The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-01
WHAT ANNOYED ALGER MOST
Continued from Page IL

OF rapid increase of disease-a condi-
! uon which was reached at this camp
! solely IN my judgment from the filth
I Which TOO many of the resimentaI
! officers allowed to dominate the camps.
| In spite of the orders which would have
prevented all this trouble from the
surgeon general and from the COM
manding officers of this camp create
a situation which cannot be Immediate
ly ameliorated.
SO far from believing, as a result of
my observations, that medical officers
have been heartless or negligent, | be-
lieve that these officers and the hos
pital attendants. as a whole. have eX-
erted themselves to discharge their
duties faithfully.
My attention was especially direct
ed, in the order which 1 received. to
some remarks credited to General Ter
~. surgeon general of the state of New
York, in reference to the condition of
the camp of the Eighth New York
General Terry is reported in the New
York Herald to have said, as he was
leaving Camp Thomas:
GENERAL TERRY QUOTED.
General Terry found the camp in
bad sanitary condition. 1t is stu
ated in an open field, in the hot sun,
with no water to be found within i've
IC NGtCI l4AC illctl URN -
hauled in barrels and is of a kind that
in New York would be refused as bath
ing water. This stuff is what the men
drink daily, and is declared to be the
chief cause of the sickness.
General Terry told me that it was
the most terrible sight ne had ever
witnessed, and that not in the slums
of New York City could be found Il
place so filthy and dirty. He said he
would insist on the Eighth reglmehI
being returned To New York, and had
wired Governor Black and the secre-
tary of war of the situation.
If the soldiers are not soon taken
from Chickamauga park. they VIII
soon follow those who died yesterday
and today
This camp was moved to the open
field at the special request of the
officers concerned, as they were in
clined to think that their camp in the
open woods had something to do with
the increasing sickness of their men.
Here 1t may be pertinent to remark in
passing that this New York regiment
had at the time of its moving, and had
maintained, one of the filthiest and
most disgusting canteens to be found
in the entire army. From personal OBJ
servatiOn of this canteen some two
weeks since, l am prepared to assert
that it was little better than serving
York in hog pen. 1t is also true that
the reports show that since this regi-
ment moved, its health conditions have
improved.
instead of there being no water
within five miles of this regiment, two
Of the largest and finest springs of
clear water in this entire country
pronounced by eminent medical and
chemical experts to be pure water, are
less than two miles from their camp.
The Eighth New York has been
upon the ground where Cen
eraI Terry observed it, less than teR-S
days. 1t was perfectly clean ground
when they occupied it, and had not
been previously occupied by any troops
If it had been transformed within this
brief period by the troops of the Eighth
New York into a place dirtier and
1lthier than can be found in the sIumS
II New York, it would become the Of
lcers and men of that regiment 10 ex-
plain how such a transformation could
De made by them in this brief space Of
line.
In closing, l beg leave to express
ny opinion that most of the interviews
With chaplains, regimental surgeons
md others, both officers and men. now
appearing at the north in many of the
newspapers in regard to this camp, are
reckless and false, except as to the
ilthy conditions which their own GRIM
nal neglect has caused. In my judg-
nent, the recent increase in the out
'ries against water and the persist
mt assertion that the park is IN
healthy. have been largely and DELHI
.rately used to stir up sentiment and
influence that would be eXerIeQ 10 Sc
'ure their relief from service.
Very respectfully. your obedient
ervant, H. V. BOYNTON.
Brigadier General, U. S. W"