Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-27
NEW YORK WORK DONE,
War Commission VIII Open Its
| Boston Sessions To- Morrow
LETTER FROM A ROOSEVELT
Suggestion as 10 Placing Responsibility
for Army Abuses.
CEPT. HOWELL AGAINST REPLYING
Says He Doesn't need Mr.. Roosevelt
or Anybody Else to ak Up His
Mind for Bim-Wiu Abide by Com
missions Record.
missions Record

NEW YORK, November 2s.-When the
War Investigating Commission met to-
day, DR.. NJ. r. TORY, surgeon-general Of
the National Guard Of the State Of New
York, testified that he found the camp Of
the Eighth New York Regiment at Chick
amauga in a very u%nsanitary condition.
A number Of other witnesses were ex-
amined, but nothing new was brought
out.
Captain Howell read a letter addressed
to the commission by Robert b. Roose-
welt, secretary Of a committee for the
protection of soldiers.
General Dodge suggested that the let
ter be received and filed.
CAPTAIN HOWELBS POSITION.
Captain Howell seconded the motion.
saying: 1--WE have invited all the wit
nesses to tell us everything they know.
We have made and are making every
| honest effort to get witnesses, and to get
the truth from them. ! do not see That
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter deserves any an
swer. 1 am ready to stand on the record
of the commission. when the commission
has made a record. but ! do not need
Mr.. Roosevelt or any one else to make
up my mind for me"
General Beaver spoke on the same lines
and by general consent General Dodge's
suggestion was adopted.
The afternoon session completed the
work of the commission in this city. Ihe
members Of the commission went to Bos-
ton tonight, and will receive all intend
ing witnesses at the Parker House Mon
day morning at 9 o'clock.
The letter written TO the commission by
Mr.. Roosevelt, read, in part, as folloWs:
MIR. ROOSEVELTS LETTER.
81 have noticed in the morning press
that one of your members cr1tclses Ihe
witnesses who have testified at the re-
quest Of the committee formed in This
city to protect the soldiers, for the rea-
son that while establishing the tact tfal
much groundless n ineXcusabie su1Ier-
ing was inflicted on the army, they dc
not fix the responsibility or show who is
to blame. II the views OF your commls-
sion are correctly reported. there seems
to be a misunderstanding between us. We
supposed that all the witnesses were 10
do was to prove the facts, and that the
commission would fix the responsibility
indeed. was appointed for the express
purpose of fixing the responsibility.
THE heroic boys may forget their sur
ferings. may even refuse to testily 70
them. but their mothers will not. and
their fdthers will not, nor Will 1t do 10
take refuge behind the errors Of the civil
war.
SPECIMEN INHUMANITIES.
There was then no intentional cruelty,
such as seems to have so often prevailed
i'm this war. The sick men were not
starved. Sick men were treated with all
possible attention and kindness. Water
was not sold to feYer-racked sufferers al
10 cents a glass; food was not sold 10
starving men at % cents for a sandwich
and dainties for the dying were not eaten
by the officers. But suppose matters had
been n thousand times worse in the civil
war. would that be any reason now thai
our men should be sent with arms out OF
date: that there should be 10 ambulances
no pack-trains or transportation TO carry
food to the front; not half sufficient medi'
cines or DOCTORS; no proper hospitals, anC
that men with freshly-treated wound:
should be left to lie in the mud on {
blanket-if they had one-without if they
had none, nor even why midwinter in
derclothing should be sent TO Cuba anC
midsummer gauze undershirts 10 Mon
tauk?
'The accomplishing endurance Of on
men has simply been heroic. They bort
wounds. sickness, privations TO dealt
even. without a word. 1t was only neglect
starvation. in fact, and abuse in the hos
pitals. which called forth letters, an,
then only to their families-letters which
were sent TO me by broken-hearteI
mothers in pitiful appeals 10 try to hell
their sons. l wish your commission coul'
nave read them: but as many of then
were transmitted 10 me confdentially
cannot even quote from them.
INDUSTRIOUS INCAPACITY.
1.-THE witnesses. have established mon
strous ~incapacity. That they have no
full confidence in the power Of your com
mission. no matter how good its will, L
meet all the requirements the public de
mands Of il, is only on account of you
own doubts; but in spite of that, the,
seem to have done their share, and !
would seem that 1T only emains for yo'
IN do your best. even If that best is no
ouite satisfactory TO yourselves. If don
in good faith. ii will teach the soldier
that AT least there Is a power whicl
honestly endeavors to do them justice.
"You can direct your inquiries in IN
first place to the food supply. Find on
who gets the difference between the hbe
raj rations allowed by he government
and the meagre bareback, bacon, an
green coffee served to the soldiers. tn
witnesses are the books and the roll
in the public departments, to which 20
nave full access.
INDIFFERENCE CONTINUES.
1--WE have furnished you the facts
shown you brutality. cruelty, neglect, In
adherence: how men whom the govern
ment was under every obligation 10 pro
feet. and especially because they had
right to rely on such protection wer'
starved even in this land OF plenty
wounded and sick left without attention
when wounded, were abused, maltreated
in some cases practically murdered. w
have shown you an indifference to AM
beittling OF human suffering which con
tinue even now. II this nation Is to be
come a warlike one: II We are to hav'
an army which shall be efficient and Il
he relied upon. these crimes and piunder'
must be corrected, and your commission
must correct them. 1t Is not FOR you u
make the feeble excuse that our commit