The Iola register., 1898-11-04
WAR INVESTIGATION.
The Commission Concludes It's Tour
and Goes to Washington.
BALDWIN'S SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY.
The Inspector General Says He Found All
the Hoapitals at ChIckamsuga In n
Fnthy ConditIon-Tho Water
Conta minated.

1.-The war investigating commission
concluded the work of its southern
tour here yesterday, and at six o'clock
last night left for Washington. The
commission devoted the forenoon to
inspecting the camps and the afternoon
to taking testimony. They found
division of troops here under the com
mand of Col. Kurtze, of the Second
Ohio and while they had no personal
CRITICS m to express against him, some
of the com missioners expressed the
opinion that the command was too
large TO be entrusted to an officer
below the rank of brigadier.
The first witness before the commits
sion was DIR. John c. T.. Martin, a con-
tract surgeon from Ohio, who was at
Chickamauga He repeated his ex-
preston of opinion that the water in
the pipe line system at Chickamauga
was contaminated by the water from
Cave Spring creek.
DIR. Park l.. Tryers contract sur
geon from Ohio. who was engaged in
a division hospital at Chickamauga,
differed from most of the physicians
in his estimate of typhoid. He said
that while many be lieved 80 per cent.
of the sickness at the camp to be ty-
phoid, he did not believe that to ex-
ceed 90 per cent was of that character.
He said IL was true that on some occa-
sions IL had been necessary to have pa
tients at this hospital lie on the ground
for as much as ten hours at a time,
until provision could be made for
them.
Lieut. Col. Frank ID. Baldwin, in
spector general on Gen. Wilson's staff,
and who was on Gen. Wade's staff at
Chickamauga, gave some sensational
testimony concerning the conditions
there. when the camp was first es-
tablisheS there" he said, ~ did not
inspect single hospital but what
found IL in filthy condition. Reports
were made of this 10 the commanding
general and improvements could be
observed for a few days. But in a
short time matters would get as bad
as ever About the time the camp was
broken up this had been corrected to
large extent"
Col Baldwin said that he had known
acquisitions to be made frequently and
not TO be honored. This was especial
1y true in regard To the Second divi-
sion, Third corps. lie said that so far
as he knew Gen. Compton, command
ing the Second division, only inspected
his command on Sunday morning and
that he did not know either Gen.
Compton or Gen. Wade the corps com
mander, having inspected the Second
division hospital. IL do not consider
Chickamauga park a suitable place for
a large number of troops for many
reasons. My observation was that
sinks could not be dug over six feet
without striking rock. The only water
supply was Chickamauga creek. On
two occasions | observed the water
entering the pipes to be in exceedingly
bad condition. On account of the filth
and refuse it was explained that the
breaking of dams caused this. | saw
the creek nearly every day and | never
saw the water in such condition that
should have like to drink it,"
Col w. c. Leonard, of the Twelfth
New York, testified that the surgeon OF
his regiment WAS continually clamor
ing for medicine to give the men in
quarters. He could not secure this he
said, so the colonel spent $500 out of
his own pocket for medicine.
Col. W. X. Caffee, Second Missouri,
stated that his regiment did not re-
ceive all equipment until few days
before leaving Camp Thomas for Lex
ington. Among the last things issued,
he said, were the boilers for boiling the
water, which were ordered more than
two months before. Col. Caffee said
that sinks could be dug at the Second
Missouri's camp at Chickamauga
only four feet before striking rock.
This, he stated, was represented to the
brigade commander and the inspector,
but no action was taken. "SiclS men
from my regiment were sent to divi
sion hospital and could not be received
because the hospital was already over
crowded." said Col Caffee, 1--WE had