The herald., 1898-11-05
AS SHOWN By TESTIMONY OF
PARTICIPANTS
EVENTS AROUND SANTIAGO
Detailed by General Lawton, Who
Commanded a Division-Much
Suffering Due to Climate
Associated Press Special Wire


partment of Santiago.
His narration began with the embarka-
tlon OF the troops at Tampa. He said the
transports were furnished as well as could
De expected, as they were not troop-ships.
ihe medical commissary supplies were suffi-
clent to prevent absolute discomfort. There
was some confusion, owing to misunder-
standing of orders, but the General did not
believe that any real hardships had been
occasloned thereby.
Referring to the result of the battle at El
Cayey, he said:
81 had received very imperative orders
to move my left to the right of General
Wheeler's command, but my situation was
such that it was impracticable for me to
leave El Caney until l had captured it."
General Lawton said his division had lost
go men, killed and wounded.
Colonel DENLY remarked that statement
had been made to the effect that some of the
wounded soldiers wandered into the woods
and were never seen again.
II never heard that before" General
Lawton said. "All the wounded were ac-
counted for and they were all taken to the
field hospitals"
There were no ambulances, but some lit
ters-how many lie did not know.
Knowing there was going to be fight,
how d. does i happen that you did not have
enough litters, enough surgeons and the
proper hospital corps!" Colonel DENLY
asked.
well, l cannot say there were not
enough" General Lawton replied.
How do you account for the fact that
the medical men did not provide themselves
VIII w everything necessary for taking care
Il think they did provide themselves with
everything they thought necessary, consd-
ering the material they had to choose from.
There was not time to do more or get more
surgeons than we had. They were dis
tributed to their various commands"
The general said that while it was diff
cult to get supplies to the men while they
lay in the trenches, from the I'd to the 18th
Of July, he thought the quantity was suf-
fcient. There had been no sickness worth
mentioning until after the campaign. There
had been no tents except shelter tents,
which some had, until just previous to the
embarkation to the United States.
When asked where he fixed the response
bility for not having tents there, General
Lawton replied:
"The fact is, it was impossible to unload
them from the transports for lack of time
and facilities There was little complaint
on account of the lack of tents. Complaints
constantly. That they should have to lie out
as they did was one of the contingencies alb
solutely necessary in the conduct of the
war"
1t was true, as reported, he said, that
men had to wear their shirts for possibly
thirty days without change, but this was
because they had thrown away their extra
clothing. He held the climate responsible
for the sickness that. followed the campaign,
though it was possible that with more APP
propriate food, better clothing and shelter,
some of the sickness might have been pre-
vented.
While the health conditions are improving
fhera had heap ,puch s,,fTaripu aronpu ho
soldiers left there.
1T is my opinion" he said, chat anyone
going from this climate to Cuba will have
to suffer while being acclimated l doubt
if per cent have escaped absolutely"
Replying to question as to whether the
navy should not have control of the trans
ports, he said:
"No, indeed"
"You think that the army ought to have
control of them?"
absolutely" was the laconic reply.
"While they are acting together! Colonel
DENLY asked, and the reply was
"They won't act together. That is where
] make my point Two men cannot command
the same affair"
Summing up, General Lawton said:
Taking into consideration the conditions
that we were obliged to face, the character
of the country, it's climate and other things
being considered, | can say there were no
there was no lack of care on the part of any
of those in authority whose duty it was to
look after the interests of the camp. We
had with us as fine staff of officers as there
are in the world; none better could be found.
These worked night and day and no human
being could do more than they did,"
At Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, Ohio, Nov. 4.-The war.
investigation commission resumed its work
today, with Gen. Dodge, Gen. Sexton and
DR.. Connor present.
DIR. Menage contract surgeon, serving
with the Sixth infantry, testified as to the
absence of hospital tents in Cuba: He
treated his sick in the regiment hospital in
preference to sending them back to the di-
vision hospital because of the difficulty in
TRANSPORTATION. The nearest hospital was
perhaps mile and a half away.
The medical supplies, he said, were reason
ably sufficient. His chief trouble was in
getting an ambulance This he got, after
about the 9th of August. At that time there
we're about 80 or 40 men in an acute condi-
ticn. Perhaps one-eighth of the command
was reported regularly for treatment.
There had been no yellow fever up to this
time.
The conditions on the transports were
good They lost no men on the voyage. The
vessel was held FIVE days in quarantine at
Montauk point. Troops were in camp until
October. The command did not materially
improve in health during that time. This he
attributed largely to an inability to properly
diet them.
Lieut.. Col. Miner, commanding the Sixth
infantry, regarded the Tampa camp as ex-
cellent. 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 weather had not been
mild and the portfolios left open, and air
thus spilled. The supplies of the men and
the officers were the same.
Speaking of the attack at San Juan hill.
he said he found when they reached the sum.
nit that Col. Egbert had been wounded and
he was in command. That night no supplies
came and the men were without food or
blankets, except such food as they had in
their haversacks.
The witness said the command began tn
break down about the l4th. They had dnr
trenches at night and lay in the wet bitches
all day. When a march of three miles wan
made not more than one-fourth of the men
kept up, but all got in by night. The morn
ing after the surrender the witness took the
regiment to higher ground and kept them
in camp.
By personal appeal to Gen. Kent he se-
cured one wagon and cooking utensils and n
change of clothing for the men.
If the witness could have got one wagon
after the surrender he could have kept his
regiment supplied.
But nothing could have prevented the