Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-17
WAR INVESTIGATION ENDED.
Com n, ssioner Woodbury. Concludes the
Taking of Testimony In This City
Capt. Dodd of tho Third Cavalry
Tells the story of the Campaign
Has Been in Worse Places
Thar Cuba.

:
testimony Thursday was given by Capt.
[ c. NJ. Brownell, Co. NJ, First Vermont
regiment, and Capt. George A. Dodd,
Troop f.. Third cavalry, stationed at Fort
Ethan Allen. Capt. Dodd's testimony was
Il plain statement of facts relating to his
trip across to Cuba and the stay there,
and contained nothing unusual. The tcs-
d timony given by Capt. Browncll was to
the diScredit of Lieut.. Col. j. III. Mimms.
who commanded the regiment and may
| lead to an investigation of affairs con-
nectcd with the management of the rogi-
ment while in the South. !ncumpctcncy is
alleged and reference made to several
things. which If true deserve attention.
During the testimony there was developed
the fact that petition. asking that Lieut..
/ Col. Mnms BE- relieved from any com
mand i'm the reorganizcd National Guard,
was circulated and largely signed among
the officers of the Vermont regiment al
ter their return to Camp Olympia. This
petition has been forwarded to the gover-
nor. The testimony follows:
CAPT. c. NJ. BROWNELL.
Capt. G. NJ. Browncl, was sworn and
In response to questions gave testimony
substantially as follows:
+ Was in the |. ;. service during the war
with Spain. Left Vermont about May
% and wen to Chickamauga Park. Had
seen about II years service, five of which
ChickamausH about May u and went in
to camp i'm the woods. The soil was very
stony and unit for camp ground. 1t WIS
in many cases impossible to drive tent pins
1t was difficult to dig sinks. DID not re-
member kitCchn sinks ever being over l.
or l. inches deep. other sinks varied in
depth from Is inches to three feet. Sinks
were frequently dug. The new officers of
the day sup trintendcd the digging Of new
sinks and cared for the old ones If they
had hllcd with water the sinks were
banked up and left to evaporHtc. In SOM
cases other methods of covering were
used. Lime was not used at iirst. The
appearance about the sinks was not neat
The camp was unfoi tunate I'm its location.
On one side there We're the Kitchen sinks
and ON the other the Cantecn, mule cor
raj and officers sinks. There were times
when it WAS almost impossible TO make
all the men use the sinks There seem no
definite rule regarding policing outside
the guard line, The camp was unusually
clean most of the time especially the
company streets. The camp and tents
were crowded. Tents Were to be aired
daily. They We're never moved. The
companies at least, took all the room
they could secure.
Left Fort Ethan Allen with ten days
ratlons. While in the Park. after the first
ten days, the ration was as Il rule salts
factory. We were deficient in vegetables.
Ratiuns were issued once in 10 days, The
potatoes were very poor ON one occasion
We got two days good rationS out of a
ten days issue. These purchased at
ChiCkamaugd were good. The bacon seem
cd unsuitable for the climate. The cOiG Z
was very puuor and men would refuse it,.
Roasted coffee was most Acceptable but
all was poor and We could sell 1t At the
stores for but six and half cents II
pound. Bacon is unsuitable for the eli
mate. As the government ration Is, |
think We Jared well after the first ten
days,
LACKED CLOTHING.
When We yeachcd Camp Thomas the
clothing was much worn.We did not re-
ccivc shoes until Il third of the men were
off duty because of lack Of footwear. All
clothing was issued pieccmeal. The rea-
son for lack of clothing Was said To be
because our acquisitions were not in.
Think the regiment could hay" easily re n
clothed sooner. If our acquisition had
been sent in quickly and properly approx
ed We could have received clothes Think
the lack was due more To rcgimental Of
hccrs than to the quartcrmaster's depart
mcnt. The men equipped and clothed did
most of the work.
The major of the medical staff was II,
II. Lee. He was soon taken to brigade
headquarters. DR.. jackson was sent tn
division hospital. Dr Hamilton had, no
doubt, much to do. My relations with him
were most cordial but he did not satisfy
men generally, lie was not able To give
all attention. The enlisted men and some
of the officers were not satisfied with pr,
Hamilton. Some men suffered hccause
they would not answer sick call on TINS
account. My company att little fruit or
pastry hut it so happened that some of
the sickest men We're those who had been
particularly careful OF their health
It,4pr 81 A hnr "A
the cantecn. Have become convinced that
. the cantcen was Il wise provision. Otnel
|, regiments had canteenS. Never saw a
man in the regiment under the influence
of the liquor from the Cantcen. We had
no deaths in my company at the Park
: Visited the division hospital. At first il
, was not SO well operated as later in III,
summer Men suffered from want of del
icaCics at first | had few complaints eN'
cept in matters of food, ! usually found
the complaints justified and food was sen,
: from the company.
"" had no physician on our train re-
turning. | was i'll and was not conSciou,
after leaving Chattanooga until | founo
myself at the hospital in this city Thcr,
We're other cases of Illness ON the train
no medical officers came on cur section
The commandinI officer of the regimen,
l was responsible for the assignment of III,
medical corps licut.-Col. Mimms wa'
I our commanding officer most of the time
= Knew that the life of a soldier was ont
l of privaticn. Those priNattcns, which
= could not have been avoided, We're not 50
$ severe as | expected A camp in the opcT
7 is preferable to one in the woods. Was
Q Informed by staff officer ut division
1 headquarters that no application was
70 ever made for the moving of our camp
t Wish to take practice marches expressed
$ to our commanding officer was not re
Z garded.
nj hplinNEt