Evening star., 1898-12-20
MILES TO TESTIFY
He Will Not, However, Give Evidence
Voluntarily.
SUMMONED as OTHER WITNESSES
Today's Testimony as to Care of
Sick at Camp Thomas.
S II FTER A WITH ESS

The war investigation commission heard
the evidence of Capt. A. G. Hardy of the
9th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers this
morning. Prior to entering the service dur
ing the war he was a commissioned officer
for about seven years and a captain in the
National Guard for about five years His
regiment was the first to reach Camp
Thomas, and it carried ten days rations
from the Chicago camp. He said that the
corned beef served to the men on the way
was not palatable, could not be made so
and was never eaten. There were no sick
men in his command up to the time they
reached camp. Within ten days to two
weeks after they arrived the officers and
men were taken sick, in most of the cases
with typhoid fever. They were encamped
in the woods.
''By whose direction was that?" asked
Gov. Beaver
Il don't know"
camp sanitation"
The very night we got there
The witness said that the first sick man
from his company to go to the division
hospital was sent about June /. The maxi
mum of typhoid fever was reached about
June IS. At time there were five of
his men confined there.
What do you think with regard to the
Ndic VI liit iiiSil III tllc LOSpltdlS.
Sick Men Not Well Cared For.
ut seems to me they were not cared for
very WE'LL
In what respect?"
THE beds We're very uncean, the nurses
ignorant and the men complained. At one
time there was total lack of milk
Captain Hardy stated that only male
nurses were employed. At first these were
detailed from the regiment. The regiment
had seventeen men die in Camp Thomas.
He lost one man from his command from
sickness-pneumona and typhoid fever.
William Campbell was his name. He had
been i'll from the fever and escaped from
the hospital. He lay hidden in the woods
for two hours, and had pneumonia
result. He died several days afterward in
the Chattanooga hospital. The doctor there
stated that his death was attributable 10
lack of attention. The winess stated that
he never heard of any investigation fol-
lowing the case.
He said that his regiment entered the
service fully armed and equipped by the
state of Illinois. The few men who We're
recruited at Camp Thomas were provided
for by the United States from the depot
stores at Chattanooga.
Gov. Beaver explained to the witness that
he had been called particularly with refer
ence to the death of Campbell, and asked
him if he cared to say anything more re-
garding it.
I'VE feel that there was not the proper
care of the sick taken by the LIST Division
hospital department"
Was it known to you at any time that
Col. Hartsuff had assumed personal charge
of that hospital and had reOrganized it?''
Il do not know as to that. The men who
came back to the regiment from the hos
pital brought very bad reports. The very
name of the 1st Division hospital sent a
shudder through the men. No one who
could possibly escape it went there. The
men We're not given to complaints and
while at Fort Monroe they praised the
care taken of them there. My experience
at Camp Thomas all tends to show that
their complaints were all well founded. AS
an instance, the men stated that the dying
We're left to themselves, with no one near
them"
Then you think they would have expert
enced some comfort to have nurses or
others near them when they died?"
Most decidedly. Yes SIR responded the
witness.