Evening star., 1898-08-29
Secretary Alger Replies to Criticisms
Of the War Department.
VHhTQUARTERMhSFER GENERAL SAYS
Statement Of commissary General
Of Subsistence.
NEGLECT OF THE TROOPS

| the w aTv
81 do not intend to order an investigation
| of the wholesale charges of mismanage-
ment of the war, but propose to stand or
| my record. If the President or Congress
desires these charges investigated, would
be delighted to have the administration OF
| the War Department made the subject OF
| the most searching inquiry.
| IF any one can be found who can per.
| form the duties. better than I have 1 am
| willing to give way to him, but not until
| the unjust, brutal and untrue criticisms
| have ceased. I will not retire under fire.
| War found the country totally unpre-
pared, with an army of only 26,OOO men
| In four months an army of 275 900 men was
| called In the field, equipped, fought cam
paign on two continents, which was a sue
cession of victories. and brought about
| peace. 1t was a stupendous Undertaking
| and l do not believe any other country OF,
| the face OF the globe could have success
fully managed such herculean task.
| I'VE had nothing to start with but arms
| There was no clothing, canteens haver-
| sacks, cartridge belts, shoes. underwear
| clothing of any kind, or ammunition All
| the executive work for this gigantic project
| passed over my desk, and if have not
| done my duty as well as any one else could
| have done it am very sorry that l filled
| the position of Secretary Of War.
The Unsracious Press.
"It is at least ungracious for the press of
| the country to attack me when l nave
given all my time and what ability 1 pos
| sess to bring the war to a successful con-
clusion Orders have been promptly sent to
correct all abuses, and I can no more be
| held responsible for the failure to execute
these orders than a anding officer can
] be for the remssness of his subordinates.
complaints of all sorts from private in
n ltG how do ,;r.l,
vestigated and proved to be unfounded
| There have been charges made against the
| surgeon general, commissary and quarter
| master generals departments, which are
| equally untrue.
Three harder worked or more competen {
| officers cannot be found in the service than
| these men. They have worked long and
| faithfully and have done their duty, and
are not responsible for any neglect which
| may have occurred. Five hundred tons of
quartermasters stores and four hundred
tons OF commissary stores are being trans
| ported each day. cH,.d
| the soldiers with yrattons and taking proper
sanitary precautions it is the commanding
! officers in the field Supplies were always
on hand. and if they were not distributed
the fault does not ,.le with the bureau
chiefs Regular .army officers were in
charge of all the camps except in the case
of General Lee. and he is a graduate of
West Point, and the first notice the de-
pdI tiiteill ldu UI lIi0 Jack 1000 and Door
sanitary conditions came through the press
only one complaint has come direct to
the department, and this was received in a
letter from a man at, Tampa, who claimed
starving to. death. I Immediately ordered
the case investigated and three officers
We're appointed for the purpose
upon Investigation. the soldier in eques-
ton asserted that he was Comfortable and
had proper food. He was Immediately dis
charged. Nii1a ''
Changing Camp Sites.
Sinks at the camps are responsible for
much of the sickness among the troops, but
when it was found that any of these camps
We're unhealthy they We're ordered changed
The camps at Miami, Tampa, Camp Alger
and Chickamauga were found to be TN
healthy and orders were Immediately given
10 remove the troops to better and more
healthy camps
Gen. Lees camp at Jacksonville has
proved to be the healthest one, and this is
because half barrels We're used for refuse
instead OF sinks, which kept the place
clean. Only per cent of the men of his
command are i'll. Commanding officers.
! who We're of the regular army, gave orders
Tor proper sanitary precautions to the men
under them, which in some cases were NOT
carried out.
Soldiers disregarded the advice of medi-
cal officers, both as to diet and medicine,
Which, OF course, caused some illness.
visited Camp Alser myself and found suffi-
cient good water for drinking purposes, but
not enough for bathing
men typhoid fever became epidemic
Unere the camp was abolished. | have
never heard of the story that the troops on
thelr march from Camp Alger to Thorough
fare Gap went twenty -four hours without
anything to eat, and l do not believe there
is any truth in it. I did hear something of
a forced march when these troops left
there but upon investigation found the
story without foundation.
Some overcrowdins on Transports.
Il deeply regret the Concha and Seneca
affair and great suffering was endured by
the men on these transports. There was a
lack of medicine and surgeons and some
overcrowding, but this was partly caused
by the anxiety of the men to get away
from Cuba
Gen Shafter is not responsible for con-
dltlons which existed on these two trans
ports because he ordered an inspection to
De made, and they were undoubtedly re-
ported to be suitable for the purpose for
which they were to be USED
Montauk Point is an IDEAL place, with
plenty OF good water and line rolling
Stcund. 1t is surrounded Two sides by
good water, and the troops improve very
fast after reaching there. The hospitals
arc somewhat crowded. In some instances
| tents intended to accommodate five pa
ueGts mad an extra man in them.
Eight transports arrived in one day and
some crowding necessarily followed, but
thls was being rectified speedily as pos
sibIe.
I'm such gigantic Undertaking some de-
lay must. occur, and j learn the men at
Santiago fought on snort ratons. This was
frequently done during the civil war and
cheerfully borne BY the men. as they knew
Gil that could be endond for them was being
done" - 3s %
Does Not BsHeve the Stories.
Quartermaster General Ludington has au-
thorized the following statement with re-
gard to his administration of the affairs of
the quartermaste9 s DE- partmenti
81 do not ask f5r an investigation Of my
department 1 am not conscious that there
is any need CT one. ! do not believe the
stories that thee Newspapers have been
printing; and sofTe fof them 1 know to be
untrue. $, op-
Il have talked To many officers who have
been. at santiagat and the camps in this
country and thers has been no complaint
from any of them as to the clothing or
moving of troops Or aIfy other of the many
duties of my depdftnaht.
The story of the Mobile is one of these
that have every reason to believe un-
true, General Ludlow, who is an expert on
sanitary matters, came on the Mobile He
reports that there was nothing wrong on
beard, nothing of all. that the newspa pers