Omaha daily bee., 1898-10-07
BOYNTON AND LEE TESTIFY
Disease in Southern Camp the Fault Of
Regimental and Brigade Commanders
FITzHUGH LEE SURPRISED At A COMPLAINT
Tells the War Investigating Conn
mission that He IL Ready to Lead
His Corps of Men to Cuba
or Even Madrid.
FITzHUGH LEE SURPRISED At A COMPLAINT


General Boynton dwelt today on the causes
of disease at Camp Thomas charging the
increase of fever and disease toward the
close of the camp to the lack of sufficient
care on the part OF the regimenral and
brigade commanders in covering the sinks.
General Lee detailed the conditions prevail
ing at the camp at Jacksonville. He said
the site was good one, the supplies were
plentiful, the men well taken care of and
he had no complaint to make of the War
departments treatment Of his command.
He also took occasion in reply to a ques-
tion put by Captain Howell to say that he
did not consider that he had been sighted
in the war. He had wanted to 90 to
Havana and the president had recently told
him that in case 1t had been necessary to
take Havana by assault he had intended to
ask him-General Lee-to lead the assault
ing army
In reply to charges formulated
by Surgeon Milo B. Ward of
Kansas City, who said in a letter
to the commission that the camp was with
out drainage, that the water Unfit u
drink, that there was no proper food and
that all of the 45, 900 men In the camp were
suffering from intestinal diseases, General
Boynton said: "Of course in so large a camp
some painful! things must necessarily hap
pen. For instance, when measles broke out
the hospitals were quite crowded. But to
say that there was any purposely inflicted
neglect is as false as it IS possible to be-"
These complaints led General Boynton to
enter upon a general statement in regard
TO the condition of the camp and to give
his opinion as to the cause OF it. He at.
tributed the prevalence OF disease to the ex>
posure Of the regimental kitchens and hos
Y,it tube nod hA to- ~ I,.
ter part of the camps history been left un-
covered by earth, contrary to directions by
the surgeon general, and this fact more
than to all others he considered responsible
for the spread of disease. This failure to
carry out sanitary orders he thought was
due to the negligence of the subordinate
officers. the brigade and regimental COM
mandcrs.
The trouble only began after General
Brooke was ordered to Washington Prior
to that time General Brooke required daily
reports from the regimental officers and
promote attention to any neglect of sanitary
precautions This system and the care
which accompanied it had the effect Of keep
ing the camp in good condition. When Gen.
cral Brooke left for Washington the camp
was necessarily in charge of the subordinate
officers. When General Brooke returned his
time was devoted almost entirely to prep
aration for the Porto Rican campaign, SO
that he could not give so much heed to
sanitary regulations as he had previously
done. General Boynton elaborated upon the
strict discipline maintained by General
Brooke in police and sanitary matters, but
said there was a suspension of this care
after the Porto Rican campaign was decided
upon. After General Brooke left there was
material increase of disease and at one
time almost panic.
Flies Carry Disease.
Returning to the conditions subsequent t
the date when General Brooke was ordered
to Washington General Boynton said tn,
exposed condition OF the sinks had encour
aged the presence of a multitude of flies
which bred disease by carrying germs from
the sinks to the tents. "They We're" sait
the general, "as thick throughout the parl
as they ever could have been in Egypt anC
they went back and forth from the sinks t
the mess tables OF the men and officers will
the greatest impunity, covering everything
in sight
General Boynton has questioned at som,
length as to where the responsibility fo
this condition of affairs lay, and he sale
that 1t was the brigade and regimental com
manders.
Il am satisfied" he said, that the medi
cal officers reported to them the condition
and warned them of the serious conse
quences of failing to obey the surgeon gen
erals orders for the covering of the sinks
but the medical officers could not give or
ders; they could only advise. | would no
say that the commanding officers as a who'll
paid no heed to these representations bu
many of them apparently failed to appre
cate their Importance and did not giv
them the attention the circumstances de
manded. They should have received the at
tention, for instance that officers in tn
regular army would have given them"
General Boynton added that he did no
mean to make any reflection on officers fron
civil life. but there were some things whic
they had to learn and many OF them wer
not experts in sanitation, Furthermore
most people looked upon the camp as partl
temporary, and the fact that all were 1
daily expectation of receiving orders to NOV
caused many to be Indifferent TO the fu
ture.
In discussing with Captain Howell, tn
question OF rations supplied to Camp Thoma
General Boynton volunteered the suggestio
that there had been no complaints fror
southern soldiers In the camp and he con
tinued: Il don't believe we would have hear
half the outcry that has been raised II a
the soldiers had been from the south"
General Dodge said that only two or thre
charges had been received from the sout
and they were not from soldiers.
The testimony OF Boynton concluded, tn
commission adjourned until afternoon whe
General Lee is expected on the stand.
General Lee was before the commission
its afternoon session. General Lee had Il
complaint to make in regard to supple
In June, when expeditions were being gotte
off, there was some deray, but this wa
natural and since then supplies of all kint
had come with regularity and in abundanc
There have, OF course" he said "bee
some complaints. Soldiers are like scho
boys; they sometimes complain even whe
there is no occasion for complaint"
He thought the army ration was abundal
and in the main well suited 10 a campaiG
in a tropical climate. Yet he thought son
changes might be made. For instance,
would be better TO send live animals
Cuba than to send refrigerator meat as
present According to his ideas the me
should have more fruit and Tess meat.
Is Ready 10 Go Anywhere.
During the course OF the questioning
developed that General Lee had been not
fed that he would be expected TO move h
10 T,,ha In thn fpHt