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SOLDIER'S STORY Of the Conduct of the War in Santiago Province. ?GEN. WHEELER TELLS The Conditions Prevailing in the Campaign. Washington, Oct. 4. ? The war investigation commission began the f taking of testimony today, and ? Major General Joseph Wheeler was on the stand the greater part of the day. There was a full attendance of the commission, and the doors of the room in which the inquiry is conducted were for the first time open to the representatives of the ^press. General Wheeler's testimony covered the case of the soldiers at the two important points of Santi ago and Camp Wikoff. He said with reference to the conduct of affairs at Santiago that there had neces sarily been some suffering in the trenches, but that General Shafter had exercised the utmost effort to protect his men. There had been, he said, a shortage of land transpor tation facilities for a time, and there had been no tents for a week. The roads were very fair. The general contended Camp Wikoff was a model camp, the cli ? mate a salubrious one ana the ac commodations quite exceptional in character. He considered the hos pital capacity equal to the demands upon it and that no luilitary camp in history was ever so well supplied in all respects as was this. Red tape methods were entirely abolished, and the demands of the men were met as soon as they were properly voiced. detailed testimony. The war investigation commis sion began its examination of wit nesses today by placing General Joseph Wheeler on the stand. Chairman Dodge stated to him the scope of the commission's duty and asked General Wheeler whether he had anv objections to being sworn. He replied that he had none, and Major Mills, recorder for the com mission. administered the oath. Ex-Governor Beaver conducted the examination, developing the es sential facts as to Gen. Wheeler s rank and his command. General Wheeler stated that he left Tampa for Cuba on the tenth of June, but that he had no knowledge of the plan of campaign before going aboard the transport. He then told of the voyage. On June 21 Gener al Shafter ordered him to disem bark the next day, which he did with a portion of his command. He xode into the country four miles that day and the next moved his troops to Jaguracita. He then be gan his reconnoitering, arranging with General Castillo, of the Cuban army, to send Cuban troops with his men lor the reconnoitre, but unfortunately the Cubans did not keep the engagement. He told of the first battle at La Quasima, stop ping to compliment especially the regular troops, and also to speak of their excellent firing. They soon learned to distrust the reports and estimates of the Cubans. General Wheeler had not been able on his own account to secure any accurate estimate of the Spanish loss during the American approach upon San tiago. Speaking of the proceedings after the first battle, he explained that he had been reported sick, and there were some movements just prior to the battle at El Caney with which he was not familiar. "I was not sick," he said, "but I had been on the 29th and 30th. Still I had not gone on the sick list. I had a fever, but I appreciated the situation, took medicines and came out all right." He was in the b^ tle ol El Caney, and expressed the opinion that more had been killed in the formation of the line than af terwards. He told of the necessity for wading the San Juan river, say ing that the water was about waist <ieep. a magnificent sight. "I ought to say," said the gen eral, in the course of his testimony, "'that it was magnificent to see of ficers of high rank go ashore with their packs on their backs accepting all the fortunes of war with thtir men. They slept on the ground with the soldiers. None of us were mounted, and we were without tents for seven days." Speaking of the character ot the roads from the coabt to the points occupied by the Americans, he said that with such attention as they were able to give them they were very good. The rains had not been verv severe up to that time. The roads were narrow, but equal to the demands. The supplies he considered sufficient except in a few instances, and in those in stances the deficiency was only temporary. "General Shatter," he said, deserves great credit lor the zeal he displayed in this respect. He devoted himself to this task and I think there is no doubt he suc ceeded. We used pack trains and there was comparatively little suf fering because of the shortness of quartermasters' supplies." General Wheeler said in response to a question that Cervera's fleet was the object ot the campaign. There was no reason why the Span ish troops should not have made a sortie from Santiago and he had asked Gen. Toral after the sur render why he had not attacked. I The latter replied that the failure to do so was because his men were footsore. Yet Gen. Wheeler could not accept this explanation for|the Spanish soldiers were not footsore. Gen. Wheeler's opinion was that the Spanish commander was not able to face the Americans in the open. THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. Discussing the plan of campaign he said he doubted whether any more effective plan could have been adopted. Speaking of the medical department he said at times there were complaints but that they were not serious. On occasions there was a shortage of surgeons; some of the surgeons being sick or wounded. According to General Wheeler's belief the wounded in battle were promptly cared for by the surgeons. After the fight of July i, all the wounded were car ried from the field that night. The witness had heard that there was more complaint of the shortage of medicine among the infantry than in the cavalry arm ot the service. Going back to Tampa he said that at the season he was there, the first half of June, the site was without objection, but he had felt that it would be wet later in the season. It was his impression that Tampa had been selected as a camp site alter the beginning of the war and was incidental to the intended moveon Havana. There was, he said, at times, some shortage of supplies at the camp "but nothing," he added, "that a soldier could complain of." They had comfortable tents and the commissary supplies were suffi cient. The water supply also was good. He said the men in his com mand were well taken care of. However, very few men were at that time sick. He had himself gone into the hospitals and had found the men doing well. General Wheeler said he had no control over the supplies which were taken to Santiago on the transports when he left Tampa. This was attended to by the differ ent staff officers. He only knew from conversation with these that there was an abundance of supplies of all character. Returning to the Santiago cam paign he said that only two regi ments had reported a shortage of rations and he had immediately telephoned to the rear and the shortage which was due to accident had been adjusted. There was suffering when the men were com pelled to lie on the breastworks. The meat was poor and they had no bread but hard tack. They were forced to live in the sun and water alternatively and necessarily there was much sickness. While they had the lull quota of doctors and nurses if more had been fur nished the men would have been better cared for. As for rations, three day's supply was generally issued, Whenever the troops went into action ihey would throw their tood away, as well as their packs, and they often did not re cover them. General Wheeler took up the common report that the Cubans stole goods thus discarded. It was not fair he said, to thus accuse the natives, for there was so much of this flotsam and jetsam that, hun gry and poorly clothed as the Cu bans were, they were not to be blamed for helping themselves. He said he had seen among the 22,000 people who came out of Santiago many ladies or refinement who weie emaciated and evidently hungry. In reply to questions he stated that he never* had heard of any shortage of commisary or ordinance supplies at Santiago, but he had been told that the medical supplies were short, yet he had no personal knowledge on this point. He had seen some wounded men crawl ing to the rear in the engagements, but as a rule as soon as a man fell in battle he was carried to the hos pitals by the medical corps. He said that as a rule the quality of the hardtack was good. Where there was any deterioration it was A MATTER OF QUANTITY. _ Nurse: "Tommy, there's some Jam on your cheek." Tommy (with interest): "There isn't any worth eating, is there?" due to local rains and not to the fact of original inferiority. The spirit ot the army was such, he said, that there was no disposi tion to complain. "They were all proud to be there and willing to undergo hardships." Replying to a question from Colonel Denby General Wheeler said the regulars had shown a greater ability to take care of them selves than the volunteers. The volunteers were more careless, but the volunteer cavalrymen were not so negligent as the other volunteers, btcause they were generally west ern men who had been used to camping. He thought this factj had a strong influence in causing! the health of the regulars to be bet- 1 ter than that of the volunteers. Captain Howell asked to what he attributed the development ot dis ease after the capitulation of Santi ago, and General Wheeler replied that it was due to the climate ai d to the exposure made necessary, All the men seemed to be more or less affected by the conditions. He had, he said known of no instance of a sick or wounded man dying from want of care of the physicians So far as he knew there was gen eral commendation of the medical corps, except that on one or two occasions there had been some grumbling in regard to general con ditions. He thought there was a deficiency in the number of ambu lances, but this deficiency was due to the exigencies of the campaign. General Wheeler also said in re ply to Captain Howell that he knew of no confusion in shipping sup plies from Tampa. He was not ac quainted with a case in which the body of a vehicle was shipped on one vessel and the wheels on an other. His memory was not dis tinct as to complaints from physi cians in his command as to the scarcity of medical supplies, but he thought there were some such com plaints, and in such cases he had had them supplied as promptly as possible. There had been difficulty in get ting the transports to ;ie as near in shore as was desirable, rendering it difficult to get at supplies promptly. Three Doctor* iu Consultation. When you are sick, what you like best is to be chosen for a medicine in the first place; what ? xperience tells you is best, to be chosen in the second place; what reason (i e., Theory) says is best is to be chosen in the last place. But if you can get Dr. Inclination, Dr. Experi ence and Dr. Reason to hold a con sultation together, they will give you the best advice that can be taken. ? Benjamin Franklin. When you have a bad cold Dr. Inclination would recommend Chamberlain's Cough Remedy be cause it is safe and pleasant to take. Dr. Experience would recommend it because it never fails to effect a speedy and permanent cure. Dr. Reason would recommend it be cause it is prepared on scientific principles, and acts on nature's plan in relieving the lungs, opening the secretions and restoring the system to a natural and healthy condition. For sale by C. W. Grier. Making Improvement*. The congregatioh of the church of the Holy Rosary are making im provements about the church and parsonage. handsome new iron fence is being placed in front of the church and parsonage and new steps will be built to the church. The yard in front of the church and parsonage will be graded and when completed the improvements will greatly improve the appear ance of the place. OIL NOTfcS. From Wednesday's Daily. The activity in the northeast ex tension of the Elk Fork pool con tinues despite the dry holes in the Henthorn. A dry hole does not seem to deter ihe operations in this territory a great deal any more. They have learned by experience that a dry hole in West Virginia does not, as a rule, condemn a great deal of territory, and consequently unless there are quite a number of them they do not pay a great deal of attention to them. Shay & McMullen yesterday lo cated their No. i on the Pyle and Fox farm out near Centerville, and will commence the rig. They ex pect to commence drilling the last of the week. The Wilson Run Oil company's well on the J. W. Edwards lease at Wilson Run has been tubed and started pumping and will be good for about 25 barrrels a day. The Little Muskingun Oil com pany's No. 2 on the Martha Thomas farm 3 ^ miles north of the Berea Grit developments at Elk Run is drilling at about 600 feet. Shay & McMullen have the rig up and will commence spudding to morrow at their No. 1 on the S. Bohlm lease in the Berea Grit ter ritory at Elk Run. From Thursday's Daily There was another advance in the price of high grade oils today, of one cent, and the quotations are gradually crawling up along the line; while very slowly, yet at an apparently steady gait. The fact that oil should advance, has been spoken of so often in this column that it would be ambiguous to men tion it again, but it cannot be helped, and the writer should be pardoned for the breach, but it is ail on account of the jubilant feel ing existing, because the operators and producers are getting a fair price for their product, and because the indications are such that one is lead to believe they will get even a better price in a verv short time. The Standard Oil company at the present time has less oil in stock tnan ever before in its history since it started to rule the business and there is not the least doubt but those who have charge of the busi ness of that company have about come to the conclusion it is time to run the price of oil in order that the operator could be induced to start up work. They know lull well there is a large amount of new territory under lease outside of that its branch operating concerns hold and they want those holding territory to develop it, hoping that somewhere an immense pool will be opened up, which would serve the double purpose of sending the market down again and of replen ishing the fast diminishing stocks above ground. The Review feels confident that the price of oil has only just started up the hill, and that before it stops there will be a price paid for the stuff which will make the hearts of the operators glad and their pock ets weighty with the "long green", and price ^will not stop when it starts to advance at less than $1.25, and perhaps will go to $ 1.50 . It would not be at all surprising if oil should go to that figure. The rea sons which have been set forth why oil should go up at all are the same reasons which can be advanced why it should go to the figures men tioned. Nichols & Barnsdall have put the 8}( casing in their No. 8 on the Hawkins tarm in the northeast ex tension of the Elk Fork pool. Treat & Crawford are drilling at about 1500 feet at their No. r on the Weitzel. This well will not be in the sand before the middle or latter part of next week. Gaffney & Co.'s No. 1 on the Lowry farm is drilling at 1 ,700 feet and should reach the sand the early part of the coming week. This well does not look very good now that the Childers well on the Hen thorn came in dry and the owners do not expect that it will amount to a great deal. From Friday's Daily. Eureka! Guess the Oil Review don't know what it is talking about? It predicted less than a week ago that oil would go to $1.10 before the 10th and it went there three days in advance. It has been expected that oil would continue to advance and the Oil Review bas been predicting that it would, for several weeks, but the knowing ones said we did not know what we were talking about and pooh-poohed the prediction made at that time. This morning the price of all grades ot credit balances advanced two cents, as will readily be seen by a glance at the top of this col umn. The advances during the week were 5 cents, one cent on Tuesday, two cents on Thursday and two cents today. It is not necessary to recount the reasons why it should go up along the line; suffice it to say that there is no reason why it should not ad vance and that it is advancing. The advance during the past few weeks has been the cause of a great deal of new work being started in all parts of the field, and as long as the market continues to advance, this will be the case. There are hundreds of thousands of acres In the State of West Vir ginia under lease, which will be tested as soon as the holders of the leases can get at the work, provid ing, of course, the price ot oil stays up at the prices it is at, at present. The work in the field is moving along as briskly as could be expect ed, (specially out iu the northwest extension of the Elk Fork pool. At the present time there are quite a lot of wells being drilled there and a great many more are in contemplation. The drilling wells are all in good shape and dur ing the next ten days there will be some interesting developments out there. The Henry & McDonald Oil Co. have completed their No. 3 on the Margaret A. Gorrell and will have a producer good for not less than 30 or 35 barrels a day. This well is located just above the dry hole recently drilled in on the Cunning ham farm by the South Penn Oil company and it is the general opinion that it is a gilt edge well and will be an outlook to the pool. Bruner & Co. will case tomorrow at their No. 1 Mercer, with the 6^ and the well will be in the sand the early part of the coming week. The Sun Oil company is drilling at 1,200 feet at their No. 1 on the Addis farm. Gaffney & Co. will put the 6^ casing in their No. 1 on the Lowry this afternoon. This well should be in during the coming week. Bruner & Co. will start their No. 3 on the Duval farm the early part of next week. The Henry & Macdonald Oil com pany have commenced drilling at \ their No. 4 on the Margaret A. Gor* rell lease and have the rigs build ing for Nos. 5 and 6. Yoke & Co. are ready to put in the 6 % casing at their No. 1 on the Morrow farm and the work was started this morning. Nolan & Phillips are fishing at their No. 1 on the Bowser farm at 600 feet. Down in Pleasants county terri tory Boyd Bros. & Co. have started drilling at their No. 2 on the Mar pole. The rig for their No. 4 on the Riggs farm has been completed and hey will commence drilling tomor row. In the Klk Run territory to the north Keeler, Kc 'A & Co. started spudding last night at their No. 1 on the Henry farm. This well is located a little to the southeast of the Little Muskingun Oil com pany's No. 1 on the Thomas farm. The Carter Oil company is drill ing at about 300 feet at their No. r on the Cox lease in the same terri tory. The Little Muskingum Oil com pany is drilling at 700 feet at their No. 2 on the Martha Thomas farm. The Carter Oil company has made three locations on their Mus ser farm and will start drilling there at once; It is now generally con ceded that their No. 1 on the Mus ser was in the Keener sand instead of the Maxton as was at first re ported. This well is now making about 30 barrels fsom the Keener sand. Our little boy was afflicted with rheumatism in his knee, and at times was unable to put bis foot to the floor. We tried in vain, every thing we could hear of that we thought would help him. Weal most gave up in despair when some one advised us to try Chamberlain's Pain Balm. We did sq, and the first bottle gave so much relief that we got a second one, and to our surprise it cured him sound and I well. ? J. T. Bays, Pastor Christian I church, Neodesha, Kan. For sale I by C. W. Grier. A new lot of Bag Tags and new and novel pencil holdei s just in, at the Review office. E. STEWART & CO. Wish to announce '.heir First Grand Fall and >< Winter I Millinery i Opening I OF FINE PATTERN II HATS 14 AND FRENCH NOV ELTIES. P I I Tuesday Wednesday October ; 4th ond 5th ) | Call and see the Latest I I UP-TO-DATE MIL LINERY. Yours, E. Stewart $ Co. AGENTS FOR i