The age-herald., 1898-10-25
COMMISSION TO
 GO TO HUNTSVILLE Seat Of Investigation Will Be Trans
 ierred TOmOrFOE. 4Ssxs .s
 MAI nTTn CAU TCCTICICC
MAJ. OTTO TALK TESTlFIES
Says There Mas Never Sufficient Tent
 age at Camp Thomas.
SOLDIERS WERE CLAD IN RAGS
Col Bisbee Examined as to the Santia- go Campaign-Said Landing Was
 Not Effected in Military Man ner-Defciency in Rations.

Anniston, Ala, october 24-Ihe war in- vestigating commission sat from o'clock until 5:30 today, and examined about dozen witnesses, including number of officers and men of the regular troops, as well as a number of volunteer officers. It is now expected that the commission will leave for Huntsville tomorrow night
 The commission began it's session today with Major Otto Falk on the stand. He was the chief quartermaster of the Third army corps while in Chickamauga park, and he now occupies the position of chief duartermaster for this camp.
 He said the most serious complaint in the early history of Camp Thomas was from the First Missouri, whose men claimed that their trousers were nothing more than rags, and threatened to appeal to charity at home to supply their wants There was also shortage in tents, which became quite serious at the time of the beginning of the rainy season. Previous to that time the men slept under trees and under shelter tents without complaint.
 Lack of Tentage
 Indeed, he said there was never a suffi-
 
 sary to put six men in tent. Continuing, he said the division had never been com pletey equipped until the present time. and especially in the matter of transportation facilities. J no refusal to honor acquisitions He thought, however, that upon the whole, there was too much red tape in the quar- termaster's department
 1T do away with it whenever l can. l ha se succeeded so far" he said, "even though I some times violate regulations
 Illustrating, he said he had to sign his name nine times in the process of paying a | T of $20. IT.. Charles M. Drake in. charge of the general hospital here and who was in com inard of the hospital of the First division of the Third corps at Chickamauga, was the next witness. He told of various in1- proponents he had found it necessary to make in the hospital at Chiekamauga.
 There was,p he said, "such a flood of disease that it was almost impossible to meet the demand for tentage." As fast as he would pitch new tents they would fill them up.
 He stated that the medical supplies had been ample from the beginning, but the hosiptal corps has proved inefficient as nurses.
 Nurses Were No Good
 
 very worst material that could have been found out of which to make nurses
 However, he thought there had been no more serious results than discomfort to patients caused by the inefficiency of nurses, He was positive there had been no death from starvation or privation.
 Ten per cent. of the typhoid cases of the hospital had died, and compared with hos pit afs generally the percentage was phe- nonenally lows He was of opinion that patients in this hospital received better att . tention than the average man in this coun- try receives at home.
 Major David Vickers, who was inspector general for the Second division of the Third corps at Chickamauga. attributed the troubles in that camp to the shallow ness of the sinks. He said also that some of the regimental officers insisted on mak ings poor selection of camp sites, and in one instance Mississippi colonel who had put his men in a swamp had insisted upon remaining on the ground that Mississip- plans had a natural affinity for swamps. Nevertheless his men were taken SICK. Major Vickers also complained that the drinking water was poor. He thought the camp site unfit for so large an army, but so far as food went the privates were Ted better than the officers. He said that at one time the beds of all the patients were on the floor, and there were some cases in which some of them were on the ground. Asked as to the competency of the sur seons at the hospital. he said there was one. man in the hospital whose pronenesS to profanity unfitted him for the service. a Surgeon Hubbard's Profanity
 This man was Major Hubbard, surgeon of the Ninth New York. His profanity was of such a villainous character, said Major Vickers ''it pretty nearly made me sick, and I know it could not have had pleasant effect upon patients.
 Lieutenant- Colonel Bisbee, in command of the First infantry, told the story of the transportation of his regiment to Santiago, briefly described he fighting about san tiago. spoke of his experience in Cuba, of the return to Montauk Point, and of the stays at that place and the transfer south. Asked if the landing at Santiago could have been accomplished if opposed, he re- piled: "The facilities were so poor that think not, at least I should say If l had been on shore no enemy would have been permitted to land. cannot say now It was with the Spaniards
 He said there was considerable difficulty in getting food while in front of Santi- ago. "But we had enough" he said, 'tf there had been more to eat. the men would probably have been scker." He expressed the opinion that the only deprivation had been in not having propr food for the sick. They could not take the food in their con- iition, he said. He thought the rations contained too much fat meat for the eli mate.
 Colonel Bisbee stated that himself and sixteen men were the only members of his regiment who had not been i'll at some time during the Santiago campaign. Tt had been impossible to secure medical sup plies," said the witness, "and if we had Ina I them we could not have carried tbem' He added that the army was badly broken up in that respect and 1t did not get into shape promptly for some reason. He said the men were just beginning to break in health when Santiago surrendered and the capitulation came at just the right time. After the surrender of the city there was plenty for all to eat. Speaking of the Span- ish troops, Colonel Bsbee said: Il think