The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-17

Gen. Charles F. Humphreys, who was
in charge of the water transportation
at Tampa for Santiago, was chief
quartermaster on Gen. Miles staff and
was with Gen. Shafter, prior to Gen.
Miles arrival, testified that the con-
gestion at Tampa was due to the in
ability of the roads to handle the
cars.
Did you assign the troops in ad-
vance of their arrival at Tampa to the
different vesSels?" asked Gen. Wilson.
NO. SIR
When the troops came to you, were
they then assigned for the first time p"
Yes, sir, because that was neces-
sary'
He said that under the circumstances
the transports at Tampa were as well
fitted out as they could have been. Each
transport carried its full complement Of
ordnance quartermasters and commits
sary stores, in fact all that could be
taken. There were ia mule wagons and
seven ambulances taken.
Why We're no more wagons and am
balances taken?" queried Gen. Wilson.
Because the vessels were FULL" was
the answer.
Would you reply, then. lack of trans
portation?"
Il would not like to say it. All the
wagons, said the witness, were landed
at Santiago, but all were not set up."
'Litters," he said, should have land
ed before the battle of Ell Caney, be-
cause they were regimental, and he be-
lieved they must have been Witness
was aboard the Seneca for two days,
and said she looked all right to him.
Il know there were people board the
Concho, who ought not to have BEEN"
ne said, in reply to queries as to passes
Tor outsiders to come north on these
vessels. He thought duplicate issuance
OF passes for foreign attaches and 9TH
ers might overcrowd the vessels, and
mad protested that only one person
should furnish passes. After the vessel
was turned over to the medical depart
ment he said he had nothing to do with
these ships. Asked as to serious COM
plants that had been made of Improper
conditions of the Seneca. Concho
Breakwater and the City of Washing
ton, witness insisted the responsibility
rested with the medical department. "If
the Concho," asked Ex-Governor Wood
bury, was overcrowded was IT because
the government had not provided suffi-
Gent transportation or through an err
ror of judgment of the medical depart
ment?
Why, the medical department GER
talnly," replied Gen. Humphrey, en-
phatically, because there were two
more ships each as good as the Concho
available"
Gen. Humphreys, speaking of San
tlago expedition, said it was
easy enough now to look back on
things which might have been done,
but there were a thousand and one
things which happened which could not
have been anticipated.
He was closely questioned by DR.
Connor as to the supply of medical
stores and the transportation furnished
to convey them to the front Witness
said that transportation trains used
before the wagon trains were unloaded
were under the direction of the COM
manding general, with orders to get
ammunition and stores to the front
preferably ammunition but there was
IN his opinion. no reason why the med
zeal stores should not have reached the
front. The medical corps were" said
he. denied nothing when it was pos
sible to give it to them" Gen. Hum
phreys said medical chests belonging
to many surgeons were not landed with
the troops. as they should have been
Tons and tons of regimental property
were landed in some cases, but not the
surgeons medicine chests. WHY. we
could not understand.
Asked if all the supplies were land
ed by July 10. Gen. Humphreys said he
could not say II don't know what
was taken with the expedition" caid
he. land l don't think any one knows
This was the result of the confusion in
which everything went by the board
In the first instance, l directed all the
hospital stores to go on the Santiago
Iroquois and Seneca. but when they did
not come, we loaded what came to the
piers at Tampa. No one knows exact
ly what arrived
He said he had seen only one order
directing a single division hospital to
join the expedition. Gen Humphreys
explained that almost everything dur
ing the first fortnight after the landing
was done on verbal orders or telephone,
There was little paper at hand. Asked
about the failure to unload some of the
transports which arrived at Santiago
after the surrender. Gen. Humphreys
said that the vessels We're not unload
ed because there was plenty of sup
plies on shore for the army, and his
orders from Secretary Alger were to
GLOW nothing to interfere with the
movement of troops north. Asked
about his experience with refrigerated
beef. he said the first he saw was al
Santiago. The trouble was, there