The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-13
Why the Requirements of Troops
Did Not Receive Attention.
GEN. GRAHAM'S OPINION
BLAMES VOLUNTEER OFFICERS
FOR FAULTY CONDITIONS.
In His Testimony Before the War In
vestigation Commission, General
Graham Attributes the Lack of
Food Supplies to the Ineficiency
of Officers In Charge.

Washington Oct. 12.-General Ora
ham continued his testimony before the
war investigating committee today. He
furnished the committee with state
ment showing the percentage of sick
ness in his command from the 1st of
May to the SOth of September. The
statement showed a gradual increase
for the entire period, the highest per-
centage being + per cent towards the
end of September.
General Graham believed that the
proximity of the tents to one another
at Camp AIger was responsible more
than any other cause for the sickness
there and said the medical officers also
were of this opinion. He thought the
want of water for bathing purposes and
the habits of the men in eating food
other than that prescribed by the regu-
latlons had had a deleteriouS effect.
In the beginning of the camps history
there were no bathing places, but later
the men were marched several miles
in brigades once a week for baths.
There had been no lack of medical sup
plies, but some of the medical attend
ants were inexperienced and inefficient.
General Graham stated that the COM
miSsary supplies were plentiful. but
the men were often without food sup
plies because the regimental officers
were not sufficiently impressed with the
Importance of drawing their food. This
was especially true in the matter of
fresh meats In one case an officer of q
Kansas regiment had refused to draw
the fresh beef rationS until he could
have a saw with which to cut it up.
The general also found many of them
to be ignorant of the methods of pre-
pairing the acquisitions, notwithStand-
ing school had been regularly organ
lied for their education in these mat
tiers. He said that the corps was for a
time short of wagons for transporta-
ton, owing to shipments to Florida.
This deficiency had OccaSiOned some
hardship to the men.
General Graham testified to tempo
rary shortages of hospital linen, ice
and other supplies at Camp Alger, but
did not believe any deaths had been
caused thereby. He positively denied
that surface drainage had found its
way into the wells. There had been
complaint of the hospital at Dunnlor-
ing, charging drunkenness on the part
OF the medical attendants, but the at
PENDANTS were entirely INDICATED in the
investigation that followed. Taking it
all in all, General Graham said he had
no doubt that the medical department
at Camp Alger was administered in a
there were individual instances of neg
lect, but they were not the rule. With
the reforms inaugurated, Camp Alger
would have been very healthful and the
removal of Camp Meade was largely
sentimental and in obedience to public
clamor.
General Graham declared Camp
Meade to be an ideal camp and we'll
supplied. General Graham said that
he would recommend that in the future
there should be regular officers in all
volunteer regiments: that camp tents
should be farther apart than now; that
arrangements should be made for Gre
mating all effete matter. General Ora
ham said some of the officers from civil
life had proved efficient, but that 9TH
ers were incorrigible. Some of them
" ere, he said, too old to learn.
He had no complaint to make as to
the MANAGEMENT of the war depart
ment, but he thought that the war was
such an emergency that the DEPART
ment was not at first prepared to meet
its demands as promptly as desirable
He thought, however, that the cr1ti-
ciSms of citizens concerning the con-
duct of the war were due to the ignor-
ance of the people, who meddled with
out sufficient information to enable
them to speak wisely