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-05
WAR INVESTIGATION,
Heroes Of Santiago Among the Wit.
nesses Examined.
SAD SCENES AT OHIoKAMAUeA.
Sick Soldier Laid on the Ground For
Ten Days, and Was Finally Sent to
fop n ia

Ten Days, and Was Finally Sent tc
His Home, Where He Died Soon AT
ter His Arrival.
Cincinnati, Nov 5.-The war inves-
tigating commission had interesting
sessions yesterday 1t had among the
witnesses four officers who served in
the Santiago campaign, one Of them
being General H. G. Egbert, who as
| lieutenant colonel of the Sixth United
States infantry, was shot down at San
| Juan Hill by bullet piercing his chest
| The general appears entirely recovered.
Lieutenant Colonel Miner, now In COM
mand Of the Sixth infantry, was an
other interesting witness. Perhaps the
most suggestive testimony was that
given by Major Griffith. of Kansas City,
who was In charge of the Third division
hospital of the First corps. The COM
mission expects to complete its work
here this evening and to resume 1t in
Chicago on Monday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Miner, command
ing the Sixth infantry. testified to the
movements of his regiment from Fort
Thomas to Santiago and return. He re-
garded the Tampa camp as excellent.
There was difficulty in getting trans
portatiOn from Tampa to Cuba. The
transport Miami. In which his regiment
went to Santiago. was not fit for troops.
The men would have died in their
quarters If the voyage had not been
mild, so that port holes were left open
and air thus admitted. The supplies
of the men and of the officers were the
same. Most of the officers were on foot
from loss of horses. Speaking of the
attack at San Juan Hill he said he
found when they reached the sum-
nit that Colonel Egbert had been
wounded and he was in command. That
night no supplies came and the men
We're without food or blankets, except
such food as they had in their haver-
sacks. The witness said the command
began to break down about the 14th.
They had dug trenches by night and
lay in the wet bitches all day
Colonel c. B. Hunt, of the First Ohio
infantry. testified that when his regi-
ment reached Chickamauga it was
poorly supplied with clothing and arms,
and never was fully supplied. never had
requsltOn filled complete. If he
made requsition for 500 blouses he
would get 150
General II. c. Egbert had no fault
to find with the camp at Tampa or the
supplies, or even with the transport
Miami except with the ventilation. He
found troops abundantly supplied for
the campaign. The witness received
excellent care at the hospital. Recur-
rinr to his return on the Seneca he said
the conditions on that vessel were not
good, especially below, where the troops
were. He demonstrated al INST certain
conditions, and Captain Doughty rene,
died them.
General Egbert said that while the
Seneca was not in good condition for
transporting troops its officers did not
seem to b" in command during the
voyage as much as the surgeons When
the Seneca reached Fortress Monroe
the surgeon telegraphed to Surgeon
General Sternberg, who ordered the
vessel to go to New York. The next
day, to his surprise, the vessel had not
gone. He asked why, and was told the
captain refused to go until ordered to
do so by the quartermaster's depart
ment. The witness called on the cap
tain and found this to be true. After
remonstrance against holding the
wounded men in such a place the wit
ness told the captain he would tele-
graph to the secretary of war telling
him of the conditions and asking for
orders Meantime he sent note to the
quarterraster at Fort Monroe, and as
4
soon as the situation was understood
there an order was given for the ves-
sci to sail at once to New York, and
the captain obeyed it.
Fred j. Fluerger. of Newport Ky. !
was next examined. He went to Chick
amauga Aug. l to bring home Albert
Bocdeker. of the Second Kentucky, |
who was lying in the hospital. He
found him in very bad condition. |
He was In tent with four other pa
tients. the space between the cots being
so narrow that witness had to walk
sideways in going through. The nurses
were detailed men. In an adjoining
tent he heard groanins. and looking he
saw man with a quantity of mag
gots on his body. He reported this
to the attendants. who
Off and took him back. The next day
he died.
The witness detailed Boedekers case
how he took cold from marching
through the rain and was taken sick
the day he reached Chckamauga. He
was at first refused admittance to the
hospital, but finally the captain got him
In. He lay there II days on a blanket
On the ground. with one blanket over
him. Then he was sent to his quar-
[ers for full duty, and next day at in
spection he stood in line three hours,
when he again broke down. He was
then In the hospital until witness
brought him home. He reached home
Aug. 2 and died Aug. s.
Major Griffith testified regarding the
'amD conditions at Chickamauga and
he hospitals. He had difficulty in get
ing enough tents, and when he Sc
'ured the proper number he found the
asst ones of poor quality. From private
md state sources the regiment was
supplied with hospital tents. As
'ule the men detailed as nurses were
Unfit Witness asked DR.. Hof for fe-
male nurses. This relieved the situa-
ion. The staff of the division hospital
vas inadequate when the increase of
ickness occurred. Sickness among the
surgeons reduced the working force.
ie said there would have been no diff
iculty in getting hundreds of compe-
ent surgeons at Chickamauga within a
week. He said he knew many appli-
ations were refused. He attributed
he failure at Camp Thomas hospitals
o red tape" and peace for 30 years."
which incapaclated the department for
expansion for emergency.