Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-02

he was at Camp Thomas, he knew OF DIR
Huidekoper. the corps surgeon. having
visited the camp Of the Sth Mass. bul
twice. lie had great difficulty in secV.
ING medicines, he said, and had to buy
drugs out Of private fund.
The list OF medicines he made requisi-
tions for always had about half of the
most important drugs scratched Off by
the higher authorities. He told Of the
red tape which required requisition
for medicines to go through a dozen
channels and then back before the sup
plies could be secured.
DR.. Thomas c. Chalmers. captain and
assistant surgeon of the 18th New York.
VINO saw SIX weeks service in Porto
Rico, testified that at Chickamauga his
regiment could not only not get medicine
but could not even get blanks to make
acquisitions for them.
In regard to the transport Massachu-
sets, on which he went to Porto Rico,
DR. Chalmers said: There was no reg
ular cooking on board the steamer, and
the men were not used to eating cold ra-
lions. The reserve hospital men were
supposed to have been well men, but SUBJ
sequent events proved that they did not
have enough to eat. The men never could
get enough water to satisfy their thirst
Ice water was sold at s1.25 pitcher. The
matter was reported, but the custom was
not stopped. The mules and horses on
board went "a hours at one time without
water.
Lieut. Col. James Parker, 18th New
York. said tnat when the troops arrived
q Chicka ba had cla
the wet ground with only blankets and
no change of clothing. He said that the
LIST South Carolina Regiment did not re-
ceive it's rifles for month after their
arrival at the park, the men being COM
PEELED to do guard duty without guns
The 2lst Kansas also had to do guard
duty with sticks for two weeks.
when the volunteers first arrived at
Chickamauga," said Col Parker. their
tongues We're literally hanging out for
water. For three weeks they could not
get water enough to quench their thirst
Then the pipe lines were laid, but the
water the men got was not pure.
Gen. Breckenridge when he took COM
mand. did more to change for the better
the sanitary conditions than had been
accomplished altogether before. He had
lumber, which had before been applied
for in vain. furnished the hospitals. He
provided lime in great abundance. He
had new tentage supplied and gave medi-
cines when needed.
Upon my inspection / found the hos
pitfalls of the 1st Division, Sd Corps. of the
Sd Division, 4th Corps. and of the % Di-
vision. Sd Corps, very dirty. The first
was placed alongside dump heap. The
dirt in these cases was due to the over
crowded condition of the hospitals The
surgeons We're worked to death and too
sick themselves to properly look after the
cleanliness. So far as l know, neither
Gen. Brooke nor Gen. Wade ever made a
sanitary inspection of the camp.
II think there was disinclinati ton on the
part of the government to purchase lime.
1t could have been secured easily, or even
burned by the troops. The quartermas-
ter's department might have accom-
plshed much during this war that it did
not seem inclined to. 1t would have been
just as easy to establish at Chickamauga
the ideal conditions that prevail here at
Camp Hamilton at the cost of not more
than 81 per man."
Lieut.. Frank Strange, quartermaster
of the Sd Kentucky, testified that he
was at Chickamauga park from June
until July II, when he was taken sick
ard left. He testified that while at
Chickamauga his regiment was barely
equipped. His regiment was unable to
procure quartermaster's supplies, con-
sisting of clothing, tentage, ETC., be-
cause the supplies were not on hand
in,
Next were called seven non-commis-
stoned officers and prlvates who stated
that generally the rations and clothing
furnished were good. Witness Keen
Ryan stated that the surgeons were
guilty of neglect by not seeing that the
orders they issued We're obeyed that
the medicines prescribed were not adj
ministered; that on the day of Gen.
Breckinridges review no surgeons
visited the hospital when men We're dy-
ing for want of attention; that the wa
ter was bad; that on frequent occa-
sions meals were eaten when bed pans
were sitting in the room. rendering the
air foul; that the sinks were in bad
order and that on one occasion a man
was almost drowned in one.