Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-13


| there had not been deficiency of one
dollar reported on the part of volunteer
| stan officer and that he wishSi to make
It matter of record that ia the disfri-
button of many millions of dollars during
| this war there was yet to be made the
hrst Charge of defaication against an
army officer regular or volunteer.
There have been very few complaints
| against this department The records and
| testimony show that it has been prompt
in its work and has added greatly to the
| efficiency of the army"
INSPECTOR GENERALS DEPART
l. NJ ENT.
| Brig. Gen j. c. Breckenridge, Inspect
or General T.. S. A. in charge:
THE commits sion find that the Inspector
generals department was not as efficient
as IL ought 10 have been. There seems to
have been a question as to the authority by
which inspections were to be ordered. On
at least one occasion, May 18th, the Secre-
tary OF War instructed the Major General
commanding the army, to inspect certain
camps, viz: Those at Chickamauga, At
lanta, New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa, Mia
mi and Key West. The Major General did
not act upon such Instructions, stating 1t
to be his place to order inspections.
Further, the commission finds that al
though several of the officers OF this de-
partment were assigned to duty in COM
mand of troops in the field, still compe-
tent officers were left in charge or the
department in Washington TO perform
such duties as were assigned to them.
The organization in the iieid was ample,
and the inspectors made reports to the
commanding officers to whom they had
been assigned. Those reports were often
not acted upon and were not forwarded
to the War Department"
QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT.
Brig. Gen. NJ: l Ludington, Quarter
master on Gensra 7 s AZ In cha
of war with Spain, the quartermaster's
department found itself charged with var
led, numerous and important duties. it's
a flfi q ion, OF nd q h.
ability of a large army being soon organ
lied for field service.
The department up to March l, 1898
found itself confronted with sections 36.9,
o12 and 500 OF the revised statutes, which
prohibit any government department from
expending money in excess of appropria-
tons, that purchases shall not exceed the
necessities of the current year and that
all proposals shall be advertised.
1t will thus be observed that the decla-
ration of war threw upon the qartermdS-
responsibility for which it was neither
physically nor financially prepared.
1-Clothing, camp and garrison equip
age.
The department has reported that on
April l. 1873, it was amply provided with
all necessary clothing and equipage sup
plies for three months for the army as
then organized. 1t appears that within
few weeks it became necessary to pro-
vide for clothing and equipping an army
of more than quarter of million men.
soon as war was inevitable, so soon as
law permitted, the quartermaster's de-
partment undertook this enormous work.
That the quartermaster general threw the
energy of his department into this work
when funds were available seems evident
and that his officers labored faithfully in
their efforts to aid him is plain to those
who have carefully studied their work.
In spite Of every effort there were oc-
casions
WHERE TROOPS SUFFERED
from poor tentage or from lack of tentage
and absence of straw for bedding, where
discomfort for lack of shoes, shirts and
other articles of apparel. This was no.
tced even as late as October in the camps
at Admission, Huntsville and Lexington,
while at Huntsville, Ala, and Fort Mon
roe, Va, in spite of cool nights there was
a lack of stoves in the hospitals and at
Huntsville the supply of wood was short.
With some of the troops sent from San
Francisco to Manila the deficiency in
shoes of proper size continued even up to
August l.
A Santiago the deficiency at the front
appears to have been caused rather from
lack of transportation from the coast
rather than from lack of cltohing and
tentage, a supply of which was on the
Great complaint was made of lack of
transportation facilities at the camp at
n. Y.
Many complaints were made in refer
ence to unnecessary delays and lack of
on the part of the quarter
masters department in moving regiments
and in the care. of sick and GONZALES
cents returning home either with their
regiments or alone
Great complaint was made of the rail-
nfe lacER " off abnft t6BPi gp P6ff the abs9
chaos at that place during the early part
of the period of it's occupancy by troops.
The Major General commanding has stat
ed that supplies for l0,C00 men for ninety
days were ordered there, and the confus-
ion on the railroad when he reached Tam
pa was very great, 1C0O cars. being side
tracked some of them as far back as
S. c.
1T is stated that
IN THE HURRY AND RUSH
attending the commencement of this work
the contents of cars were unknown at
Tampa; that bills of lading were not for
warded, and that it seemed impossible
for a time to determine where absolutely
necessary articles were located.
Col. Bird, of the quartermaster's de-
partment testifes that this was corrected
later on, when the contents of cars We're
clearly marked upon them and bills OF
ladng promptly forwarded.
Tine condition of the railroad conges-
ton during the early portion of the time
Tampa was occupied by troops seems UNI
lack of executive ability on the part OF
those charged with the loading, unload
ing and handling of the trains.
Col Bird and Gen. Humphrey testify
that there were very poor facilities for
troops and supplies arriving
at Tampa via the Florida Central rail-
road to the Plant system leading direct to
Port Tampa
order was finally brought out Of chaos
and the cars unloaded, the congestion
overcome and vast amount OF supplies
of every character delivered at this i'm
mense encampment.
Congestion also occurred at Chicka-
manga Park, probably with not so serious
results as at Tampa, but complaint was
made that materials of different classes
belonging to different departments were
frequently packed in the same car, rem
ages of quartermaster's or commissary
stores in order to obtain the smaller pack
ages of medicine and medical supplies.
There was also congestion and con-
fusion in connection with the railroad IA
cilities between the 9Th and 18th of August
at Camp Wikoff.
WATER TRANSPORTATION.
THE testimony shows that the first cali
upon the quartermaSter's department was
for ships TO transport J.00 men to Cuba,
and that soon after the call was in
creased and demand made for steamers
TO transport 5000.
Upon loading these vessels, concen-
trated at Port Tampa. it was found that
their capacity had been largely over
rated and ii was impossible to carry upon
them without great discomfort and dam
ger. more than laos men. with their
equipments, artillery ammunition, sub
sistence, medical supplies and 2,295 ami
mails for a voyage of 1000 miles. Even
with this reduction the vessels appear to
have been crowded.
In spite of the efforts of the quarter
masters department many of these YES
sells were very poorly equipped with sleep
h.a -{a