The record-union., 1898-11-05

perhaps mile and a half away. The
medical supplies were reasonably suffi
clent. His chief trouble was in getting
an ambulance. This he got after
delay of two days
The regiment left there about August
9th. AT that time there were thirty
or forty men in an acute condition.
Perhaps one-eighth of the command
was reported regularly for treatment
There had been no yellow fever up to
this time
The conditions on the transports
were good. The regiment lost no men
on the voyage. The vessel was held
i've days in quarantine at Montauk
Point. The regiment was in camp un-
til October The command did not
materially improve in health in that
time This he attributed largely to
inability to properly diet the men.
Lieutenant Schendel of the Sixth In
fantry was the next witness. At Santi-
ago he was made Commissary. Neces-
sary supplies were always sufficient.
except such delays as were unavoid-
able from rains and difficulty of trans
portation. After the fall of Santiago
the regiment was fully supplied. AT
Montauk Point the supplies were suffi-
cient, but during the first week they
were sometimes delayed until late in
the day by insufficient railway facili-
ties After reaching Montauk the men
rapidly broke down. Not more than
twenty-five or thirty escaped illness of
some sort. The witness was i'll twice.
Lieutenant Colonel Miner, command
ing the Sixth Regiment, regarded the
Tampa camp as excellent. The trans
port Miami, in which his regiment went
to Santiago, was not fit for troops.
The men would have died in their
quarters if the voyage had not been
mild. so that the portfolios were left
open and air thus supplied. The sup
plies of the men and officers were the
same.
Speaking of the attack at San Juan
Hill, he said he found when they
reached the summit that Colonel Egg
bert had been wounded, and he was in
command. That night no supplies
came, and the men were without food
or blankets except such food as they
had in their haversacks.
The witness said the command be-
gan to break down about the 14th.
They had dug trenches at night, and
lay in the wet trenches all day. The
morning after the surrender the Wit
ness took the regiment to higher
ground, and kept them in camp. BY
personal appeal to General Kent, he
secured one wagon and cooking uten-
sils. and a change of clothing for the
men. If the witness could have got
one wagon after the surrender ne
could have kept his regiment supplied
But nothing could have prerFnte" the
sickness that followed the 1f S
of the Cuban campaign.
General Egbert said that While the
Seneca was not in good condition Tor
Transporting troops, its officers ala hot
seem to be in command along the voy-
age as much as the surgeons. When
the Seneca reached Fortress Aonroe
the surgeon telegraphed to New york
The next day, to his surprise, the yes
sci had not gone. He asked why, anu
was told the Captain refused to go un-
til ordered to do so by the Quarter
masters Department. The witness
called on the Captain, and found lnls
to be true. After remonstrance against
holding the wounded men in such a
place. the witness told the Captain ne
would telegraph to the Secretary or
War telling him of the conditions, ana
asking for orders. Meantime he sent
a note to the Quartermaster at Fort
Monroe, and as soon as the situation
was understood there an order was
given for the vessel to sail at once tor
New York. and the Captain obeyed 1t.
At the afternoon session Major Grit
fifth testified regarding the camp condi-
tions at Chickamauga and the hos
pitals He had difficulty in getting
enough tents, and when he secured the
proper number he found the last ones
were of poor quality. From private and
State sources the regiments were sup
piled with hospital tents. AS a rule the
men detailed as nurses were unfit Wit
ness asked DR.. Hoff for female nurses.
This relieved the situa ton.
The staff Of the division hospital was
inadequate when the increase of sick
ness occurred. Sickness among the
surgeons reduced the working force. He
said there would have been no diff
Guilty in getting hundreds of competent
surgeons at Chickamauga within q
week He said he knew many appli-
cations We're refused. He attributed the
failure at Camp Thomas hospitals TO
red tape and to peace for thirty
years" which incapacitated the depart
ment for expansion for emergency. If
Congress had established a hospital
corps the trouble might have been
avoided.
Captain Springer Of the Seventeenth
Infantry was next examined. He CO.
operated with the surgeons at and
after the battle. and knew the wounded
We're we'll cared for.
al Post ChanlaiO was
next examined. He served at Tampa
| Camp Thomas, Fort Sheridan and Fort
| Thomas. The witness heard no COM
plaint at Fort Thomas from either
friends or patients.
CAMPS ALGER AND MEADE.
CAMP MEADE Middletown, Pa0,
Nov. 4-Chief Commissary Allison and
other officers went to Harrisburg to-
day to appear before a committee of the
| War Investigating Board. The COM
mfttee heard testimony at the Lochiel
/ Hotel relating to Camp Alger and other
! camps established at the breaking out
/ of the war.
! Colonel Allison testified that the quail
| ity of rations issued at Camps Alger
/ and Meade was excellent. He claimed
/ that ignorance of cooking among the
volunteers was the cause of much uI
/ the sickness at Camp Alger, and sug-
/ gested that the Commissary Sergeants
| be appointed from the non-commission-
/ ed officers in the regular army. He
/ said there would be less sickness among
/ the troops if they did not eat dainties
shipped to them by friends at home.
Colonel Watts of the Eighth Penn
| u he