The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-01
.BALOW|A'S PLANT TALK
Frightful Conditions Prevailed
at Camp Thomas.
HOSPITALS WERE FILTHY
The Commanding Omcers Were Negii-
gent-The Water Was Unnt TO
Drink and Had 70 90 Four
Miles for It.

Lexington, Oct. 31.-General Dodge,
Colonel Sexton and DR.. Conner Of the
war investigation commission arrived
here from Chattanooga to-day. Con-
ner will make an inspection Of the di-
vision hospital. while Dodge and Sex
ton will make tour OF the regimental
camps. Dodge says there will be no
complaints concerning Camp Hamilton.
and the testimony taken here would
bear especially upon the conduct of af-
fairs at Chickamauga park. where
most OF the regiments now here spent
the summer.
Returning to town about 8 o'clock.
the commission went into session at the
committee rooms at the Phoenix hotel
and began a hearing OF testimony. Ma
jor General ]. H. Wilson. now COM
manding the first army corps. was the
first witness. The general said he was
In charge Of the first division. first
corps, at Chickamauga park. He left
there with his command about July 1,
bound for Porto Rico. At Charleston
he was kept some weeks or more; he
did not know whether ii was on ac-
count of a lack of transports or what
Here the typhoid fever broke ont and
when he did get off he had TO leave
20 cases of n behind. The disembark
alton at Porto Rico, he said, took IL
days. when 1t should have been accom-
plished in two. This. he claimed, was
on account of not having steam launch
an vain In porto Rico ,ha hea,th 90
his troons was eooa On tha arch h,,t
- a..su
s,o,na.. hsotn g..
Sana.., xf,,,. A.
,e. ., sau ne nsu .osnu eae
o"s soou anu suln-
c,en.. Inc most OF the sickness among
.he sIoops was caused ny the men eat
ing IuI. anu uash.
consioer Shichamausa PARK one OF
the hnest camps In the world, said
Seneral wilson. never saw its su-
perlor. unless II Is Camp Hamilton mere
az Lexington.
ASKED II ne could make any sugges-
lions az 10 benencial changes, the gen
eral said that he is much In favor OF
reglmentai hospitals. which have al
ready been recommended and are now
being established. His observation has
been that civilians have made good on
GERS, proficient and obedient to all COM
mands. He believed one of the princi-
pal causes of sickness among the VOL
unteers was that they were unused to
camp life and to the climate of Georgia.
Captain Charles w. Golden. commits
sary of the 3rd brigade. 3rd division.
1st corps, testified that on nearly ali
occasions he had found the rations good
and in sufficient quantities and that all
requisitions made had, he thought, been
ordered as promptly as possible. He
said sat one time a lot of bacon was
found that had become infected with
maggots, but that as soon as IL was
brought to the attention of the author
tiles, IL was promptly condemned. He
said that there was some fault to be
found with the cooks and culinary de-
partment of various regiments, due
principally to inexperience.
Lieutenant Colonel Frank d. Bald
win. inspector general on General Will
sons stan, and who was on General
Wade's staff at Chickamauga, Ca,
gave some sensational testimony con-
cerning the conditions there.
when the camp was first established
there" he said, II did not inspect a
single hospital but what / found II in
a filthy condition. Reports were made
of this to the commanding general and
improvements could be observed for a
few days. But in a short time matters
would get as bad as ever. About the
time the camp was broken up this had
been corrected to a large extent"
Colonel Baldwin further said that he
had known requisitions to be made fire.
quently and not to be honored. This
was especially true In regard to the
End division. 3rd corps.
DIR. Connor OF the commission said:
There has been more disgrace brought
upon the United states hospital system
by the End division. 3rd corps, than by
any other In the service. can readily
show this was true, since no attention
was paid 70 the Complaints mace.
Generai BALDWIN said tnat SO rar as
ne knew, Generai compton, commano-
ing the Znd DIVISION. only inspected MS
command on sunday morning ana tnat
ne did not know OF eitner Generai
compton or ienerai Waoe' .ne corPs
commander. having inspected the zno
DIVISION hospuai
CORONER baIowln saIo tnat ne knew
OF one mississippi resiment wnIcn uIo
not ger its cIothing wnen IL snoulo anu
sune,eo sreaiy IN cohseque"ee' ss '"e
"eatner was WEI anu nasty.
40 NOT consioer SnicNaausx paik