The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-05
WHEELER GIVES HIS TESTIMONY.
HE TOLD OF THE CONDITIONS OF
C.lIPs AND SOLDIERS AT WI
IlOFF AND SANTIAGO.
SOLDIERS DID NOT COMPLAIN
orv suAFTER DID HIS UTMOST TO
PROTECT HIS MEN.
Con. wheeler Could Recall No In
st,,cc where He Thought Any
Precnution Had Been Neg
Iccted-suffering Was
Unavoidable.

washington. Oct 4-The war investigat-
Inc commission began taking testimony
today and Mai Gen. Joseph Wheeler was
On the stand the greater part of the day.
raere was a full attendance of the COM
,,..sioners and the doors of the room in
which the inquiry is conducted were for
the first time opened to representatives, Of
the press
Cen Wheeler's testimony covered the
case of the soldiers at the two important
u5ints of Santiago and Wikoff. He said
with reference 10 the conduct of affairs
at Santiago that there had necessarily
keen some suffering in the trenches. but
that Cen Shafter had exercised the ut-
most effort to protect his men. There had
been. he said a shortage of land trans
portation facilities for a time, and there
had been no tents for week, and the
roads were very fair. He revealed for the
first time that he had had some feeling
over the fact that his command had been
given the fourth place in Gen. Skaters
order for the landing at Santiago, when
he had thought he was entitled to be al
lowed 10 Ldli4 lliol Oil dCNOuiiN VI HIS tdAh-
Discussing the plan of the Santiago
campaign, he said he doubted whether
more effective plan could have been
adopted.
Speaking of the medical department, he
says that at times there were complaints,
but that they were not serious. On oc-
casions there was a shortage of surgeons,
some of the surgeons being sick or wound
ed
According to Gen. Wheeler's belief, the
wounded in battle were promptly cared
for by the surgeons. After the fight of
July 1 all the wounded were carried from
the field that night. The witness had
heard that there was more complaint of
shortage of medicine among the infantry
than in the cavalry arm of the service.
Gong back to Tampa, he said that at the
season he was there, the first half of June,
the site was without objection, but he had
1elt that it would be wet later i'm the sea-
son.
There was, he said, at times some short
ase of supplies at the camp, but nothing,
he added, that a soldier could complain
Of
Gen. Wheeler said he had no control over
any Of the supplies which were taken to
aahuago on the transports when he feft
Tampa. This was attended to by the diff
lerent staff officers. He only knew from
conversation with these that there was an
abundance of the supplies Of all charac-
ter
Returning to the Santiago campaign, he
SAD tnat only two regiments had reported
shortage Of ratiOus and he had imme-
ualey teiephoned to the rear, and the
thortdge which was due to accident, had
oeen adjusted. There was suffering when
!he men were compelled to lie In the
ha aaf ,.,If t,axy
had no bread but hardtack They were
loieed 10 lie in the sun and water alter
Hdtely aud necessarily there was much
s,ckuess' While they had the fun quota
VI doctors and nurses, he thought that if
,'uie mad been furnished the men would
nave been better cared for. AS for ra-
uVNe three-dayS' supplies were generally
ISSUED Whenever the troops went into
ucuoh they would throw their food away
uS Wen as their pack, and they often did
not Iecovor them.
~ reply TO questions, he stated he never
n'u heaTd Of any shortage of commits
S'y or ordnance supplies at Santiago
bol he had been told that the medical
sNppAos We're short Yet he had no per-
sViai knowledge on this point. He had
some wounded men crawling to the
r eo' lh The engagements, but as a rule,
'i d man fell in battle, he was carried
5"c hospital by the medical corps. He
'' q lult NllS QudiiH Ol udIu
,@, 80 was good. Where there was any de-
w.. ''9i "uon it was due to local rains and
m 20 'ne TACT of original inferiority.
M 'plI4l OIL the army was such, he said,
M ''ere was no disposition to complain.
i,s were al proud to be there, and will
10 Undergo the hardships
c'.epiling 10 a question from Col Denbv.
Wy Necler said the regulars had shown
s'''ler ability to take care of them
'Ith the volunteers.
a tra''' uoWeH asked to what he at
M .1H 'he development of disease after
W5egi'.l,' ''ulatlon of Santiago and Gen.
4 r5'i5f replied that il was due to the
& 0',.Ha,e ana exposure made necessarv
=. H3' he said, known of no instance
n Wax, .N or wounded man dying from
VI es VI care from the physicians. So far
81 to, '.." Ihere was general commenda-
a One D .Ne medical corps, except that on
MI prrr,I .,"o occasions there had been some
NJ IL ,'''.Is in regard to general conditions.
# rirr- .'l there was a deficiency in the
vas OF ambuances, but this deficiency
Gen -,-i W. the eNigencies of the campaign
w Ioweu Nier also said in reply to Capt
M sh n. ''a1 ne know of no confusion in
Il supp}ies from Tampa.
plant. soly was not distinct as to com
as to 4t ioH physicians in his command
h. y ,1a scarcity Of medical s1r,,Iias ~
pa.a+s .' lhere were some such com
them .',u IN such cases he had had
Tber. 5pnea as promptly as possible.
|E trarzrgrtt tad been difficulty in getting the
& des.r5bl,. 70 ne as near in shore as was
F euu.n.. rendering it difficult to get ar
v T promptly. ee' a.
& 10 h5,,- listers Of the transports claimed
n m2star.s 'IsT authority from the quarter
# cours, aepartment, but he Thought the
c1uy a. W. officers had acted independ-
& Referri,... now tar out they should lie.
Ae ing TO the sleeping apartments on
vcra 'l4i5ports. .ii. Cen Wheeler said Z thew e
comfor, warm. and there was some dis
be rsan me mad often gone down among
has Cot NC night, and found that there
opt for ,b.. raatively little complaint, ex-
e bad mex from Santiago 10 Montauk.
-N--eq on the Miami harin.- chnanr,