The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-01

Chattanooga, Tenn, October 90
Major Edward T. Comegys was the
first witness before the war investigat-
ing commission today. He was medi-
cal purveyer here during the life of
Camp Thomas. He stated there had
never been any delay in filling his re-
QUESTIONS on the surgeon general and
that he had always been able to meet
all acquisitions upon himself Major
Comegys admitted that he had refused
to fill some acquisitions from the hos
pital from the Second division of the
Third corps, because satisfied the ar
ticles demanded were not needed. He
! accounted for the sickness in Camp
Thomas by saying the men did not
He thought the colonels and regimen
tai surgeons were to blame.
| Lieutenant James NJ Arrasmith, who
acted as chief commissary of subsis-
tence for Camp Thomas, said that
while in the beginning there had been
some congestion on the transportation
, lines there had never been any short
| age of supplies. There was constant
ly on hand an average of 10000 ra
tiOns. The ratiOns were the best he
had ever issued in many years ex-
perience. He thought the principal
trouble in regard to the rations was
in the matter of cooking.
Lieutenant IRA smith also said tho
sinks were very badly provided for,
and that the stencil near the camp at
night was simply stiffling. He also
said the discipline was very slack.
! The witness considered Chickamauga
, natural camping site, but thought
there were more men in it than there
should have been. Some of the volun-
teer regiments never took down their
tents during their entire stay and
, there was general negligence of clean
! illness and sanitation He did not ac-
cept the theory that the formation of
the ground was such that the sinks
could not be made deep enough. There
was. he said, a general improvement
in the camp after General Brecken-
, ridge took command.
Drs. Baxter and Boyd, local physi-
clans, were called to testify in regard
to the case of Sergeant Frank, who
died here during the summer as the
result of a railroad accident. DR.. Bax-
! ter said that Notwithstanding the man
| was in a state of profound shock after
| the accident, DR.. Samuel D. Hubbard,
surgeon of the regiment, insisted upon
| removing the wounded man to Chick
amauga park. The man died on the
way out as he (Baxter) had predicted
he would
DR.. Baxter told of one train load of
Wisconsin sick, which he had seen on
it's way home without a medical officer
or medical supplies. The commission
closed it's settings here tonight by
hearing the testimony of some res
| ldentS, stating their observations OF
the conditions at Chickamauga park
| while the troops were there and CIV
ing their conclusions as to the cause
of the sickness of the soldiers. They
defended the climate as SalubriOus and
healthful and generally attributed the
prevalence Of disease to the habits OF
| the volunteers.
At midnight General Dodge's pri-
vate car was detached from the special
|
! Knoxville, with all the commissioners
ON board except General Dodge, Col
onel Sexton and DR.. Connor These
three members OF the commission re-
main in Chattanooga until tomorrow
| night, when they will leave for Lex
ington, KY, proceed ing thence to Gin.
cinnati, Chicago and Detroit and tax.
| ing testimony at each place in turn
, The majority of the commission expect
to spend two days a. Knoxville and
then proceed to Wash ington direct.
Edward Belts, engineer of the Chick
! amauga park commiss ion, gaysethe
| particulars Of the establi shment of the
| water supply system of the park for
the army. He said there was an ample
| supply of water for the troops at all
times and that there would have been
| space for $4,000 more troops On the
pipe line.
J. c. Howell, railroad station agent
| told of an instance in which iifty-foer
sick men, being part of a Wisconsin
| command, had been placed on a traiR
! and started to their homes without
medical supplies or physicians and
| without furloughs or transportation
papers. They were taken off the train
! at Chattanooga and their wa uts admin
| istered to by members of the relief So
cieties.
| Ira j. Haines. private, acting as
| a member of the hospital corps, who
| said he had been a practicing l1hysi-
| clan in Louisville, KY, for eight years.
| was examined on the line of communi-
! cation he had sent to the commission.
In this communication he had charged