The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-21
NO MISMANAGEMENT.
General Skater Expresses Satisfac-
ton With the Santiago Campaign.

ported by his aide, Colonel Miley, who
was with him in Cuba, and fanked by
a large portmanteau OF papers toWh1ch
his aide occasionally applied for refer
ence.
General Skaters story Of the opera
tons around Santiago was tersely told
but at times was quite vivid in its re-
cita1 and interesting IN detail. Briefly
summed UP. his estimate of the San
tiagO expedition was that it had been a
military success and cheap at the cost
of 500 men lost in the fight. He conSid-
cred the expedition to have been as well
fitted out as the time would permit, and
said that in looking back he had no
criticism of his plans to make and would
not change them if the events had to
be gone through again. He said he
had no complaints of any sort to make
and would be 10th to intrude them at
this time if he had. The committee
stated that General Miles today COM
municated his unwillingnesS to volun-
teer testimony. A message was accord
ingly sent to the adjutant general di-
recting him to request the appearance
of General Miles before the board. No
reply had been received to this COM
munication when General Shafter I'M
expectedly appeared.
After a brief preface General Shat
ter went into a detailed account OF his
preparations for the Santiago eXpedi-
ton. He said his plans were changed
three times by the department. He said
the transport fleet was not sufficiently
large to accommodate 1900 men for
so anxious to go that he riSked con-
siderable crowding to take all the men
possible. He admitted that he took
chances in doing this, but said the
weather was good and there was no
mishap to regret. The men were reg
ulars almost entirely, fully equipped,
and he saw that they were made COM
Portable as circumstances permitted.
AS to medical supplies, General Shafter
said: You know medical supplies are
the one thing that commanding gen
eral or line officer never knows any
thing about. The surgeon is supposed
to know what he wants. My medical
officer said he thought he had enough
medical supplies for the temporary SER
vice to which we thought we were deS-
tined. Events proved, however, that
the surgeon was mistaken. The am
munitiOn supplies were ample"
AS to supplies, General Shafter said
there was nothing essential left behind.
How about the ambulanceS?" asked
General Beaver.
LAS to those ambulances,'' said Cen
eral Shafter, I take the whole reSpOn-
sibility on myself. I ordered and super
vised their loading. After events proved
that it would have been better to have
taken ten or fifteen additional am
balances and left that many wagons be-
hind. But wagons can be used for two
purposes and ambUlances can be used
but for one. I took the wagons and the
wounded had to be transported in them
after the first days fighting. I must
say that on a rocky, muddy road, such
as we had there that there is little diff
ference in comfort between the am
bulance and an escort wagon The men
were put on the straw in the bottom
of wagons and we did the best we could
for them. AmbulanceS would have been
better, but then hind sight is always
better than foresight
Concerning the landing facilities with
the expedition, General Shafter said
they had two large barges, one of which
was lost enrOute, and a small tug, the
Captain Sam, whose captain deserted
during the night. The boat capacity of
the fleet was sufficient for the landing,
as the events proved.
An interesting incident of the landing
was brought out by General Shafter,
who said he had arranged with the
Cuban general, Castillo, the day prior
to the landing, to have ], 600 men back
of Baiquiri to catch the Spaniards when
they were shelled out by the navy. Cas-
tillo was three hours late, however, and
all the Spaniards got away.
How about getting the supplies to
the front for the men?" asked General
Beaver.
TT was the one problem of the cam
paign and it taxed US to the utmost"
said he. eff it had not been for the
pack train we could not have done it
and the expedition would have been a
failure"
General Shafter said he regarded the
landing of the expedition as eminently
successful; they lost only two men and
thirty animals out of a total of 10000
men, 1t was a remarkable record.
There has been considerable criticism
from the medical officers about getting
their medical supplies ashore said
General Beaver. Were any such COM
plants brought to yOu?"
"A majority of the regimenta1 sur
geons left their medical chests on their
vessels. When found this out I put
DR.. Goodfellow aboard the Manteo and
had him collect these chests. AS soon
as they were landed they were put on
four wagons and distributed at once to
the men,"
As an additional explanation of the
difficulty in furnishing supplies ashore,
General Shafter said that at one time.
with an army of 21.000 men, he had to
issue ratiOns to 10000 people, the excess
being the refugees from Santiago,
women and children for the most part,
whom he could not allow to starve.
AS to the care of the wounded, Gen
eraI Shafter said that they were cared
for as carefully as the circumstances
would permit.
''The doctors worked like Trojans.
They deserved and received cOmmenda-
ton from everyone. They worked TIL
they were sick and worn out. The doc
tors were mostly young men. You can t
get very old and experienced surgeons
to go on a summer campaign for 500 a
month. But they were splendid fellows.
Compared with the civil war the
wounded were better cared for in Cuba
than they were then"
Touching the signal corps, General
Shafter said he was served admirably -
Asked if he thought his own sickness
had any effect on the success of the
| Cuban campaign General Shafter said;
mo, most decidedly. The campaign
was carried out as planned from the
start and my health or sickness did not
| alter a single plan. I knew 1 was go
| ing to have a sick army on my hands
/ in that country pretty soon and sim
! ply rushed matters to an issue as soon
! as possible. For myself, I was not seri-
| ously sick It is true, I had the govt
and I had to have my foot tied up in a