The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-14

J..
fdence which is necessary to perfect har-
mony. Neither the president nor the sec
rotary of war should have in. the command
of the army an officer who is not working
in harmony with him.
The Secretary of War.
The report now takes up the war depart
ment and it's various chiefs OF subdivisions.
beginning with the secretary of war. The
been laid before US, show that the secre-
tary of war. extended TO all chiefs of bu-
rsaus cordial and full support; and prompt
ly responded to every proper d mand made
upon pc 1, him him by commanding officers. No
territorial neglect Of duty nor any attempt
to serve personal interests. The charge 5
made that the secretary of war was pecu-
nl MAJ ntf ere IN contraets purchases
ment have been thoroughly examined and
found baseless
there was lacking in the general admins
tration OF the war department during the
Of y ff b With snsn
essential to the highest efficiency a nd dis
cipline of the. army
the commiss ion find that the inspector
generals department was not as efficient
as 1t ought to have been. The organiza-
ton in the field was ample. and the in
snectors made reports to the comma ndins
officers to whom they had been assigned
These reports were often not acted upov
and we're not forwarded 10 the war de-
partment.
Wns Not Prepared for War.
ut will be observed that the declaration
sponsibiity for which it was neither
danys1eaiy nor Srs financially The
1898, IT was amply provided with all neces-
sary cIothlng and equipage supplies for
lied. 1t appears that within a few weeks
1t became necessary TO provide for clothing
ana eqsipping an army of more than 25O. COO
40 frrr ,r1x,vu ,Apsac vol tr,t1 a coo,
soon az war was inevitable, SO soon as law
p perm the quartermasters depart
ment undertook this enormous work; That
the quartermaster gener Il threw the en-
ergy OF his department into his work when
I 1,Il We're available wasleyident, and that
ms officers labored faithfully in their eff
forts to aid him, is plain to those who have
carefully studied their work.
Some of the Complaints.
I'm spite of every effort there were occa-
sions where troops suffered from poor tent
TOT pedding, where clothing was scarce
and troops suffered discomfort for lack Of
SHOES, shirts and other articles of apparel.
pears to have been caused rather from lack
OF transportation from the coast than from
laek OF clothing and tentage. supply OF
winch was on the transports. Great COM
pant was made of lack Of transportation
4l@slEttes at the camp at Montauk Point.
erence to Unnecessary delays and lack Of
promptness on the part of the quartermas-
ter,s department. in moving regiments and
IN the care of the sick and convalescents
returning home either with their regiments
or alone. Great complaint was made of the
sointe lack ef ABILITY to brihpg o a o out Of
chaos at that PLACE during the early part
o., Of the period of its occupancy by troops;
that supplies for 70, coo men for 80 days were
ordered there. and the confusion on the
railroad when he reached Tampa was very
great, 1000 cars being sidetracked. some of
them as far back as Columbia. 8. G.
Lack of Executive ABILITY.
''It is stated that in the hurry and rush
attending the commencement of this work
the contents of cars were unknown at
warded, and that it seemed Impossible for
time to determine where absolutely neces-
sary articles were located Col. Bird, of the
quartermaster'S department, teStifies that
this was corrected later on, when the con-
tents Of cars Were clearly marked upon
The Of te
tampa was Occupied e ~ troops seems ' UNI
lack Of executive ability on the part Of
those charged with the loading, unloading
and handling of the trains. Col. Bird and
Gen. Humphrey testify that there were
very poor facilities for transferring troops
and supplies arriving at Tampa via the
eana sec TO Port
was finally brought out OF chaos. the cars
unloaded, the congestion overcome and a
delivered at this immense encampment
Water transportation.
With, reference to the vessels used to
transport troops to Cuba. the report says
lit was shown by. evidence that their ca
ac had been largely ,hs and
out great discomfort and danger. more
than $4,000, instead of $1,000. men. with their
sistence, medical supplies and 1895 animals
for a voyage of 1000 miles.
1.-THE quartermaster's department ought
equip these vessels. and surely it should
have been more certain of their carrying
capacity A .sufhcient number Of vessels
CURED lighters for their decentralization
should have been promptly furnished. even
seizure of every steamer on the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts sailing under the American
flag.
Land Transportation.
ports the means Of land transportation dur
Ing the Santiago campaign was painfully
deficient The testimany shows that the
Cuba near Santiago on June 21 that the
pack trains were landed on June %; that
the. first wagons, We're landed on June 25.
and that the landing of the latter was con-
tinued more rapidly than they could be
set up on shore. and that in fact some
up ' at an . Gen chaffee testifies that on on
July j, at the battle of Ell Caney, ten days
after the arrival of the fleet there were
no ambulances or wagons available and
that the roads were SO horrible that they
could not reach the front.
''It> is plainly evident that this army of
1900 men disembarked in the face OF an
enemy in hostile country, and rapidly
thrown forward against q well-armed
force, was painfully deficient in land trans
portation, but in spite of the absence of this
almost absolutely necessary portion of the
equipment of wel-trained command it
drove he enemy before IT., captured their
outposts. pushed them behind their main
defenses, drove their fleet from Santiago
bay TO absolute destruction is it faced the
navy of our country. and finally, after most
gallant fighting under a tropical sun
amidst most adverse conditions, captured
strongly fortified city and received as
| prisoners of war over $4,000 Spanish SOL
diers.
| OF the department under charge OF Gen.
| Eagan as commissary general the report
| says: 1.-The commission has carefully i'm
| vestigated the subject of the condition.
| quality and quantity of the food supplied
! 10 the army. Almost without exception it
4 has been shown by the testimony taken
sthat wherever the troops were ordered,
I whether to the various camps In the United
| states 'oriin Porto Rico, Cuba and Ma Mia.
| the rations prescribed by law were on the
transports and at the camps with the SOL
| dieis. So far as We have been able to as-