Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-11-15
DR.. HulDEkopER
CONTINUED from page 1.)

worst ever saw" he said. This con-
dition was due to the fact that they
had been shut up in the hold of the
ship for 16 days, for they had been in
good shape when they had left Tam
pa"
He said the medical corps had done
as we'll as could have been expected
with the means at command. The ex-
pedition had been hastily organized
and he had no criticisms to make.
Gen. J. c.. Breckinridge said that
when he assumed command at Camp
Thomas the camp was at the begin
ming of an epidemic of fever and that
this condition gradually grew worse.
He was under the impression that all
ordinary efforts had been made to in
struct regimental officers in the mat
ter of sanitation and he thought this
instruction had borne fruit.
Gen. Breckenridge expressed the
opinion that Chiekamauga Park was
suitable as camp site, but the want
OF portable water was Il defect. He
was of the opinion that the water could
have been vastly improved if there
had been a willingness to get off the
reservation for it. The great share of
his attention had been given to getting
the men away from Chickamauga.
Gen. Breckenridge said that the con-
dition of all the hospitals at Camp
Thomas except Sternberg was bad.
They, were crowded and there was a
lack of skill on the part of the at
tendants. He also thought the quar-
termaster's department had been re-
miss in some of its duties, but he at
tributed all the trouble to a want of
experience.
DR.. Connor made an effort to get
Gen. Breckinridge to say where the
responsibility rested for the poor con-
ditions in the camp. but the latter
said that he had never attempted to
locate the responsibility, devoting him
self particularly to remedying the evil.
''The chief trouble seemed to be that
the hospital attendants were not fa-
miliar with their duties and that there
was not sufficient number of men in
the supply department to follow up
the hospital attendants and instruct
them" He said the war department
was apparently unprepared for the
epidemic, as We're the men on the
ground.
IL you COulQ 90 WHAT you UlC, cOulQ
not Gen. Brooke have done the same
thing two months before?" DR.. Con-
nor asked. Il don't think he had the
sick" the witness responded. Later
Gen. Wilson asked practically the
same question and Gen. Breckenridge
replied Il have no doubt that if arous-
ed as l was to the necessity he could
have done as much as l did. The in
dications were probably more marked
to me than to my predecessor because
my experience as inspector general
prepared me especially for detecting
conditions which might escape others.
Consequently there was condition
there which I do not believe was con-
ceived of by those preceding me-
Returning to the question of passes
to visit at Chattanooga, DR.. Conner
askedif the conditions in that city We're
not such as to injure the morale of the
army. Gen. Breckenridge replied that
such was the case, but you cannot
make a prison of a camp" Continu-
ing. he said the town was run wide
open" and it was impossible to keep
the men in their camp under the cir
cumstances. Gen. breckenridge said
that there was such a division of du-
ties and responsibilities that it was
difficult at times to know whom 10
give instructions.
Gen. Breckenridge had not conclud-
ed his testimony when the commission
adjourned for the day.