The Monte Vista journal., 1898-10-01
OFFICERS TO BLAME.
NEEDLESS DEArnsInr4EARMv
spons,bllity ON Rsgimsatsl Omosrs-
Soldiers Have - He Watched.

koidisrs Have - bs Watched.
Chicago. Sept. GA special to the
Record from Washington says:
In his speeches at several camps, Sec
retary Aiger has clipped or the policy
that will be followed by the admin
lstra,ion In the investigation Of the
conduct Of the war. Commanders of
regiments and commanders OF camps
will be held responsible for the condi-
tions and the suf1erings of their men.
and will be required to make 1t clear
that they exhausted every resource.
maintained the necessary discipline.
kept their camps In good order and
looked after the sanitary conditions
the cooking and the habits Of those
who were under their charge. As Sec
retiry Alger says. the greatest trouble
seems to have arisen from the neglect
Of sanitary regulations. and he will
hold that the commanders Of camps
were to blame II the commanders of
regiments did not do their duty, and
commanders OF regiments were to
blame for any delinquencies on the
part of company officers. There Is
strong contrast between many Of the
regiments. 1t is attributed TO the diff
ference In experience, ability and
watchfulness on the part OF regimental
and company officers. The Seventh H.
Iinois IL referred to as Il good example.
While typhoid fever was raging In
Camp Alger, while the men OF other
regiments were unable TO march and
kept the hospitals full, the Seventh H.
linois was In almost perfect condition
There were fewer deaths and less sick
ness among the men than might have
been expected had they remained at
home. This wns clearly due to the ex.
cellent discipline and the care cxer-
cis,i by Colonel Kavanagh and other
officers OF the regiment. They made 1t
their business to see that the men un-
der their charge took good care OF
themselves, obeyed the sanitary laws
and had plenty of good food. properly
cooked.
Regular army officers say that II cv-
cry regiment had been in command of
officers like those of the Seventh ILL.,
nois there would have been little COM
plant. They say that any one who
has had experience with the National
Guard and volunteers knows that very
often when men put on uniforms and
go into camp they lose all sense of re-
hand TO keep them in order and compel
them to take care OF themselves. They
are particularly reckless about their
diet. which is. OF course, the greatest
cause OF disensc. There IL something
about soldering which seems TO excite
an appetite for pie and ice cream. The
man who kept the restaurant at Camp
Wikon told me that he received 100
pies from New York every morning nn,i
always sold them out by noon. Most of
them were consumed on the premises.
and the purchaser usually ate Il whole
pie. At Camp Algcr the pie ,nisiness.
was quite ms active. and the cons,imp-
tion OF n miserable compound whIcl,
they called Ice cream was 40 great dur
Ing the hot weather that General Grn-
ham forbade Its sale. Most OF II was
villainous stun. frozen milk and water.
highly favored with essences and syr-
ups. One can imagine how poor IL mus,
have been TO be sold for five cents a
glass: yet men who at home would
never touch such stun or permit their
families to eat 1t. sat around all day.
with the thermometer nt nlncty-siX in
the stsntc, md filed their stomachS
with such poisonous substances. That
was prolific source OF disease until
the seventh Illinois were forbidden To
eat II. ms all other regiments ought to
have been.
II Is a delicate question and caused
great row In Congress. hut regulars
who have observed the volunteer r,xI.
menis closely. almost all agree that as
4 rule II Is prejudIcial TO discipline TO
have the officers Of n company come
from the sane town or ncighborhood a.
the troops. OF course. there are excel,-
tions To all rules. but Il is claimed that
the experience Of this war. ~ well a.
that of the War Of the Rebellion, dem.
onxtrated that officers OF volunteer resi.
ments are In great majority OF cases
more or less Influenced by personal, Do.
litIcal. social or business relations aud
cannot enforce discipline ~ well ~
strangers.
Another Interesting point which will
bc brought out In the investigation for
the benefit Of Secretary Algcr Ii that
he recommended the assignment Of a
number Of experienced officers from
the regular army to NIL volunteer regi.
men's, hut the National Guards and
their friends In Congress raised such
violent objections That the recommcn.
dntlon was not even considered. The
Wikute~t SukGebtibu VI tutu hOrt was NJ
sentcsi. and the congressman, the gov.
crnors and all concerned insisted tl,at
cnch company and regiment should
have its own officers regardless OF cx.
p'ricnce or efficiency.
The governors Of the several states
will be held responsible for the appoint.
mcnt of Incompetent and inexperienced
men. and from a political standpoint
they mus, s,iare the blame. OF the for.
ty-foM stntes tweuty.thrce have Repull
lican governors, fifteen Democrats and
six Populista
The policy OF the War Department
In throwing the responsibility uI,ou the
camp aud rcGlmcntai officers II strong.
ly s,is'sined by n report which has ius,
ls~u received from n commisalon con.
sIStinx Of surgeon Ice Of the Medical
CORPS. Professor Gernn e.. Vaughn Of
the University Of Michigan aud Dr.
Shakespeare of Philadelphia, who Ii
regarded ms an eminent expert on CON.
tagious dis~aa.a. These R~utI~men
were appointed To make au inquiry In.
10 the causcs aud the treatment Of ~.
phold fever In the different cnmtsa
Their report not only throws great Nrht
upon tho subject Of the present ,nvcr,,.
gallon. hut u an important contribution
10 science tecause Of the gravity Of the
subject with which Il deals, the emf.
n~nc~ of the tncu who make II and the
startling character af tl.~ls discover,r~.
This commission visited the CAMPS nj
Jacksonville. Huntsville. Fcrnnntiinn
and Chickn maugn. where typhoid fever
had prevailed 10 the greatest extent.
and In zach n1nCp made n ti,oru,,uh la,