The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-22

G1ANiEs INE SuuEtE VI StltuEth " liz Iodys
In reply to a question from General Davis
he said the issue of fresh beef was made
direct through the regimental commissary.
without the intervention Of brigade COM
missarics.
General Davis piled a number Of questions
to develop, IL possible, the responsibility for
the fresh beef reaching the regiments in
spoiled condition.
Colonel Powen said to Colonel Gilbert
that the fresh beef was generally whole
some, but never thoroughly good when
issued in the morning., and often all was
putrid when delivered late in the afternoon,
Replying to another question, he said he had
declared TO fellow-officers either at Santiago
or Montauk that the refrigerated beef
tasted as though it had come in contact
with chIoroform or kerosene. This was
noticeably true when broiled. For years
he said he had not personally used refrig-
Grated beef upon his own table, because he
felt that it would nauseate him.
In reply 10 a direct question Of Colonel
Davis the witness said he had never enter
tanned an idea at Santiago or Montauk that
the. beer had been treated chemically to
the belief that had a herd of cattle been
about the camp in Cuba. all killing would
have had to be done after sunset and all
issued before 8 O'Clock in the morning.
Reasoning from his experience in the CIVIL
war, when cattle on the hoof were slaugh-
tered and issued at night and satisfaction
resulted, he thought cattle on the hoof in
Cuba would have been preferable to the
refrigerated beef supply.
BEEF SPOILED ONE DAY.
Col. Albert T. Smith, of the Thirteenth
4HIaHlIyy VINO IOliOWeQ COlOneI Powell,
testified that his regiment left New York
April 10 and went to Tampa. but he was
relieved on June 6 and did not join his reg
iment again until late in July. when he
reached Santiago. General Ames was brig
ade commander. Refrigerated beef was be-
ing used and continued to be supplied until
Aug. 8, when the regiment embarked for
the north.
The beef was good" he said in response
to a query, ''excePt on one day, when it
was spoiled. ] understand that beef had
been lying in the sun on the deck The
canned roast beef, he said. was issued on
the return trip. He did not know how much
was used, but it was employed with toma-
toes in making soup. The orders to en-
bark were verbal and the rations were sup
Rned at the commissary's discretion. Col.
Smith said he had reason to believe very lit
tie canned roast beef had been eaten, ex-
cept IN soup. investigation made in Septem-
Der showed that it had given practically no
satisfaction either in soup or when eaten
from the can. He had never heard of its
being issued prior to the Spanish war. He
supposed 1t was intended to be eaten from
the can, since it was issued as a travel
ration. Colonel Smith said he should. not
rave telt 1t his duty to make a report had
u not been called for by the department, as
he was not directly in contact With his reg
iment during the time when the most dis
satisfaction was alleged to have existed.
Replying to Colonel Davis he said he had
had no suspicion while using either the
canned or refrigerated beef that it had been
treated with. chemicals. In a general way
he said he should have chosen beef on the
MOOT In preference to refrigerated beef had
he been given the choice. AS there was no
option at the time he had not thought par
ticularly about the question.
CANNED BEEF UNSATISFACTORY.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles D.. Viele, of the
First Cavalry, another of the regular army
officers who had been through the Shafter
campaign, followed with a long recital of
his experience with earned roast beef.
Colonel Davis-What did you have as a
meat ration going down on the transports?
Witness-Canned roast beef.
Colonel Davis-What did you have in
Cuba?
Witness-Canned roast beef. except for a
few days before leaving for home, when
we had refrigerated beef.
Colonel Davis--What did you AVE on the
transport coming home?
Wftness-Canned roast beef.
Colonel Davis-What satisfaction did it
give?
Witness-Did not give any satisfaction at
ali.
Colonel Davis-what complaints were
made TO you as to this beef?
Witness-There was no complaints. There
was no chance to get anything else and the
men took it and said nothing.
Colonel Davis-They did use it then?
Witness-I didn't say they used it. 1t was
ISSUED and they took it. l saw a good deal
of 1t thrown overheard.
Colonel Davis-What did YOU do toward
getting something to replace it?
WitneSs-I did nothing. There was nothing
to do. There was nothing else to be had.
Colonel Davis-Have you made any reports
ON this subject?
Witness-Yes, I have made three reports.
Colonel Davis-But why was it you made
no official representations on this subject
while you were in the field?
Witness-For one reason, that for q long
time there was not a sheet of paper in my
command.
Colonel Viele said that he did take up the
subject of beef after the command got back
to Montauk and sent out a circular letter
to his troop commanders asking for reports.
This was before he received official notice
from the War Department that a report on
this subject would be wanted. What refrig-
Grated beef his command received in San
tango seemed to be good. He only remem-
bered one issue which was tainted. He had
no complaints as to it from the men.
Did you have any reason to suspect while
you were at Santiago hat the refrigerated
beef had been treated with chemicals?'
Il had never heard of such a thing at the
time. :, was the reply, and such an explana-
ton did not occur to me.
Did you eat any of the refrigerated meat
yourself?"
Once; that was enough for me-"
HAD A MUSTY SMELL.
witness explained that the beef had a
''close, musty smell. as though it had been
shut up In a close room" and it turned him
against the meat, so he took bacon in pref
erence. He was in good health at the time
but many Of his men were sick. Replying
to Colonel Gillespie, he said he had no rea-
son to believe the other officers in his mess
did not use the meat. He said the refrig-
Grated beef at Santiago had a yellow APP
pearance on the outside that he had never
noticed upon the refrigerated beef formerly
furnished at Fort Riley, Kan, where he was
stationed. When he ate it at Santiago he
was inclined to nausea. Referring to the
canned roast beef, he said it seemed TO be
of scraps. and the men would not eat it.
Responding to a request from Colonel
Davis for his opinion as to the comparative
desiFabiity of beef on the hoof and refrig-
Grated beef, he thought the former would
have been preferable, because the cattle
could have been driven to the camps,
slaughtered, issued and cooked He said
he had not suggested this because no cat
lie were near and the troops were a long
way from the place where cattle could be
secured. Cattle on the hoof could have been
used between the time of landing and the
surrender. while the men were employed in
the siege. by being driven close to the front
and delivered on packs. This, he said, in
reply TO a question of Colonel Davis.
RTigadier General Hawkins was next
called. At the outbreak of the war he was
colonel of the Twentieth Infantry, but was
made brigadier general while in Mobile in
May and then his connection was severed
and he finally commanded a brigade in the
First Division of the Fifth Corps, sailing on
June IL for Santiago. He told the story
OF the journey, Decentralization and fight in
which he was wounded, when he left his
He said complaints against
canned corned beef were filed on the trans
port. He heard no complaints after land
ing and knew little of the beef question.
His brigade included the Sixth and Six
tenth Infantry Regiments and the Seventy
first New York.