The San Francisco call., 1898-10-06
CONDITIONS AT
 VARIOUS CAMPS Wheeler and Boynton Give Versions. ALL DEPARTMENTS PRAISED VOLUNTEERS SAID TO HAVE WASTED MUCH FOOD. Glowing Eulogies for the Supply Methods of the War Depart
 ment Delivered by the
 Witnesses.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-General Wheeler completed his testimony be- fore the War Investigating Commission to-day and was followed by General II. " Boynton, who was still on the stand when theS days session closed. General Wheeler's statement of to-day dealt entirely with the conditions at Camp Wikoff and General BOyntOn' $ 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 well. 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 eulOgized the supply methods or the War Department throughout
 General Wheeler said that If there were any camp horrors on the Eth of August. as charged, the commander of the camp was responsible, Tor ne had probably were individual cases or sui fering. but. as 9 rule, he knew the soldiers were well cared for. There was certainly no lack of food.
 General Wheeler admitted that, in many instances there were men III In their company quarters. Often men not very il preferred not to go to hos pitals. and the hospitals were too crowded tO make room for them.
 Some time was spent on the charge that General Wheeler had said that General Eagan, chief commissary of subsistence. had countermanded an order of his for supplies. This occurred, ha a standing of general orders.
 General Dodge asked the witness for a general expression of his opinion as to the conduct Of the various bureaus of the War Department. Replying he praised the work Of all the supply de- partments, saying they were actuated by zeal and characterized by intelli- gence. He had found the medical de- partmenJ, from General Sternberg down, 10 be efficient and anxious to promote the best interests of his depart ment. The same was also true of the other departments.
 General H. Y. BOynton took the stand Tn the afternoon. Since the Sth of July he had been on duty at Camp Thomas. Recently his especial duty had been that of looking after the water supply Of that camp and still more recently and at present he was in command of the camp which was entirely within the limits of Chickamauga Park He thought 56,000 the largest number of troops that had ever been quartered in the camp at any one time.
 General BOyntOn said that while there was plenty of water and of good quail fly for the camp considerable water had been brought in recently in bar rels from springs four or five miles out side. This was done because of the suspicion of some of the surgeons con- corning the water in the camp. When the men began to get sick the surgeons insisted upon going away from the camp for the water and this was done notwithstanding the analysis showed the water to be pure. Each man had a loaf of bread daily. Fresh meats were supplied. Sometimes some of the meat ! was spoiled. but as a rule it was good. He believed that there was more food left over every day than the Army of the Cumberland had for its entire Chat tanooga campaign. No army was ever so well supplied with food and if the men did not know how to cook 1t cer- tainly Secretary Alger nor President