The age-herald., 1898-10-07
CEN. LEE ON THE
 WITNESS STAND Does Not Think He Was Sfghted
 During the War; HIS CAMP WAS HEALTHFUL Site was We'll Selected and Sup-
 plies were Abundant. BOYNTON CONCLUDES TESTIMONY DWeIt Upon the Causes of So Much Sickness at Chickamauga. BRIGADE COMMANDERS FAULT Cast Slurs Upon the Efficiency of Regi- mental Officers Who were Taken
 From Civil Life Surgeons
 Did Their Duty.
DweIt Upon the Causes of So Much
 Sickness at Chickamauga.
BRIGADE COMMANDERS FAULT

Washington, October 6.-The war inveSu- gating commission held two sessions today. In the forenoon Gen. H. V. Boynton con cluded his testimony and Gen. Fitzhugh Lee was heard in the afternoon. Gen. Boynton dwelt today upon the causes of disease at Camp Thomas, charging the increase to- wards the close of the camp to the lack of sufficient care oin the part-ef the regi- mental and brigade commanders in cover ing the sinks.
 Gen. Lee detailed the conditions prevail ing at the camp at Jacksonville. He said the site was good one, the supplies were plentiful the men well taken care of and he had no complaint to make of the war departments treatment of his command. He also took accession in reply to a question put by Capt Howell to say that he did not consider that he had been sighted in the war. He had wanted to go to Havana, and the president had recently told him that in case it had been necessary to take Havana by assault he had intended to ask Gen. Lee to lead the assaulting army.
 Gen. H. V. Boynton concluded his testi- mony before the war inquiry commission today. In reply to charges formulated by Surgeon Milo B. Ward of Kansas city, who said in letter to the commission that the camp was without drainage, that the water was unfit to drink, that there was no prop CT food and that all of the 1000 men in the camp were suffering from intestinal dis ease, Gen. Boynton said:
 Statement was False
 "Of course in so large a camp some pain ful things must necessarily happen. For in- stance when measles broke out the hos pitals were quite crowded. But to stay there was any purposely inflicted neglect is," he declared, "as false as it is possible to be-
 These complaints led Gen. Boynton to enter upon a general sta tement in regard to the condition of the camp and to give his opinion as to the cause of it. He attributed the prevalence of disease to the exposure of the regimental kitchen and hospital sinks These had, he said, in the latter part of the camps history been left uncov cred by earth contrary to directions by the surgeon general, and to this fact more than to all others he considered responsible for the spread of the disease. This failure to carry out sanitary orders he thought was due to the negligence of the subordinate officers the brigade and regimental com manders.
 The trouble only began after Gen. Brooke was ordered to Washington. Prior to that time Gen. Brooke required daily reports from the regimental officers and prompt attention to any neglect of sanitary precau- tions This system and the care which ac- companied it had had the effect of keeping the camp in good condition. When Gen. Brooke left for Washington the camp was necessarily in charge of the subordinate officers. When Gen. Brooke returned his time was devoted almost entirely to prepa- ration for the Porto Rican campaign, so that he could not give so much heed to sanitary regulations as he had previously done.
 Increase of Disease
 General Boynton elaborated upon the strict discipline maintained by General Brooke in police and sanitary matters, but said there was a suspension Of this care after the Porto Rico campaign was decided. After General Brooke left there was material increase in disease and at one time almost panic Returning to the con- ditions subsequent to the date when Gen. eral Brooke was ordered to Washington, General Boynton said the exosed condition of the sinks had encouraged the resence of multitude of flies which bred disease by carrying germs from the sinks to the tents. They were, said the general 'as thick throughout the park as they ever could have been in Egypt and went back and forth from the sinks to the mess tables of men and officers with the greatest im- punity covering everything in sight.
 General Boynton was questioned at some length as to where the responsibility for this condition of affairs lay, and he said that 1t was the brigade and regimental commanders. 'T am satisfied" he said "that the medical officers reported to them the condition and warned them of the se- rious consequences of failing to obey the surgeon-generals orders; they could only advise. would not say that the command ing officers as a whole paid no heed to these representations, but many of them apparently failed to appreciate their im- portance and did not give them the atten- tion which the circumstances demanded They should receive the attention, for in- stance, that officers in the regular army would have given them-'
 Not Experts in Sanitation
 General Boynton 1dded that he did not