The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-08

a time in command of the Roosevelt
rough riders. Each gave testimony
covering his experiences. and while
each one admitted the possibility of in
! dividual cases of suffering and discom-
fort, all said that in the vast majority
Of cases complaints were exaggerated,
| if not without foundation. They
agreed in saying that no army was
ever so abundantly and luxuriously
supplied as was the American army in
the Spanish war
Gen. Greene, who went to Manila,
was before the war Investigating com
mittee this morning at its forenoon
session.
He said he sailed from San Francisco
for Manila on the China, an excellent
vessel. He found the ship in good
condition, but the men necessarily were
crowded. -Four months provisions
and large quartermaster's and medi-
cal supplies were carried. Gen.
Greene said that there was no com
plant during the voyage of a scarcity
Of supplies, but during the first two
days out, there was some dissatisfac-
ton with the cooking This was soon
improved, and no criticism was heard
afterward
The details of the ocean trip and of
the battle Of Manila were re-
lated in matter calling for
closest attention from the com
| missioners, but covering the same
ground as his report to the war depart
ment recently made public. He spoke
of insurgents who lay between his
forces and the Spanish lines.
Col. DENLY asked what the insur-
gents We're doing while the battle was
on.
They were trying to get into Ma
nila said Gen. Greene, and while the
leaders were trying to preserve order,
the rank and file were not so conpli-
ant and 1t was evident that they
wished to enter the town to secure
compensation for their services.
| He stated that some Of them did get
q foothold In the suburbs, and he had
literally pushed body of 1000 Of them
into the sea. They complained sharp
| ly, but did not fire on his men,
The health Of the troops was excel
lent and the commissary supplies were
| abundant, but there was difficulty II
! getting them ashore on account Of the
storm. This caused some hardships H,
| considered the surgeons efficient anC
! had heard no complaint from the mel
in the hospitals. The sinks were in
spected twice daily.
i Speaking of the camps at San Fran
cisco, he said the site of Camp Merit
was very poor, but did not know
| whether a better site could have beer
secured. The location was made b,
Gen. Otis, and Gen. Greene felt safe ii
denying the report that there had beer
collusion with the railroad authorities
in choosing the site. The sinks and tht
crowded condition of the camp caused
| the greatest annoyance.
Gen. Greene stated that the mos
| fragrant evidence of neglect that he haC
seen during the war was in the case
of the transports at New York Theil
| condition was of character thai
| should have been remedied He hat
also seen green coffee issued both il
Florida and at Manila Gen. Greene
spoke in high terms of the spirit of the
men.
| Gen. Greene concluded his testimony
and Henry 8. Hersey, of Sante Fe, N
M, of the Roosevelt rough riders, was
next examined He said the men wer,
| generally in good health at San Anto
| Mo- as they were also in the main a.
| Tampa, which was the next stoppins
place. He complained, however, tina
at the latter place the camp was Low
and fiat, and towards the close of hi
| stay there in July there was an increas
| of fever and kindred diseases. TIL,
! troops, he said, were well supplied from
the commissary and other departments
| but there were some complaints agains
/ the physicians who were left with tn
| squadrons at this point.
He ascribed the sickness of the me-
at Santiago to the climate and to tn
hardships of the campaign.
At the afternoon session of the wa
commission Maj. Jersey related his ex
periences and observations at Montaul
Point. He had come north on tn
Miami which was considered one o
the worst of the transports. Still tn
voyage was not characterized by an
special discomforts.
He considered Camp Wikoff the mos
perfect camp he had ever seen, the 10
cation, the climate, the surrounding
and the topography being all tina
could be desired. The water was whole
some and the sinks were carefully at
tended to. The sickness of the comman,
| decreased rapidly at this camp.
Soldiers were never taken care of s.
well as at Montauk; there was no SUI
fering caused by neglect.
! This witness was followed by Col
James G. c. Lee, who was chief quar-
| termaster at Camp Thomas during tn
history of that camp. He said tina
neither the regulars nor the volunteer
had sufficient transportation facilitie
when they came in, and their wants il
this respect were supplied
He Immediately made estimates 70
supplies, and all had been met with
remarkably degree of promptitude.
Col. Lee dwelt upon the natural diff
| culties of supplying an army of $500
men. The hospital and ambulance corp
had been fully fitted out with every