The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-07
CONDITION OF THE CAMPS
Boynton Said the Sink Holes
Bred Disease.
WERE LEFT UNCOVERED
Sanitary Orders Were Not Carried Out.
Brooke's Strict Discipline-Flies
Carried Germs-Lee on
the Stand.

concluded his testimony before the war
inquiry commission to-day. In reply to
charges formulated by Surgeon Milo b.
Ward of Kansas City that the camp
was without drainage. that the water
was unfit to drink. that there was no
proper food and that all of the 5000
men In the camp were suffering from
intestinal diseases. General Boynton
said: "Ot course. In so large a camp
some painful things must necessarily
happen. For instance when measles
broke out the hospitals were quite
crowded. But to say that there was
any purposeiy inflicted neglect is utter
ly false"
These complaints led General Boyn-
| ton to enter upon a general statement
In regard TO the condition of the camp
ana 10 give his opinion as to the cause
OF IL. He attributed the prevalence OF
disease TO the kitchen and hospital
sinks. They had. he said. in the lat
ter part of the camps history been left
| uncovered by earth contrary To direc-
tions by the surgeon general and this
fact more than all others he consider
ed responsible for the spread of the
disease. This failure to carry out san
itary orders he thought was due 20 the
| negligence of the subordinate officers
the brigade and regimental command
| ers. The trouble only began after Gen.
| eral Brooke was ordered to Washing
ton. Prior to that time General Brooke
required daily reports from the regi-
mental officers and prompt attention to
| any neglect OF sanitary precautions
This system and the care which ac-
companied IL had had the effect of
/ keeping the camp i'm good condition.
When General Brooke left for WASH
ington the camp was necessarily in
charge of the subordinate officers
When General Brooke returned his time
was devoted almost entirely to prepar-
alton for the Porto Rican campaign. so
that he could not give so much heed to
sanitary regulations as he had prev
iously done. General Boynton elabor-
ated upon the strict discipline main
tained by General Brooke in police and
sanitary matters. but said there was
suspension of this care after the Por-
to Rican campaign was decided upon.
After General Brooke left there was
material increase OF disease and at
one time almost a panic.
Returning to the conditions subse-
quent to the date when General Brooke
was ordered to Washington. General
Boynton said the exposed condition OF
the sinks had encouraged the presence
OF multitude Of flies. which bred dis
ease by carrying germs from the sinks
TO the tents
"They were" said the general. "as
thick throughout the park as they ever
could have been i'm Egypt. and they
went back and forth from the sinks to
the mess tables Of men and officers
with the greatest impunity. covering
everything i'm sight.
General Boynton was questioned at
some length as to where the RESPONSE
bility for this condition of affairs lay,
and he said that II lay with the bri-
gade and regimental commanders.
II am satisfied" he said that the
medical officers reported to them the
condition and warned them OF the se-
rious consequences Of failing to obey
the surgeon generals orders for the
covering OF the sinks. but the medical
officers could not give orders: they
could only advise. I would not say that
the commanding officers as whole
paid no heed TO these representations,
but many OF them apparently failed 10
appreciate their Importance and did not
give them the attention which the cir
cumstances demanded. They should re-
ceive the attention. for instance. that
officers In the regular army would have
given them.
General Boynton added that he did
not mean to make any reflections upon
officers from civil life. but there were
some things which they had to learn
and many OF them were not experts in
looked upon the camp as partly tenn |
porary and the fact that all were in |
daily expectation Of receiving orders |
to move, caused many to be indiffer- |
ent TO the future.
In discussing with Captain Howell
the question OF rations supplied to |
Camp Thomas. General Boynton volun- |
teered the suggestion that there had |
been no complaints from Southern SOL |
diers I'm the camp.
And" ne continued. II do not be- |
iieve we would have heard half the out |
cry that has been raised " all the SOL /
diers had been from the South"
General Dodge said that only two or /
three charges had been received from /
the South and they were not from SOL
dlers. The testimony OF General Boyn-
ton concluded. the commission adjourn
ed until afternoon.
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee was before the
commission at its afternoon session.
General Lee had no complaint to make
In regard to supplies. In June. while
the expeditions were being gotten OF.
there was some delay. but this was
natural and since then supplies OF all
kinds Rad come with regularity and in
abundance.
There has. OF course" he said.
been some complaint. Soldiers are like
school boys; they sometimes complain.
even when there IL no occasion for
complaint"
He thought the army ration was
abundant and IN the main well suited
10 a campaign in a tropical climate.
Yet he thought some changes mil zht be
made. For instance, II would be better
10 send live animals 20 Cuba than 20
send refrigerator meat. as at present
According TO his ideas the men should
have more fruit and less meat. Dur
ing the course Of the questioning IL de-
veloped that General Lee was notified
that he would be expected 20 move his
corps TO Cuba in the vicinity OF Ha-
vana about the LIST os November. and
that he considered his troops properly
equipped for the campaign The Span
70 tropical climate than ours as
they were cool and could be washed
He was fearful that the shirts and