The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-03

regiment served In Porto Rico. They had
very little they could eat on the trip down.
They sometimes had bacon. but no chance
to cook it and had to throw it overheard.
They had canned roast beef. which they
eenned tomatoes. hardtack and coffee.
Asked if he thought any sickness in his
command was caused by the food the men
due to what we did not have TO eat. When
we got 10 Porto Rico there were thirty of
our men so sick they were never landed"
WAS this state of underfeeding general
aboard the transport" asked Colonel Davis.
Yes, sir"
board. Did you report TO him?
Il did not think we had any right to go
over the head of our colonel. We reported
to him. / heard him speak TO the commits
sary captain and the captain answered that
the men were getting all they would get
when they got on shore. That was ali / ever
heard of the report" His colonel was Chas.
T.. Woodland.
NJ. o. Dryer. of the Ninth Massachusetts
Volunteers, said that on the trip TO Cuba
they had served a fairly good brand of
had seen at home. After landing some of
the canned roast beef was absolutely spoiled
when opened. but ii was all UNBEATABLE and
did not satisfy the hunger nor keep up the
strength. One of his experiences with the
canned roast beef was on San Juan hill,
when his mess was out Of rations. He found
a can of roast beef in one of the abandoned
camps of the Sixth Cavalry. 'I thought it
was going to be a Gods send to the mess,
GlI, SdHu ut, lCclllSIy, dnu Il put IL IN my
shirt. / was smoking a cigar at the time.
but when the cigar went out l smelled some
thing awful, and when | found out what
was the matter it was the can of beef in
my shirt. L found the can was cracked in
one corner-and. oh. sir. ii was awful His
first experience with the refrigerator beef
was nearly all of 1t moldy and most of it
tainted so the men were sickened by eat
ing il.
Lieut.. Newton Putney. another Sixth
Massachusetts man, followed His story of
the voyage of the Yale to Porto Rico agreed
substantially with that OF Lieutenant Tay-
lor.
bridge. of the Second New York. whose
service had all been in the United States.
said his experience with the refrigerator
the canned beef, however, was putrid.
Lieut.. John S. Sewall, of the regular
army. who served as major of the First
Volunteer Engineers, and was aboard the
transport that carried Clarence Walters to
Porto Rico: testified that there was no
canned beef aboard this transport TO his
knowledge. There was canned corned beef
in cans. such as were described by Walters
as containing canned roast beef. He recol-
lected Walters. but the latter had never
complained to him of the ration or of his
treatment while in the service. On the con-
trary. Walters said he had been very we'll
treated.
New York. said he had been made sick
three times by eating canned roast beef.
ard thereafter avoided it as much as he
could.
Guy p. Vistinski. of the First Volunteer
Engineers. had been three months in Porto
Rico and only ate canned roast beef once.
1t made him sick.
r. c. Miller. of Rochester, a machinist by
trade. and a private of the Eighth Ohio,
had had large experience with canned roast
beef while camped in Cuba. About one-third
of the canned beef was fit for use and the
rest condemned. One-half the refrigerated
beef had to be buried.