Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-02


Porto Rico, testified that at Chicka-
manga his regiment could not only
not get medicines, but could not even
get blanks to make acquisitions Tor
them. In regard to the transport Mas
sachusetts, on which he went to Porto
Rico, Dr. Chalmers said:
There was no regular cooking on
board and the men were unused 10
eating cold rations. The reserse nos
pital men were supposed to have been
well men. but subsequent events prove
that they did not have enough to eat.
The men never could get enough water
to satisfy their thirst. Ice water was
sold at 81 % pitcher; the matter was
reported, but the custom was not stop
ped y0e mules and horses on board
went for "a hours at one time with
out water"
Lieut.. Colonel James Parker, Twelfth
New York, said that when the troops
arrived at Chickamauga, the men had
to sleep on the wet ground with only
one blanket and no change of cloth
ing.
when the volunteers first arrived
at Chickamauga," said Col. Parker,
their tongues were literally hanging
out for water. For three weeks they
could not get water enough to quench
their thirst. Then the pipe lines were
laid, but the water the men got was
not pure. In my opinion, the wells at
the park contained water that was bad
to drink"
Gen. Breckinride when he took
command, did more to change for the
better the sanitary condition than had
been accomplished altogether before.
He had lumber, which had before been
applied for in vain, furnished the hos
pitfalls. He provided lime in great
abundance. He had new tentage sup
piled and gave medicines when needed.
Upon my inspection l found the
hospitals very dirty. One was placed
alongside a dump heap. The dirt IN
most cases. however. was due to the
| overcrowding condition of the hospi-
| tails. The surgeons were worked to
death and too sick themselves to look
after the cleanliness properly.
| so far as | know neither Gen.
Brooke nor Gen. Wade ever made a
sanitary inspection of the camp.
| II think there was Discrimination on
| the part of the government to purchase
| lime. 1t could have been secured easily
or even burned by the troops. The
ouartermasters department might nave
ACCOMPLISHED much during this war
that it did not seem inclined to. Ii
would have been just as easy to estab-
Iish at Chickamauga the ideal condi-
tons that prevail here at Camp Ham
! ilton at the cost of not more than one
dollar per man."
The night session began at O'Clock
Lieut.. Frank Strange, quartermaster OF
the Third Kentucky, was at Chlcka'
manga Park. His regiment was badly
equipped His regiment was unable
to procure quartermaster's supplies
consisting of clothing, tentage. etc:
because the supplies were not on hand
Next were called seven non-commis
stoned officers and privates who STATED
| that generally the rations and clothint
furnished were good. The witness, Keen'
RYAN. from whom DR.. Conner expected
| 70 obtain valuable testimony, was for
mer private in the Third corps, sigma
service. who was sick in the First dlvis
ion hospital at Chickamauga. He nae
sent written statements of a serious ma
| t1re TO the board but was able to sub
stantiate but few. He stated that tbs
surgeons were guilty of criminal negli
gence by not seeing that the ~ raaat
| cihes prescribed were not administered
that on the day of General Breckenridge!
review no surgeons visited the hospita
when men were dying from want Of at.
| tention that the water was bad; that or
| frequent occasions meals were eater
when bed pans were sitting in the room
rendering the air foul; that the sinks
were in bad order, and that on one occa.
sion man was almost drowned in one.
Tomorrow morning Gen. Sanger, Major
Griffith, Acting Chief Surgeon of the First
corps, and Major Slocum will be called
| before them, when the commission will
| have competed its work.