The times., 1898-12-21
sHAFTER ON THE STAND.
Examined for Two Hours by Alger's Re-
OF rd

Examined for Two Hours by Alger's Re-
lief Board.
Maj. Gen. Shafter spent two hours be-
day afternoon. His testimony was, of
course, vindication of his own campaign
at Santiago. According to Gen. Shafter.
he carried out the instructions of his su-
periors to the letter, to end the conflict
at Santiago as soon as possible. This he
is all there is to it. And, under the condi-
tions that surrounded him, he thought
the work had been done neatly and most
commercially. with sacrifice of life and
limb much more moderate than there was
good reason to hope for.
one interesting statement of Gen. Shat
ter was that in regard to medicines. He
had supply of medicines when he went
to Cuba sufficient to care for 2O,0eO men
for six months with reasonable sick list
But the number of men who fell victims
to fever and other ailments was so Tar
beyond all expectation that this vast
quantity dwind,ed like dew before morn
ing sun. Al one time AiAN oNAApN'
season Gen. Shafter gave it as his opinion
that 80 per cent of his entire army was
more or less afflicted, and not less than
50 per cent were drawing from the medi-
cal supply.
The consequence was that instead OF his
medicines lasting six months. they were
almost completely exhausted in about
fourteen days. As to the delicacies for
the sick, he said the army regulations did
not provide for them. He was supplied
with money by the Government to pro-
cure them whenever occasion required,
but they were simply not to be had.
OF the transportation of troops from
Tampa to Santiago. Gen. Shafter said tnat
the vessels used for the purpose were not
what they should have been They were
ordinary passenger and freight ships ana
were not calculated for the service of the
Government but they were the best that
could be had at the time. He was or
dered 10 use them. and as soldier IN the
habit OF obeying his super!ors ne had ac-
cepted the situation and did the pest ne
could. .
were for him to take not less than io.e'1
mon to Cuba. He started out to take ~ :
o9D. but he soon abandoned this notion
| was his original intention to take part
of th. Rough Riders with him. but re nan
| M sooner made this intention known tnal
| he was beset by Col. Wood and Lieut. So',
| Roosevelt with all sorts Of pleaclhsS' anu
| before he got through the whole ofsdnlLa
| ,ion of Rough Riders were accepted. This
| iment. battery or anything else got news
! that they were to be left behind they
raised a great hubbub and in trying To
.nIease an he had aboard the transports
! nearly twice lO.e0o men when the eXpedi-
/ ton started.
! Arriving at Santiago. he put fifty pack
| trains at work carrying supplies Inc
main effort was 10 carry the bare neces-
| saries. Cen Shafter asserted that at one
| time he had not only 20.C0o of his own SOL
| diers TO feed but in addition had 2o.tvJ Gu
| ban soldiers and refugees TO provide Tor
| Gen. Shafter in reply TO the statement
that many regimental hospital outfits had
| been abandoned when his troops landec
| at Santiago. and that much suHering en-
| sued because of this action, said he was
| compelled 10 leave these outfits behind
There was no means of carrying them.
Capt A. T. Hardy, of the Fifth Illinois
4
morning His testimony was a general
condemnation of the food and hospital ser
| vice at Chickamauga. His criticism oil
| the HOSPITALS was especially severe. He
| said that the beds were unclean, the
| nurses were ignorant and incompetent
and milk and other food was greatly
| needed. Capt. Hardy claimed that seven
| teen soldiers of his regiment died at camp
| Thomas because of improper treatment
| (-amDbAil-wa-
| In the hospital with typhoid fever
| Through the carelessness of the attend
| ants he was allowed to escape. He laic
in the woods for two hours and after being
| taken back to the hospital was seized witt
/ pneumonia, and this. with the fever
| killed him. The doctors in the hospita
at Chattanooga where Campbell wa:
| taken after being captured said that his
| death was due to neglect. Hardy declared
| that the very name OF the First Division
| Hospital sent a shudder through the men
| 1t was said yesterday that Gen. Mile:
| had notified the commission that h,
would not voluntarily testify. He did 81
in a neat but decidei note during the
| morning The commission shereu;on in
| structed the adjutant general of the army
! to summon the commander and brtng hin
before. it, as Gen. Brooke and Gen. Shat
ter were 1t is understood that Gen
Miles. having compelled the commission
to force him before it. will not be giveI
the latitude in his examination that i
is believed he hoped to get. In fact
| a member of the commission is credited
with saying yesterday that Gen. Mile:
would be confined to statements of fact
but that he would not be given the op
portunity to volunteer an opinion as Il
the manner in which the war was .arriet
on Ii is not known just when Gen
| t,1-a tl,a y will Ia.
sometime this week, however.