The age-herald., 1898-12-16
BROOKE BEFORE
 THE COMMISSION Admitted That Troops Went Hungry al
 Camp Thomas. THE PARSlMONl0US POLICY Of the War Department Was to a Great Degree Responsible.
TROOPS WERE POORLY EQUIPPED
Whole Energies of the Commanding Officers Were Bent to Bringing Order Out of the Chaos
 Which Existed.

Washington, December 15-Major-General John R. Brooke testified before the war in- vestigaton commission today that most or the volunteers at Camp Thomas came sup posedly with ten days ratlons, but this was the so-called field ration, and at first they were hungry This was remedied by the commissary department quite promptly. The volunteers were supplied with all sorts of tentage, most of it antiquated, their uniforms were old and their equipment in general was what had been accumulated 'through the parsimonious policy of the war department through the preceding twenty-five years" Some were unarmed and some in their citizens clothes with only one blanket.
 The whole energies of the commanding officers were bent on equipping this hetero- genous mass of men, but the work was necessarily slow. Early in June the com manding general was ordered to send elght of the best equipped regiments to Tampa, and to do this it was necessary to strip some of the regiments to help out others.
 Even with this expedient some of the regiments left for Tampa poorly equipped. General Brooke noticed the 157th Indiana, which left camp with it's belts tied together with strings. The war department at this time had exhausted all the canvas and tentage in the country. Canteens, knives, forks, cups and the like were also short, and this condition, General Brooke said, continued practically up to the end of his administration at Camp Thomas.
 Did Not Select the Site
 General Brooke said that he had nothing to do with the selection of the camp ground but being assigned there he made it his business to look after the water sup ply and to see that the necessary sanitary regulations were promulgated and en- forced. He made personal inspections as frequently as his time would permit, and made strenuous efforts to regulate the en- trance of hucksters to the camp, and as result of this he said that the sick report fell off from to per cent. 'I deem 1t proper to say" continued General Brooke, "in controversion of certain reports that have heard that did inspect the company sinks and kitchens continually"
 we have plenty of testimony before us. said General Dodge, that you did this fre- quently."
 ~.'It was more than frequently" said Gen. eral Brooke. "It was daily"
 General Brooke said there was in the be- ginning great many complaints of scarci- ty of medicines, but that the army had abundant food supplies. The army of the Potomac In 1861 he said, was not nearly so we'll furnished. While there was some shortage in shoes and some varieties of clothing at times, it was only what might have been expected when three armies were being rushed to equipment at three points, Chattanooga, Tampa and San Fran cisco. He emphatically denied statement by one of his staff officers that the head quarters camp was in distinctly filthy condition
 The Hospitals
 Speaking of the hospitals, General Brooke said:
 "In justice to myself I should say that the location of the first division hospital was not my own selection. I left this to Colonel Hartsuff, my chief surgeon, and it was the one location l condemned. visit ed this hospital, and it was working badly, due probably to the surgeon directly in charge" General Brooke testified that he gave special attention to the sinks, the care of the camps, the striking of tents, policing the sinks, etc, and by this means got things under control.
 Governor Beaver read report from James Parker, sanitary inspector of the Twelfth New York volunteers, detailing an unprintaby disgusting state Of sanitary affairs at Camp Thomas during General Brooke's incumbency, and General Brooke was asked what he had to say regarding 1t.
 ..I will say" replied he, "that 1t Is not only untrue, but if you will give me copy of that report I will see that that young man goes before court martial for these statements unless he is protected in his 1,xrf