The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-02
A REPORT BY COPPINCER
Regulars Lived Well While the Vol.
unteers farcd Badly.
CAUSE: INEXPERIENCED OFFICERS.
Good Mules AtrocIousIy Treated nv
Green Teanistcrs-Much Clothing
Was of Inferior Quality.

Washington, October Major General
Coppinger has made q report TO the war
department as follows:
Subsistence department
In my judgment tbs quality OF subsis-
tence furnished by tae department was
good and the quantity ample.
The regular troops lived well. The vol
unteers in too many cases fared buddy. but
this was owing to the ignorance of mex
perienced officers, who did not know how
10 procure and care for the ratlonst and
the ignorance Of cooks who did not know
how to cook them.
mad been impressed by the comfortable
nr' ssng OF regular soldiers close TO my
headquarters. while volunteer troops In the
adjoining field were subslstng on chunks OF
lii-cooked beef and Wits biscuits-an ex-
eeiient held oven lying neglected and I'M
used close by.
TO sum up, the subsistence department
ala wall The volunteer troops in many
Eases suffered for want OF wholesome food
because they did not know how 10 handle
the rationa furnished
QuaftermAster's department.
clotblng camp and garrison equipments
were some times of poor quality, the MAJ
ural result OF an elIort TO eauip 22h ana
men when supplies had been prepared for
only $4,000. The difficulty in supply was
much increased by the lack of knowledge
Oh The part OF tha staff Officers, fresh from
civil life, ignorant of the methods and
manner OF supplying an army.
AT Tampa the difficulty was again in
creased by the crowded and congested con-
dition existing along the railroad tracks
ana store houses Scattered over the sands.
IN many cases the men suffered from
lack oil clothing when good supply was on
hand within five miles OF their camps
Inc quality or mules furnished by the de-
partmtnt was very good. The treatment
they received la many instances was afro
clous. Unframed and often brutal team
STEERS, without proper wagon masters, sery-
Ing under unframed regimental quarter.
mast. RS, amidst the Tampa sand hills, UNI
der the burning sun, produced the result
that might be naturally expected-dead
dying and disabled mules. This was the
natural outcome of declaration of war
without organized trains. train masters or
experienced reglmental guartermasters who
knew how to handle them, In my opinion
the horses furnished were good
Clothing
The United States clothing on hand at
the declaration OF war was good but soma
dark blue trousers and shirts We're of poor
quality. On the whole, considering the
emergency, | think no blame can he at
tached to the qu@rtermaster's department
In this matter
The kahkie clothing, tho best service
uniform we have ever had Ia not satisfac-
tory as yet ID Is of inferior quality and
not well cut. failed to find In the quar-
termasters storehouse at Tampa a, single
infantry coat large enough Ia the chest
for q full chested man
Medical department
While many complaints have been made
concerning medical supplies, my expert
cuc6 with the Fourth corps leads me to
believe THAT the surgeon general has ao-
eomplished an arduous task under very
trying circumstances.
1t IL difficult to provide fun supply of
medical stores when troops are ordered to
many unexpected Places and when the
movements are accompanied by serious
outbreaks OF sickness. This difficulty was
increased gn many instances by The fact
that most of the regimental. brigade and
division surgeons were entirely rev to
military work | am well satisfied that
the surgeon general worked admirably to
supply my corps and was ably assisted by
Ch'ef Surgeon Robert M. oReiiy. ia
whose ablity and energy I feel on behalf
OF my tcupS deeply indebted.
ormance department
At the outbreak OF trouble with Spain
we had about 2t50o men Infantry well
supplied with arms, but short Of ammum-
ton. few days after we were called ON
TO equip for the field some 225, 600 men
simply an impossibllity in the time al
lowec. We placed many OF these men in
the ranks short OF cartridges, short of
cartridge belts, armed with muskets OF
Anticipated pattern. interesting in
museum but out OF place In a mo Srn
battle For this have no blame whatever
to attach to the chief OF ordnance He
was simply given an impossible task