Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-04

he said was because of report that Span
ish men-Of-w2r were in position to in
terfere with the American transport The
delay caused to find the truth of that
report.
While before Santiago he heard of short
age OF ratiORS. but he sent to the rear and
they came forward promptly He said ne
afterward fpInd that the delay was caused
by lack of understanding regarding the
arrangements for forwarding supplies on
the part of the officers
In regard to the great suffering before
Santiago. he said it seemed to MIN that II
was chiefly because the men were forced
to lie in trenches in the sun in the daytime
and in the rain at night. He didn SEE
how that could have been prevented III
there had been more nurses and more doe
tors. he said in reply to a question, there
might have been less suffering. but there
unusual amount OF sickness IN
his command. he said. ten or fifteen per
cent were on the sick list. but men did
not 20 on the sick list as long as they could
stSnd.
Defends the Cubans.
In regard TO the reports that Cubans
stole the blankets and rationS Of the Amer
lean soldiers, Gen. Wheeler said the men
would tar their double blankets in half
ard throw half of them away 1t was so
with the ratioas the men carried. The Gu
bans. h, sail, SEW them throw these things
away and saw them strew1 along the road
wy and they Gid not look upon II as seal
ing 10 hrIp themselves They thought thu
things were discarded. He did not think II
fair To say these things were stoier-
THIN :.cAir when the people were ssoin&5
out Of Santiago. they saw these Things
lying On the ground. and II was not strange
that they helped themselves tor they were
Y " hungry He had seen delicate ana r
fired ladies' on the road trudging along in
the mud and very hungry.
s. far as any shortage in medical supplies
was concerned. he said. n had heard ol
NOT n m
{, rfua.d The meiica! s:Gf, he Said.
were right along in tn firing line. and as 4
man would fall soma one would call out
ana he would at once be taken lroh 'he
field.
Yer you ever surprised by the enemy
opcring upon you?" Ex-Governor Beaver
III 20 time" said General Wheeler.
Then the story of an ambuscade was
without foundation
ABSOLUTELY
Ex-Governor Woodbury. suggested ques-
ton in regard To the quality of bareback
and bacon
General Wheeler said the quality was
good without exception until these supplies
were taken on the field After that some
Of the har,itack and bacon got wet ana
was :liur-,. He was satisfied that all the
trouble with those stores was because OF
Their getting wet.
In reply to 4 question. General Wheeler
stated what comprised the army ration III
Cuba
L will state that the spirit Of the troops
was such that they were in no disposition
20 plain, s. ii @ ne al VIE der. They
were proud TO tiCEt for their country. and
they were proud to undergo privauonS
They didn't regard them as privations.
Eastern Volunteers More Dependent.
In reply to p question. General Wheeler
II, how N tax r.
themselves better than the volunteers
They knew better what TO throw away,
ard they knew more about how to get their
fCui ked. The volunteers from the west
Yer, composed Of men who knew better
how to care for themselves in the field than
the volunteers from the east. where they
came out Of the cities to q large extent.
lie said he thought because of these facts
the health of The regulars was better than
the health Of the volunteers. The officers
of thu regulars were better able to teach
their men how TO take care of themselves
than officers in the volunteers
He said The 70 pid development of illness
the result of conditions of the country.
lie said that the men mad shelter after the
surrender But the conditions of life
were improved the sick list not chang
ed. for the reason that men had got the
causes Of sickness in their systems. Some
OF them did not succunb TO disease until
they got back to MOntauk.
In his own command. Gen. Wheeler said,
some OF his officers had told him the men
were suffering but he did not think they
regarded that as the result of any neglect.
II was merely the result of the conditions
to which all of them were subjected lie
lad not visited the general hospitals at ST.
honey and could not speak Of them.
Gen. Wheeler did not know how many
ambula1Ces there were in the field. He
said more ambuldnces could have been used
10 advantage, but that was regarded as an
CXigsnCy Of the campaign. Wagons were
used ambulaaces. Generally wagons
could travel the road between Santiago and
Siboney.
Ex-Gov. Woodbury. asked if there was
any difficulty in landing supplies at ST.
honey.
Gen Wheeler said there were some de-
lays ON account of high seas. These delays.
however. were for but a few hours. He
knew Of no serious delay.
In reply to question Gen. Wheeler said
his medical officers had on occasions spoken
Of shortage of medical supplies. But when
he sent for them the return of the men
was reasonably prompt. and they came
back With what they went for. Sometimes
there We're instances in which some articles
coa'd not BE- obtained.
The first time the witness heard Of
shortage Of medical supplies was after the
surrender nf Santiago, and on account OF
these reports Gen. Shafter purchased sup
plies Ill Santiago.
The Natter OF Transports.
The transports kept off from shore. ne
said in reply 10 = question. farther than
the military officers desired.
the order for going ashore. ne said. male
MS command fourth. He thought as he
vas TIE senior officer there and command
e., cavalry he SHOULD have been first and
Ee urged the commando of his transports
70 go in closer and managed TO get ashore
tTat day He did not speak Of his as any
thing nf which he had right to complain.
lut TlsIc,y as the fact. The ships were
II garded By the coz mandeTs as under the
CCGtru, Of the qUar:eru aSteTS department.
lie managed 20 get them near shore merely
ly strongly ur-iUG them. The command
lrE Cth-ers q these transports took upcn
themselves TO say how far from shore they
should lie.
In regard 70 suffering on transports. tfen.
Wheeler said the ships would nave been
better prepared rs having 1amuOcks in
stead Of buuk<- He would Iocummt nd in
The futur" that hammocks Instead Of hunks
be US q. He said there was suffering on
aCcognt Of heat. but it was ao- 4 serious
matter. He said lie mad gene down among
the men on the transport on which lie
came, and in the darkness TO one luew
who he was. but in reply t. lis qucs :ors
low The mea were Re was merely tod that
they Were very hot down there. AT times
some of them would go above.
He had come back on the worst ship CT
~