The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-09
REGULAR ARMY RATIONS
Were the Only Provisions for the
Sick Soldiers.
NOT PROPERLY EQUIPPED
It Took Twenty-Four Hours to Get
Clothing for the Patients-There
Were No Trained Nurses
In the Camp.


eating commission to-day continued
the examination Of witnesses. General
Dodge. chairman OF the commission.
says he can begin to see the end of a
long investigation. After some evil
dence has been heard at Detroit. the
commission will go to Washington.
DIR. q. A. Smith. who was surgeon at
Camp Thomas. gave testimony regard
ing the conduct Of the camp. Smith
stated there was no provision for feed
ing the sick other than regular army
rations. except such as were brought in
by charitable organizations. The phar-
macy was never properly equipped.
After Aug. !. however the handling of
the medical department improved. The
water was bad. There were no trained
nurses. Most Of the tents were without
floors.
II never knew Of more than two In
stances In which l should say there YES
any amount of neglect in my hospital"
said the doctor. yes. I saw sick men
the want of blankets. clothing. stc.. to
make change. Usually within %
hours after such a thing was discoS-
cred. II was remedied. think fully
one-half OF our sheets. pillow cases and
pajamas were furnished by charitable
institutions. and practically all the
nourishment proper for seriously sick
men was furnished by the Red Cross
and the National Relief associations.
We obtained all our ice and milk from
other sources than the government"
Charles s. Bullock. chaplain of .he LIST
Illinois cavalry with rank as captain.
said I'm the great majority OF cases
complaints OF poor food or inadequate
supplies at Chickamauga were Tbsr-
lutely unfounded and that the stories
published in the various newspapers
about the inhuman treatment n the
soldiers were without any founda-
tion.
Col. l.. II. Smith. purchasing rsent
of the United States army. stationed at
Chicago. said: II have no official COM
plants about any of the supplies I pur-
chased except In the case OF eight bar
rels OF pork. which were reported to
have been i'm bad condition" At the
request of the commissioners he went
into the details as tn the quantity and
quality OF the canned beef used by the
army.
The commission next heard two wit
nesses from local packing houses touch
Ing the character OF the canned beef
purchased for the army. They said
the same quality of goods had been de-
livered to the French and British gov
ernnents. and no complaints have ever
been received from them.
First Lieutenant McQulston Of the
9th infantry. who served as quarter
master and regimental commissary un-
Ill the 1st of July and remained In Cuba
I'm other capacities until the close Of the
campaign. said that at Tampa and
afterward in Cuba his regiment almost
always had the full supplies allowed by
the army regulations.
aI ri = YntfnU n the Qf I'LL
nois volunteer cavalry. said: AT
Chickamauga our ouartermaster's sup
plies were fairly adequate and prompt.
The water. however. was not NJ to
drink half the time"
Col. Marcus Kavanaugh of the eth
Illinois volunteer cavalry. who was at
Camp Alger nearly three months. said
his regiment had not half as much
hardship and prlvation as they ex-
pected.
At the evening session. DIR. Frederick
II. Wines. secretary OF the Illinois
Army and Navy league. who visited
Chickamauga. Tampa and jacksonville
during the war. submitted a report he
had made to Secretary Alger. COM
mending conditions in the camps as
generally satisfactory. The doctor said
he was particularly impressed with the
lack OF surgical instruments.
DR.. Wines continued: II do not be-
lieve any army ever went into the field
that was as well fed as this army
The clothing furnished by the govern
ment. he said. was good. He said the
water at Chickamauga was contamin-
ated in the river above.
Major Lawrence NJ. Ennis Of the Ith
Illinois volunteers said: The only
neglect that We had to complain of
was the neglect Of sending US To the
front. our men were remarkably free
from sickness and my observation was
that a great deal Of the sickness in the
other regiments was caused by lack Of
attention from the officers"
General Dodge thinks that the labors
OF the commission in Chicago will be
concluded by tomorrow night and they
will then leave for Detroit.