Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-02-13

| The Second. Seventh and Seventeenth reg
| ular infantry were each divided up, and
! portions in each case sent on three diff
ferent vessels. The fleet of transports ar-
rived safely at Baiquiri. but the failure TO
provide a full and sufficient number of
| lighters for Decentralization of troops, sup
plies and artillery caused delay, anxiety,
annoyance and danger, and had there been
| serious storms, or had the landing been
| opposed by vigilant and well trained
| force of the enemy, the result might have
been far different.
Contracts.
| Contracts covering millions of dollars
| were made by the quartermaster's depart
ment during the period between April 1
| and October l, and although indefinite
charges have from time to time been made
of fraud and collusion. no evidence has been
| produced before the commission to sub
stantiate these charges, although the par
4 ties making them have been invited to
appear.
Transportation of Medical Supplies
and of Sick and Wounded Soldiers.
"It is somewhat difficult to follow up the
transportation of medical supplies.
Large quantities were purchased by the
surgeons in charge for medical depots in
New York. St. Louis and San Francisco,
carefully boxed.
| 1lne supplies were SOnetlmeS 6enI Dy
express, thus insuring their more prompt
delivery. go
. 1.-THE delay in some instances in secur-
ing medical suppiies' at Santiago seems to
have been practically due to carelessness in
loading them on the transports. This Is
shown in the cases Of the steamship La
Grand Duchess, which left Charleston, s.
c., July 20. Upon unloading the vessel at
Ponce on July 2S large supply Of medical
stores were found upon her destined for
General Skaters army at Santiago. The
vessel was ordered to Santiago July 81
1.-THE steamers Seneca and Concho were
used as hospital ships for the return Of
sick and wounded from Santiago in July.
Their conditions for this purpose were very
unsuitable.
lowing to the lack Of necessary trans
portation the means Of land transportation
during the Santiago campaign was pain
fully deficient.
General Shafter testiies that he could
carry no more on his transports from
Tampa; that he realized that he would have
very few ambulances, but that wagons
could be used for transportation both
of the wounded and of supplies, while am
balances could be employed only for one
purpose. General Humphrey testifies that
no more land transportation was taken,
simply because the vessels Were fully
loaded.
"The testimony shows that the transports
arrived off the south coast Of Cuba near
Santiago on June 2l that the pack trains
were landed on June %; that the first
wagons were landed on June %, and
that the landing of the latter was
continued more rapidly than they could
be set up on shore, ana tnat
in fact some Of those that were landed were
never set up at all.
General Chaffee testifies that on July
| I hot Of for davs aft
er the arrival of the fleet, there were no
!. ambulances or wagons available and that
the roads were so horrible that they could
, not reach the front.
ut is plainly evident that this army OF
1900 men, disembarked in the face of an
enemy in hostile country and rapidly
thrown forward against a well-armed force
, was painfully deficient in land Transports
ton, but in spite of the absence of this
! almost absolutely necessary portion of the
& equipment of well trained command, Il
t drove the enemy before 1t, captured thetl
: outposts pushed them behind their mali
r defenses, drove their fleet from Santiago
' bay to absolute destruction, as it faced the
navy of our country, and, finally. aftel
) gallant fighting under tropical sun
: amidst most adverse conditions. captured &
3 | strongly fortified city and received as pris
/ oners of war over 5000 Spanish soldiers
aBrigadfer General Charles r. Eagan
Commissnry General, U. 8. A., I'm
Charge.
e. "The commission has carefully investigat
ed the subject of the condition. quality anG
quantity of food supplied to the army. AL
most without exception it has been shown
y by the testimony taken that wherever the
: | troops were ordered whether to the va
| rious camps in the United States or II
/ Porto Rico, Cuba and Manilaa, the rations
. prescribed by law were on the transport:
and at the camps with the soldiers.
so far as We have been able to ascer
tain there was but one occasion, that of 6
day, in front OF Santiago. when the troop:
}, | We're seriously short of rations; these hat
t been supplied, but thrown aside when tht
men went into action; the condition O.
roads and lack Of transportation prevented
s | prompt reissue. At times the vegetable
t ration was not of good quality, the pota
: toes and onions being spoiled. Condemned
, by board of survey. such vegetables were
I destroyed and an equivalent part of tn,
d ration issued. Some trouble occurred be
+ | cause such vegetables and other damaged
food were disposed Of by a compan!
, | without the warrant of board of sur
9 vey. This was done through ignorance
their officers not knowing what was neces
sary to be done.
n Refrigerated Beef
$ 'This commission was organized the 24tl
!, day of September last. Up to the 2lst da.
d of December its members had taken testi
t mony in seventeen different towns AM
cities and nine camps. 1t had also re
ceived many hundred letters. communica
: tions and newspaper clippings from per
u Examination of numerous officers and en-
= listed men had been made as to the Qualit,