Evening journal., 1898-10-06
BOYNTON TESTIFIES.
Chickamauga Park Commits
sioner Before the Board.
DEFENDS CAMP ADMINISTRATION.
no Lack of nntions-Great Efficiency
of supply Department - sickness
Chiefly Among VOIunteers-The
Cantecn system Condemned.

Chiefly Among VoIunteers-The
Canteen system Condemned.
WASHINGTON, oct. 6. - General
Wheeler completed his testimony be-
fore the war investigating commission
yesterday and was followed by General
II. V. Boynton, who was still on the
stand when the days session closed. |
General Wheelers statement of yester-
day dealt entirely with the conditions
at Camp Wikoff and General Boynton's
with those at Camp Thomas. where he
is now in command. General Boynton
described in detail the provisions for
supplying the Georgia camp with water
and told many interesting facts about !
the location of the troops and the pre-
cautions taken to care for and protect
them, whether sick or we'll He said the
men wasted more food than the Army
of the Cumberland consumed during the
civil war in the siege of Chattanooga,
and he euloglzed the supply methods OF
the war department throughout.
General Boynton asserted that the
camp was not crowded, that the streets
were about 20 feet wide and that there
was sufficient distance between the va
rious regiments. General Brooke had
himself selected the ground for each
regiment and brigade, and each subdi-
vision Of the army was sent Immediate
ly upon its arrival to its designated
point
General Boynton said that the sinks
were from 80 to 80 feet from the tents
and that in some instances the kitchens
were not farther than 20 feet from the
sinks. Much Of the kitchen offal was
burned, but in other cases the offal was
dumped into kitchen sinks and then at
times 1t was hauled off and dumped in
the woods contrary to orders. Men were
obdurate about such matters, and 1t
was a difficult matter to properly police
so extensive a camp. He had talked
almost every day with the chief surgeon
Of the camp in regard to the inspection
Of sinks, and he was assured that there
was a daily inspection.
Speaking OF typhoid fever in hecamp,
he said it did not excite serious atten-
tion until about the middle Of July
when the cases averaged about per
1000. 1t afterward increased until
there were about 400 cases among the
$4,000 men. He said he had given es-
pecial attention to the hospital of the
Second division of the Third corps, as
it had received the especial attention Of
the able and influential sensational
press.
He had found that out of 2.462 cases
of illness in this hospital there had been
only 276 cases of typhoid. The fever
has in all cases been Of a mild charac-
ter At one time. after meNsles broke
out in the camp. the hospitals were
crowded, though he did not think such
had been the case at any other time.
Practically all the sickness was among
volunteers. The regulars were not sick.
Asked If each regiment had sutler,
General Boynton replied, They had
something worse than a sutler-each
one had a canteen."
He said 372 carloads OF beer had beer
sold in the camp. Captain Howell asked
about whisky sales, and General Boyn-
ton replied that it had been found diff
cult to entirely cut out the very sharp
mOonshiners from Captain Howell
state. 1t was also fact that Chatta-
nooga was a splendid town, but the sa-
looms were open day and night, while on
Sunday they were CLOSED on the out
side aad open on the inside
General Brooke's orders allowed two
out of each company to visit Chatta'
nooga per day, which would prevent the
absence of about 1900 men. He depre
Gated the fact that army regulations
permitted the canteen system. He saiI
he had never seen such efficiency II
the supply departments of the army II
the field as in the case of Camp Thorn
as. All the officials had worked da.
and night to render the system eff
feetive and had succeeded. Tho store
houses were so full toward the last a
to render an overflow house necessary
10
lanta from Camp Thomas to supply 5
regiments for a campaign. There wa
no lack of rations, and the rations wer
all good. The variety was equal to tina
supplied by a family grocery. Eacl
man had a loaf of bread daily. Fres
meat was also supplied. Sometime
some of the meat was spoiled; but a
a rule. IL was good. He believed tina
there was more food left over ever.
day than the Army of the Cumberlan
had for its entire Chattanooga cam
paign.
mo army was ever so we'll supple
with food, and If the men did not knoN
how to cook it neither Secretary AL
ger nor President Mckinley nor an
one in Washington can be held re
sponsible," said the general, with som
emphasis.
General Boynton spoke IN especla
commendation of the Young Men
Christian association tents, which. h
said were the best things in the sery
ice. On the other hand, he condemne
the outside drinking houses, where h
said that slop was sold that was wors
than whisky. He remarked in this ccr
nection that Governor Atkinson an
the Georgia authorities had cooperate
with the military authorities in a mes
exemplary manner to suppress thes
institutions He said there was no lac
Of transportation, especially in comm
in. All arrived in Pullman cars or
day coaches. 1t was not as 1t was
the civil war, when box car was goo
enough
Most OF the complaints were, he sal
from the typhoid fever patients, WI
were, Of course. kept on low rations z
a medical precaution. There was ne'
er any shortage of rations, the newsp'
per statements TO the contrary NO
withstanding.
Ia the course of his testimony Gene
al Boynton was asked about phOt
graphs he was reported to have take
tho aopdffFor, ,F r~arhooo bo