Evening star., 1898-12-14
Chaplain Kelly Before the War In
vestigating Commission,
HARD TO GET MEAT AND MEDICINE
Sick Were Well Treated at Fort
Myer.
WE'RE ENT


mission in session in the Lemon building.
He stated that before going to Camp Alger
his regiment was stationed at Springfield,
ILL.,, camped on the state fair grounds His
was the only regiment under tents at that
place. but shortly all the tentage was taken
away and gwen to another regiment. After
that they were camped in one of the many
buildings on the fair grounds. When they
came to Camp Alger they had 500 worth of
medical supplies. There were fifteen OF
sixteen regiments encamped there.
Asked as to the location of his regiments s
camp, the witness replied that it was
good and all the men We're pleased
They were put in the woods four miles
from Dunn Lorng. He regarded them
as very comfortably situated The health
OF the men was very good during the
hrst seven weeks. When the men We're
taken SICK they We're sent to Fort
MyeT, Where they were in the care
Oh MAJOR Davis. Witness said this officer
was most excellent man and officer. He
caused laugh when he said:
Col. Girard, the chief surgeon accused
our surgeon OF melting the men to become
SICK. Ihe TACT that no one was reported
SICK Tor seven weeks seemed to me the
oest answer to such a statement"
Difficulty in Getting Water.
Gen. Beaver-"Was there any difficulty
about the water supply?"
Nltness-''ln the first camp we had at
Camp Aiger, yes 1t was one of the camp
hardships Men were kent all day long
hauling water. 1t was only to be obtained
at long distances. After We moved into
the center OF Camp Alger from the south
western end We had good water and no
uoupie IN getting it. in fact, | thought it
was the 1lnest l ever drank although our
surgeon was disposed TO froWn upon it,
Rev. Mr.. Kelly said that his regiment
was experienced in camping, as it had been
Illinois. 40
Gen. Beaver-"How about the food?"
ltness-'The quality and quantity were
ali right. | thought it was good The trou-
ble was that it was hard to get. The party
at Dunn Loring who gave it out ONLY want
ed to open one car at a time. The men had
TO go down { 4 or = o'clock in the morning
and then wait around a long time This
appled only, however, to the distribution
OF fresh meat"
He said that he regarded the march
which was taken from Camp Alger as a
most excellent thing in providing exercise
for the men.
Hard to Get Medical Supplies
General Beaver-"Was your reg rnent fully
equipped with medical supples?"
Witness-'1 cannot say from personal
knowledge, but 1 have heard our surgeon
say that were it not for the medical sup
plies he brought from Illinois he would
have been in bad fix. No one seemed to
be able to get any. l thought it strange
too, in view of the nearnesS of Washing
ton, Philadelphia and New York, where
plenty could be purchased without loss of
time
Asked to the character of the soldiers,
he said:
Il think the man from the city makes
the best soldier. The man from the coun-
try is accustomed to regular hours for ris-
ing, working, eating and sleeping. The
other is accustomed to all sorts of hours
and suffers less from the hardships of
service
The witness said, referring to the treat
men of the men in hospital at Fort Myer,
that they We're well cared for as at any
hospital he had ever been in and again he
commended the skill and kindness of Mai.
Davis, in charge, The average of deaths
there was very low, taking into cOnsidera-
ton the difficulty there in transport
ing the men from Camp Alger to the hospi-
tai. Hauling the men in wagons over the
rough roads was almost likely to shock
them to death. Then they were put on tha
electric cars and hustled about until the
hospital was reached. Once there they
We're well treated. The proof was, he said,
in the fact that the majority of the men
there recovered.
Gen. BeaVer-"What do you think of
Camp Alger as camp
Liked Camp AIger.
Witness-'I always liked Camp Alger.
The topography was rolling and beautiful;
there was shade enough, if what there was
were properly disposed of; the water from
the wells was cool, refreshing and very
nice, 1 thought, and there was running
stream through the camp. If the colonels
or the men commanding the regiments had
made their men take care of themselves
there would have been little cause for
complaint. There should have been facili-
ties for bathing provided. Expenditure of
81, 900 would have provided each man with
a bath twice a week. A stockade with
p'atf orm holding a number of barrels filed
with water by hose pipes connected with
the pumps would have answered the pur-
pose"
The only objection he found was that its
proximity to Washington encouraged the
men Ito sneak off to the city and get full. ..
So far the general sanitary state of
the camp was concerned, he said it de-
pended in large measure on the officers :,
for said he, the men were nothing but
children, grown children"
Tampa Water Contaminated.
Maj. Benz. F. Pope, surgeon, U. S. A,
stationed "a Tampa, was the next witness.
DR. Conner led the examination as to the
condition of the troops and camp there.
Speaking of the water supply, he said t
was taken from the wells and distributed
through pipes to the various reglmental
camps Undoubtedly il was contaminated
by surface water. The men suffered con-
siderdbly from diarrhoea, caused by eli
matte conditions. The disease disappeared
after several weeks. He thought it per-
haps rendered them less able to Withstand
the climate and conditions later at San
tiago. He was not familiar with the con-
ditions prevailing elsewhere in the state Of
Florida.
DR. Conner-''Do you think it wise, in the
light of your experience, to send troops
from northern states into camp in Florida
in early and middle summer timer
Shortage of Medical Supplies.
The witness replied that he would not
hazard a statement, but he knew the 9Th
Army Corps had not suffered. Asked as to
any shortage of medical supplies, he said:
1.-The supply of drugs that came in did
not meet the demand. l telegraphed the
surgeon general, asking authority to make
immediate purchases. The surgeon general
replied that supplies had been sent. were
on the way and could be expected any dav
They did not arrive when expected ana
needed. The trouble was in the delivery
and not in any failure to respond to reoui-
sitions."
Proceeding to the question of the amount