Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-11-16
SPICY TESTIMONY
Of Gen. Breckenridge Before
Investigating Commission.
CONFLICT OF Auth
csuse of Much Confusion ON Tr,n,,,r,.
Witness Declines to Deny or Confirm
the Report That Ss,af,er offered
Him Command of the Army.
CONFLICT OF AUl II
(By Telegraphl


ASH NJ TON. Nov. l5.-Gcncral
lfreckenrdge continued his testimony
peio'e lhe war investigating commas
sion today. His evidence deolt ,,.;,t
campaign in Cuba and the transnorto-
ton OF troops to that island r.. SAD
ne had gone to Cuba as inspecto, GER
eral. arriving at Tampa on the ar NJ
June. he had observed casually tho
preparation tor the Observation-Disclosures Of
tro"Is before the expedition lief, and
had concluded that they We're anti. r..
adequate II made no report. however =
ne SAID. as General Miles was ON ,h..
ground and could observe for nineslf :
continuing. he said that there. waS no
preparation for landing In the face Of
az enemy other than that which ,ha
navy might furnish SO far az no ~
served there We're only two lighters and
Two scows secured on behalf of Tho
army before the departure from Tam
pa IT was his understanding. however.
that the army and navy we're co-opc-
rating in this expedition
NONE HAD AUTHORITY
Speaking of the conflict of authority
on the transports he said the masters
q me vessels did not respond as
promptly as might have been desired
True. said he. there was a little navy
cadet on board each of th, vessels M,
he had no authority An actual nava.
officer OF the quarternastcr's depart
ment on each vessel would have been
better. What was needed was promp,
communication between the command
ing officer and the vessels and the mas
ters Of the transports dia mi rps,,nnd
Very promptly"
He vas questioned at some length
concerning the conduc, IL thu. cam
paign in front OF Santiago ana replied
that the result was what ~. had OK
re"ted ii would be. Everything there
he said. was strained Ia get men on
fi az a
parativcly little efror, to secur" epuip-
mcnt While he knew nothing definite
~ of the plans of the campaign he Was
sure there was a plan. FL. was quite
certain from a conversation he had with
General Miles that he had !, plan
though he did not say that this Vas the
plan carried into effect.
of course" suggested General Ecav-
er. Santiago was the goal az the cam
paicn.
Certainly The fact was published 50
extensively in the newspapers that
many OF the men on board the v"Ss,S
would not accept this informal ION is "a
the destination as correct"
HI. COMPLIMENTS MILES
Asked as to his opinion Of the result
Of the campaign he said he Thought 1t
was consistent With the character Of tn.
men who conducted it--what MAS - h.
expected from the limitations q! Genera
shafter. I think it would have beer
different if General Miles had been il
cnmmand-that ii would have been mon,
satisfactorily conducted. think he IN.
more or the spark and genius nf com
mand than any man in the army. ana
am sure if he had had charge he would
have been in the front rank"
EN.Goyernor Woodbury. suEgssie3 - - :.
he battle IN Yr115nr 81 Santiago h:ixf ~,
Fought and the victory Won within ciEh
days Of landing. General l:reckenridS,
in reply said that victory had been MOI
when General Torars nerve gave out. /"
He believed that the war MAS h,
Lords war and thakthis wonderful sue
cess was du. to His supervision. TN
time for the battle WAS. however. short
enough. Yet ii must be remembered
that the distance between the battlefield
and Siboney was less than half day
march; but while he considered IN" 70
suit rs marvelnusly crmmcn,iilhr II.
did not feel that General Sha ttrr wa,
above criticism in the conduct of ih'
campaign. He could not believe the re-
suit was miracle but he nscrhcd In,
outcome to the fact that the army was
one capable of meeting an calls. N,
matter how ii was tangled up. hr said
cit went to victory.
r." had a, the time quoted l-nr,
BeresfoTd. when he said Ia his army
upon a certain occasion: Il HAY" LED
you into n devil of fix and il is u"M
your duty to iigh, like he'll to get unl "l
ii y