Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-23
ARMY AND MILITIA
Something About the Force That
Was Ready at Chicago:
TROOPS WITH A RECORD FOR BRAVERY
Regular Officers and Their Gallant
Field Work.
THE MILITIA DID WELL.

Staff Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO. Ill, July 20, 1894
1t would be difficult for even an expert
statistician to guess at the probable EumbS
of men who. during the war of the rebellion,
died because their injuries and ailments
were not promptly or properly attended to-
That there were thousands Of what may be
termed unnecessary deaths is an unQues-
tionable fact. There was no lack Of willing
hands some thirty years ago. but there
was lack of suitably instructed surgeons, a
positive dearth of experience. and horrible
hiatus where there should have been a
wealth of mechanical equipment. Today an
incomparably better condition prevails, and
although the coming strife promises to re-
suit In a greater percentage Of injury than
any past war. it will. think. be found that
the science Of healing. and particularly that
which is military in its relationships, has
more than kept pace with murderous in
vert'on. These things were impressed upon
ms q the course of a visit made yesterday
to 80 field hospital which was in working
operation i'll the lake front camp, and which
undoubtedly was a model institution.
The Field Hospital.
Whether there be war or not, there Is al
ways more or less OF sickness in any camp.
and. unfortunately. there was good deal
OF 1t on the lake front. Sudden detetic
changes. in which the water played
prominent part, upset a large number of
the troops, and although but few cases
reached stages where they could be re-
garded as dangerous. still the medical OFF,
GERS on duty had all they wanted to do.
1t was a thirty six-be1 hospital-this re-
treat for sick soldiers. The cots-some with
pied. some empty-stood on board floors;
the tent-walls were up-for the day was a
warm one-and what little there was Of
atmospheric motion shook the mosquito
netting beneath which the patients were
free from the assaults Of biting flies that
seemed 10 be out for all they could get.
Here and there-ready to respond instantly
were hospital stewards and other q en-
beers of the enlisted CORPS; everywhere there
was absolute cleanliness, and yet II was not
that painful cleanliness which Is so fire.
quently appare1t in hospitals. Just east of
the tents. in which there were more cots
than patients. was the dispensary tent,
and there. more, perhaps, than anywhere
else, were the notable improvements visible.
A medical chest and surgical chest were
open for use. while others were In reserve
Nearly all Of the medicines were in tablet
form. and that makes possible the carrying
around in given space OF about twenty
times as much medicine could be done
under the Old method-a tremendous ad-
vantage. But the condensation idea has
not only been applied 70 medicine: IT Is evil
dent in the surgical chest and In the emer-
and the dressing.
The Surgical Instrunents
Thirty years ago nothing smaller than q
meat saw would satisfy the surgeon who
had to amputate an arm or a leg; now a
saw no larger than an uncut lead pencil
does the work much better than its big pro-
genitor possibly could. Butcher knives were
common In the surgery Of 1S61I65: today a
scalpel meets the requirements of the skill
full and is in every way preferable to the
fright-compelling blades of not so very long
ago. Another moder feature Is the little
package Of dressing issued to each officer
and enlisted man before going into action:
with these at hand countless number of
lives will be saved in the next war that
would otherwise be snuffed out within an
hour or two after the wounding. Hospital
records are of great Importance: something
not FULLY recognized during the earlier years
of the war of the rebellion. Now there are
field desks. completely fitted with all the
books and papers necessary to contain the
history OF every case treated.
OF course, there are weak places in the
equipment, but the system seems as nearly
perfect as man can make it. The ambu-
lances are capable of improvement; the
medical and surgical panniers are too light
In construct ton to last long in a campaign:
the cots have a cross bar that must bother
the shoulders of some patients; the cot IRON
work Is not heavy enough: the filters (Which
now weigh twenty-five pounds each) are too
heavy and would prove seriously so I'm
smokeless-powder long-range warfare; the
heavy knife carried by the hospital stew
ards and litter bearers should have a ser
rated back, SO as to make it a combined
knife and saw.
The Medical stan.
But none of these minor shortcomings
were seriously felt In the lake front camp.
With Maj. Caldwell in charge with Mai.
Girard as camp surgeon, with Mai. De
witt as acting medical director, with Capts
ives Clendenin and Glennan and Lieuts
Heyl and Quinton to assist, and with a
competent enlisted force, the machine
moved with all smoothness. At Brighton
Park, where the sixth cavalry boys were
In camp. Maj. Lauderdele and Capt Mum
day looked after the health of Col Cor
don's command: Capt. Benham was on
duty at the stock yards camp. For several
days before the troops moved to Fort Sher-
idan Capt. James ID. Glennan was at de-
partment headquarters, attached to the
medical directors office Capt Glennan.
who Is a Nashingtonian has seen a great
deal of active service, is much esteemed by
his associates and is regarded as one of
the brightest of the II any clever surgeons
who wear the uniforms of your Uncle
Samuels army. He is a. son of the late Dr.
Glennan. founder Of and for nearly thirty
years connected with Freedman's Hospital
in this city.
These Have Gone Home.
The ninth infantry. now comfortable in
its quarters at Madison Barracks and Fort
OHtiIio' Hdu no opportunity 10 De useful
during the disturbances here a fact the
existence of which is much regretted by
officers and men of old three times three"
The ninth is emphatically a western regi-
ment, for until 1891 it had not been sta
tened east of the Missouri from the date of
its organization. Under Stanley IL per
formed gallant service in opening up pre-
viously-sealed portions of the northwest in
the early 'I0s, and in 1SI0-'77 was a power
among the Indians of Wyoming and its i'm
mediate vicinity. 1t served at the Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies when
neither Of those posts was regarded as q
desirable place of residence; 1t campaigned
through Nebraska with great success: 1t
was conspicuous at Rosebud. Slim Buttes
White River and Spokane: 1t was with Nc
Kenzie when he settled the Cheyenne
branch Of the Indian question; and later
had something to say In Indian Territory
The ninth has done Arizona and New Mex
leo quite thoroughly, and has made the ac-
quaintance at short range OF the Apaches
and Navajoes, and of various subdivisions
of those great southwestern tribes This
was not the ninth's first turn at riot duty.
for in the railroad strike of 1877 1t did ali
of its share in restoring to peaceful condi-
tons the cities of Chicago and Omaha
Willingness to do duty wherever there was
need for loyalty and disciplined skill was
evident as soon as the ninth was ordered to