The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-01
KICKS ABOUT CHICKAMAUGA.
Continued from FRS; PAGE.


known acquisitions TO he made frequently
ana not to be honOred. This was especially
true IN regard to the Second Division,
Third Corps
Dr. Conner of the commission said:
There has been more disgrace brought
upon the United States hospital system
by the Second Division, Third Corps than
by any other in the service. I can readily
see how this was, since no sort of atten-
ton was paid 10 the complaints made"
Col Baldwin said, so far as he knew,
Gen. Compton, commanding the Second
Division, only inspected his command on
sunday morning and that he did not know
OF either Gen. Compton or Gen. Wade, the
corps commander, having inspected the
Second division hospital.
Col Baldwin said that he knew of one
Mississippi regiment which did not get its
clothing when it should. and suffered
greatly in consequence, as the weather
was wet and nasty.
Il do not consider Chlckamauga Park
a suitable place for a large number of
troops for many reasons. My observation
was that sinks could not be dug over six
feet without striking rocks. The onA wa
ter supply was Chckamauga creek On
two occasions I observed water entering
The pipes to be in exceedingly bad condi-
ton on account of filth and refuse. 1t
was explained that the breakage of dams
caused This. l saw the creek nearly every
day, and I never saw the water in such
condition that / should have liked to drink
it, Moreover, the park has entirely too
much timber land to make a good camp.
Gen. Sanger's division had TO send three
or four miles for water. I know positive
ly that no regiment remained Two months
and half without striking its tents and
raising The floors, or else changing its en-
campment."
Asked If the men were allowed to drink
In nj
said ut is true that they were not, but,
as an officer humorously remarked. to
keep the men from drinking water from
any pool it was necessary to put a sentinel
over the pool and then put another sentinel
over him to keep him from drinking"
Col. Baldwin ated that no such ar
rangements were made to take care of the
sinks as have been made at Camp Hamll-
ton. He sold that the ground finally got
so perforated with sinks in the timber por-
ton of the park that it was really unsafe
10 ride through it; that his horse had gone
in up to his belly
Col. Baldwin said that it was common
complaint that regiments frequently
dumped their worst men off on hospitals
for nurses. He said the camp of the First
Mississippi was one of the worst he had
ever seen, largely on account of the leni-
ency of the colonel with his men. He stat
ed further that there was great difficulty
an getting lime due to the inefficiency of
the quartermaster' department. On one
occasion he said he was notified that there
was an abundance of lime, and that he in
turn notified several regimental command
ers They made acquisitions and We're
given one barrel of lime EACH and not-
fed that that was all that could be granted
them. q
The next witness was Copt. Benjamin
Johnston, now depot quartermaster at
Camp Hamilton. Capt. Johnston served
as assistant to the chief quartermaster
of the Fifth Corps at Santiago from July
II to Aug. %. He came away with Gen.
Shafter and served at Montauk Point I'M
til that camp was abandoned, when he
came to Lexington. He had no criticisms
to make
Col. William A. Pew, Eighth Massachu-
setts was called The principal COM
plants he made were of the difficulty his
regiment experienced in securing medical
supplies. He said his surgeon would make
out a requisition and hand ii in to the
proper officers, and they would return
them, saying there were no supplies, and
it was of no use to make acquisitions.
Col. Pew said that his regiment had diff
Guilty in securing its wagons. At Chicka-
manga Park he said his camp ground was
very poor.
Col William L. Leonard, Twelfth New
York, testified that the surgeon of his regi-
ment was continually ciamoring for med-
cine to give the men in quarters. He could
not secure these he said so the colonel
spent $500 out of his own pocket for medi-
cines.
Col. Leonard admitted that his men were
some times not sent to division hospitals
| because they were so much opposed to
them. He said the commissary supplies
had been good and so abundant that the
men could not consume item; in conse-
quence each company has a fund Of $50
or more obtained by selling superflous
supplies The colonel complained of the
quartermasters supplies, especially of the
| shoes. He said that he had spent nearly
$500 out of his own pocket for shoes for
his men. He said that the supplies were
issued in piecemeal and frequently the
| quartermaster department got the requi-
sition buIed up.
Col w. K Kaffee, Second Missouri, said
that his regiment did not receive all
| equipments till few days before leav-
ing Camp Thomas for Lexington. Among
the last things issued, he said, were the
boilers for boiling the water, which were
| ordered more than two months before
| Col Kaffee said that sinks could be dug
| at the Second Missouris camp at Chicka-
manga only four feet deep before striking
rock This, he stated, was reported to
| the brigade commander and the inspector,
| but no action was taken.
Col. Kaffee said he had no surgeon, and
| only one assistant surgeon for some time
| after the regiment went 10 Chickamauga.
Sick men from my regiment were sent
to the division hospitals, and could not
! be received because the hospital was
already overcrowded," said Col. Kaffee
! eve had no medicine in the regiment.
| visited the hospital daily while / had men
| there, and 1 frequently found the tents
! unhoored. The tents were so leaky that
when it was raining the men in the hospi-
| tai had to be covered with ponchos and
rubber blankets to be protected from a
| drenching.
CDR Griffith was in charge of the hos
| pital. and after visiting all the others
| concluded that this was the best conduct
! ed one at the park. DR.. Griffith and his
assistants were doing all they could with
the means al hand.
"This objectional condition of affairs
| lasted eight or ten weeks The nursing
was in many cases Objectionable, but
| came to the conclusion that this was a
necessary evil under the circums tances."
Col. Kaffee said that his regiment re-
ceived not only not enough barrels to boil