The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-28
The Court Appointed to('Inquirs Into
Charges by Gen. Miles
Hears The Testimony Of Enlisted Men Of the
Ninth Infantry.
Were Many Complaints as to the
Canned Roast Beef-It Maui
seated the Men, Had Little Taste
and Apparently Contained Lit
tie Nourishment.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-When the
army court of inquiry into the beef
charges met to-day, after it's two-day
| recess, it expected to begin the exami-
nation of some of the enlisted men of
| the army who had not only seen the
beef furnished the army in the field,
but had eaten it in quantities. wherein
they differed from most of the officers,
who had previously testified. The en-
listed men were slow in arriving, how
ever, and the first witness was Lieu
tenant Charles F. Dwyer, Ninth In
fantry, now at Madison Barracks.
The witness had only a vague mem
| DRY OF what the meat complement of
the ration was on the voyage from
Tampa to Santiago. He knew that
after the command landed the men had
bacon, corned beef and canned roast
beef. There were numerous complaints
as TO the canned roast beef, but there
was no official action taken on these
complaints, as it was difficult to get
anything in the. way of rations to the
| front and the army felt that the Com
missary Department was doing the best
| it could.
After the capture. of Santiago wit
ness was stationed altogether in the
| city, and his command getting the re-
| frigerated beef early in the day. it was
always fresh and good, and he heard
no complaints as to it's quality. He had
made no report on the beef after re-
turning and should not have felt it his
duty to do so, except under orders. He
had been made sick on one occasion by
eating canned roast beef stew, but
otherwise his health had not suffered.
Brigadier General Robert D. Nc
Feely retired Commissary General of
Subsistence from 1875 to 1890, testified
that during his service he had recon-
mended the Introduction of a regular
travel ration with a view to lettering
the condition of the soldiers. Prior to
that the men of the Tennessee had suf-
fered on long trips in trying to live for
several days on what was known as
"the cooked ration which usually con-
sisted of bread and meat without even
coffee.
Colonel DAVIS read the records refer
ring to these orders dating back to 1878,
and showing that canned fresh beef
was included as part of the travel
ration.
A party of six enlisted men of the
Ni1sth Infantry next appeared.
First Sergeant Howard Alexander
testified that his regiment used both
corned and roast canned beef on the
voyage from Tampa to Santiago. There
were many complaints from the men
as to the canned roast beef. 1t MAUI
seated the men, had little taste, and ap-
parently contained little nutriment. The
men finally got to throwing the cans
away, or not drawing them, as the
meat frequently made them sick as
soon as they ate it Witness was not
willing to say definitely whether it was
the canned meat or the malaria that
caused more sickness in the regiment.
After getting into the city where the
refrigerated beef was issued the men
continued to be very sick, nauseated
and suffering from bowel complaints.
The Sergeant thought this also came
frcn the refrigerated meat; the gravy
especially that came from the refrig
Grated meat seemed to nauseate the
men even more than the meat itself.
Sergeant Buckage, also Of the Ninth,
was called He testified that the men
did not like the canned roast beef. 1t
made them sick, and they did not eat
IL W HeII tHCN tOuIQ Scl diiy tillilS CiSC.
Coming to the refrigerated beef, Ser
geant Buckage said there was little or
no complaint while in Santiago After
the regiment got outside of town about
a quarter of the beef spoiled in transit
to the camp. What was left after trim
ming off the spoiled part was consid-
cred quite good. He did not know that
any man had been nauseated by the
refrigerated beef But all the regiment
was sick on leaving Cuba, and so per
cent. actually on sick report.
| Replying to Colonel Gillespie, Buckage
| said that from the 22d of June to July,
the ration averaged one-half short.
Asked if he thought the command act
ually suffered in health from this lack
of food. he replied very simply: Il
| think it did So" He said, however,
that the men were not disposed to COM
plain at the time, as they felt the Off
| GERS were doing all they could for their
men under the circumstances.
| The testimony of the others was Of
| the same general character.
| The enlisted men were ordered to re-
port to the court at 2 p. m. tomorrow.