Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-04

of whatever nature has been promptly
complied with. One reQuisition that /
made upon the quartermaster at san
| Francisco while the regiment was sta
toned in Arizona, for shoes, clothing,
hats and blankets and which must
| have weighed several thousand pounds
was shipped to me by express, thus
causing the supplies to reach me four
days sooner than they would ii ship
ped by freight.
Cincinnati, O., November 3.-Gen.
i Dodge, Gen. Sexton and DR.. Conner, OIL
| the war investigating commission.
| reached Fort Thomas, KY, at 10 NJ.
| In company with Major Hall who is
| the surgeon in charge vi the hospitals
| at that place, the commissioners pro-
ceeded on a tour of personal inspec-
ton through all the wards of the hos
| pitfalls. They also inspected the camp
| of the Sixth regiment, which is in tents
ON the grounds adjoining the hospitals.
This regiment was cut to pieces IN the
! Santiago campaign and has since been
! recruited.
Gen. Dodge put many questions. TO
the patients in the hospitals concern
| ing their treatment, but found none
| complaining. He was especially in
terested in those transported the pre-
vious day from Lexington. They were
all in good spirits and apparently not
| unfavorably affected by the railroad
| journey. The inspection of the camp
was thorough 1t extended into the
dinner hour, and Gen. Dodge and Col.
| Sexton went to the mess tents and IN
| spected the food.
| The afternoon session was occupied
in hearing three Witnesses, mostly on
the condition of the division hospital
at Chickamauga. The first witness
was Major E. F. Eelburn, of the Sec
ond Kentucky, now mustered out. The
death list of his regiment, he stated,
was rs, most of whom died at home on
furlough. The sickness in Chickamau-
ga increased very rapidly. He knew
that there was a shortage Of cots in
the hospital as well as of tents. In
answer to questions by Dr. Conner he
stated that he served on commission
appointed on account of complaint
y OF the colonel Of the First Arkansas to
investigate the division hospitals.
The commission found that the sinks
were as close as $50 feet from the
ton. There was a dumping ground
where other refuse was thrown. There
was a gully running right through the
site. The commission concluded that
at first the hospital was in a bad con-
dition, but it got better and during
Major Smiths control it was in
good condition The commission
found that the cause for it's bad con-
r fIa 70 nj hot
not intended to be more than a tenn
porary hospital, but the sick increased
so rapidly that it was overcrowded.
Another cause was the incomDetency
of men detailed from regiments for
nurses. In many regards the most
worthless men were detailed for that
duty. The detail was made accord
ing to regulation. The fault was not
Of the medical department but OF the
system. The commission found I'M
necessary suffering because of lack Of
tents and cots, SO that the patients
were exposed to the rain and compell-
ed to lie on the ground. This was the
fault of the quartermaSter's depart
ment. acquisitions were not filled for
from two to ten days and in some in
stances were not filled at all The
only complaint against the medical
corps was in the case of one, Major
Hubbard, who required the sick to
stand at attention while attending
sick calls.
AS instances of neglect, the witness
said his commission had much testi-
mony that patients were allowed to re-
main filthy in their beds and were &C
tually fly blown. This neglect was
chargeable to the nurses directly. The
nurses were frequently changed AMI
the officers in charge were also fire.
quently changed. Some were asked TO
resign and others broke down. The
witness saw many patients on cots on
the ground. The wards were not al!
fioored until in August. The witness
read the statement of Major Smith
and of Col. Hoff, made to his commits
SIGN. The former was a scathing ar
raignment of the inefficiency of the
supply department Medicines, medic
al apparatus, ice and drinking water
and other necessities were not fur
nished. He also complained bitterly Of
the incompetency of the nurses.
The witness being asked his own
opinion about the great amount of
sickness at Chickamauga, said he
thought that two-thirds of it was due
to negligence of the men themselves
This witness also read the statement
Of Captain Charles Price, of the Second
Kentucky, who told of hearing shrieks
from the Ninth New York ward, and
upon investigation he found that Maj
Hubbard was trying to administer med
icine to patient. The major was
brutal.
The reading was at this point in
terrrupted by the appearance of Cap
tain Price and he was examined. He
testified that on one occasion when he
went to the hospital to see one of his
men who was i'll with measles, ne was
informed that the patient had been de-
tailed to carry water The measles
wards were packed, the men being
wedged in like sardines. The same
was true of the typhoid malarial wards
The witness in describing the action
of Major Hubbard said that he choked
the patient and forcibly pressed him
down on the cot. He then caught the
patients hands and then wrenched
them until the poor man shrieked with
pain. At this point the witness said
to Hubbard: Il do not know your
name or rank, but this brutality must
stop"
Hubbard did not stop but said some