The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-14
AGER'S STORY Of /
Reveals Divided Councils Early
in the War.
DR.. H0fF Is INVESTIGATED
He Knows Unpleasant Things
About Camp Thomas.

corps. stationed al Camp Thomas. the
war Investigating commission gave iac
remainder OF the day TO the reading c;
papers submitted by Secretary Aiger as
his statement c0ncern-nE the conduct OF
| tho war
The documents reveal the fact tina, Gen
ersl Miles recommended the occupation
ot the Isle o: Pines abou, the time OF the
hattie OF Santiago. and that Secretary A.
ger disapproved or the suggestion. II al
50 appears that General Miles recon-
rlcnde1 that some potn, between Santa
go and Porto Rico be taken previous 10
! me begir ming Of either campai gn. The
correspondence also developed the fact
that there was an apparent co7ric; cf
authority between General Miles an Sen
e-d. Shsft-r a. Tampa before The San
tiago campaign was ina2gura;ed. II also
shows nat orders were issued by :he
secretary OF war that in the event CT
General Shafter beng disabled by sick
ness or oI2er cause. the COMMAND Of the
troops a. Santiago should devolve upon
General Wheeler and upon the mex, IN
command in case of disability VI both
Shafter AMI Wheeler.
The commission has summoned Major
J o'is /. Leaman. a surgeon OF the n:St
volunteer engineers. TO appear before H..
and he is e2Tected 10 testify a, toner
rows session. RE las recently be ~ lI3t-
ed saying that 900 men had die1 dl:;y
because Of tie rn9ladministratiOn OF the
quarternaster's department.
Lieutenant Colonel ]. G.. Hoff war be-
fore the war investigating commission at
its forenoon session today. He IS a regu
lar army officer and was chief surgeon IN
the Third army corps at Chickamauga.
He said he did not consider the camp to
have been In the best sanitary condition.
but expressed the opinion that it was the
best il could be under the circumstances.
The men were encamped somewhat clos
er to each other than they should proper
ly have been and ii had been impossible
without blasting 70 make the sinks as
deep as good sanitation required. owing
% a layer OF limestone which lay two or
three feet below the surface of the ground
throughout the camp. Furthermore II
was impossible 10 compel men 20 use the
blNhS anu lie pIth&Dlr lLldL TINS
difficulty had led TO injurious results.
DR.. Hon said that in the beginning the
camp was deficient in medical supplies.
There were at this time many cases OF
diarrhoea and il had not been possible 10
meet all the demands for remedies. The
shortage was due 10 the fact that IL had
been expected the troops would come 70
camps supplied with medicines.
Continuing, Dr. Hoff said the capacity
Of the division hospitals was often dOu-
bled and trebled. II sometimes occurred
that there were eight men IN tents which
were intended TO accommodate six. be-
cause of delay in securing tentage 10 care
for the the increase OF disease, which was
Unexpectedly rapid.
On one or two occasions patients were
necessarily plade in beds made upon the
floors, because OF a temporary deficiency
in cots. AS a rule. the nurses were with
out training, and this fact occaSioned
some difficulty in dealing with typhoid
cases. Yet he knew Of no specific cases
OF suffering on this account. He spec=f-
ed the case Of a man afflicted with an
infectious disease who had been compel
ed TO lie I'm the open air one night be-
cause OF a lack Of tentage The captain
was sure thai no injury resulted, as the
weather was pleasant
Dr. Hon said mat the shortage In med
ical supplies had continued for several
weeks. but there was generally sufficient
to NEE. ne immediate demands He also
said that some acquisitions had been re-
turned by the Washington authorities be-
h.
der the impression that there had been
complaints Of suffering on THIS account
There was considerable decay in secur-
ing flooring for he terfs.
WAS there any depriva don on account
Of the shortage az tents?' asked Cover
nor Woodbury..
1T was 50 reported" responded DR..
Hon
Whose fault WIS ~" was asked
Not mine replied he. II dfd all
could do" The troops % the Third corps
we're more closely crowded than they
should have been.
THE GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS.
Or. Coanor stated that the governor o.
Arkansas had complained Of the neglect
Of the troops from thst state.
The witness rep.ied THAI the Arkansas
troops received The same medical care ard
attention thar had been given 70 other
soldiers under IKE conditions he knew
o. 20 case IN whics the meu ia the hos
Dltals had Dzeea compelled 20 lie On tae
ground. bat ae thossal there were cases
where Sex mea had been KEEP u-11er r-es
for several days
lie vas asked 2 Il vas true thzt a.
nlgat there we al average % on-y ore
nurse 10 eah f1rty patients IN "a hospital
OF tie Sscond DIVISION q the Third c5rgs.
and said tnx could not Be true
Dr.. Counor read an extrac; from TIE
.et.er o. ire A-zaasas governor saying
mat Re had made = 10 nal investigation
o. ne conditions 70 Shls hospital ana tha-
- found '-he c0..1ifi51s dep .5ra le-ci1r-
Ply ciS.-zcesl- he charged tha- the
doctors .r tas ins-siulonz = ere al uoTta-
en- men UzfaD ssr win { sass iaci-
aearsI 20 TIE SOMA, t1at thsre = exc czscs
q fever II nhicl Fever paleask bad gone
va aout water foT - hears. add n Eni-A
sex rzcn ael- ~4tbogt stfeu.t0a from a
surgeon o. zItaogt Tsc=vi1E dose q
foT a Nsek-
R=p,yize. Dr Ha1 said fhat several
Southern glyze@- we're engaged a. ne
assg.;a. ard r14l - ia aot Link lc pos-
s.be talt men c91-i aavs been neglected
zs i1l.c--e1 ~ tzs --11-s l-tt--. lie
had heard % 70 s1-a ez-ses- Fss sd cszt
during TIE Iss- fsE Ttsks q -ae Seco1d
1ivisiou so,spitaIs saEs;ence = hza bsez
- c~errr5a SD rat a. Eas Ess-r1 Eecss-
sary 70 sop Fsce9s.ag p4-l1r = iaea. est
hat IRE csnEsstess colssf5oa Ezz rEl-Ve-5
~ soea As me Ste-u5ers asspf4- vs.
s. Jgcss 10. O. I.-Mayor zsxaea-
e. - ssra.s . $50 ---- --.r--r