The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-25
ANACONDA news.
CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP
Sergeant Searight Tells of Affairs
at Chickamauga.
POOR HOSPITAL SERVICE
Many of the Sick We're Given but Scant
Attention - Political Influences
Found a Place in the Mill
tary Arrangements.

Sergeant b. F. Searight of this city
returned from Chickamauga park a few
days ago. Mr.. Searight left Montana
with Higgins troop Of Grigsby's Rough
Riders, n since then has been in camp
at Chickamauga park. Mr.. Starlight has
made a careful study of the conditions
which prevailed in the park and as soon
as he got through shaking hands with
his friends he consented to an inter-
view concerning the affairs Of the mo-
bilizing camp in general and the Sd
United States volunteer cavalry in par
ticular.
In speaking of the PARK, Mr.. Starlight
said:
Numerous and ~variously conflicting
statements have been made in your
newspaper. as well as in others. about
the general condition of the soldiers at
Chickamauga. Perhaps all have been
honest. but the opinions of the ma
FORTY Of the men are formed from their
own individual experiences or at most
from the experiences Of their own par
ticular troop or regiment.
In Chiokamauga park. where usual
IL there We're no less than $4,000 men,
and for more han a month the total
number reached Sc. 200. we found the
ordinary newspaper letter did not al
ways represent the general consensus
Of opinion. Some Of our correspondents
would attempt a cheerful exterior, but
the groan underneath was only too
evident: while others, If possible. were
too caustic in their open accusations.
The squadron of the Sd L. S. volun-
teer cavalry to which ! belonged reach
ed Chickamauga about the 2Sth of May.
We found everything in a chaotic state
The uuartermaster and commlssary de-
partments had not been thoroughly or
ganized. consequently supplies were not
forthcoming. The heat was intense and
the water badly d~iscolored with u |
speak Of these facts for the simple rea-
son that during the first three weeks
spent in the park many Of the soldiers
contracted the germs Of disease which
developed later. in July and August,
n caused so much suffering and Ia
tality. Chickamauga park was selected
as the camp for the general mobiliZa-
tion of troops because Of it's elevation
and its presumably healthy location. In
some respects this was a good selection,
but the fact that the water supply was
so poor and had To he obtained for a
time from Chickamauga creek. with a
total absence of sewerage. the immense
accumulation of refuse matter from
camp and stables, which could not be
removed to a sufficient distance, added
n the generally poor sanitary conditions
OF the country. resulted In the rechisten-
ing Of the park by the soldiers TO the
Pest Hole
The change Of climate, as a rule,
seemed to have very little effect upon
the soldiers. for those regiments from
the Southern states had equally as
many sick as did those from the North.
on the whole. we even found the sol
diers from the Northern states pos
sessed more endurance and better con-
situations: which fact. as n rule, served
10 protect them from some Of the dis
eases prevalent in the park, with the
exception of typhoid and malarial fv-
vers. Perhaps. among the causes OF
sickness in our volunteer armies, one OF
the greatest elements was the fact that
many of the soldiers were neXpertenced
young boys, ignorant Of The general
laws Of health ard hygiene. Many of
them. for the first time away from
home and the Influences which had sur
rounded them. unused to exposure,
they often made license Of the liberties
afforded by army life in camp. The
result was. as II always is when the
laws of nature are encrDached upon or
openly violated visitation Of suffer-
ing. Then again the food with which
the soldiers were supplied was Cf a very
inferior quality. often times poorly pre-
pared. In some organizations the sol
diers make the serious accusations that
they did not get their full Tations in
the way Of coffee, fresh meat and bread
This was unquestionably true in some
instances. most notably. certain New
York regiments. But ! nm thankful to
say that such was not the ease in the
Sd L. :. volunteer cavalry. NeVorthc-
less. Notwithstanding these unpleasant
features. so long as the men remained
well. they managed 10 get along all
right. The hardships were beaTable and
were not more thar one need eXpact
from army life.
Nov. as To general causes Of sick
ness. / will endeayor To be perfectly
fair and impartial, So II what have TO
say Of the treatment of the sick and
the hospital service generally may seem
in some deEree radical. I trust that my
desire to be just 10 all parties con-
Cerned will be sufficient TO impress the
stamp Of truth upon the facts. when
soldiers became 50 sick that 1t became
necessary for them To 60 To the hospi-
tai. unless they could be removed 10
town and placed under private care. IL
usually bore the significance OF signing
their death warrants. UGH has been
published concerning the treatment re
ceiyed by sick soldiers at the hands of
the hospital authorities. hut the gen
eral public will never NOW the worst.
for the half has not yet been told.
While the officers high in authority are
apparently making great efforts 10 have