The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-14
AFFAIRS At CAMP ALG[R
General Graham Still
Under Examination.
DEFECTS OF The CAMP

Them were Remedied After a While
InefHciency OF RegimentaI Commits
sary Oficers-The Shortage of Wa
ter Supply-Soldiers Marched Seven
Miles for a Batb-Camp Meade an
Ideal Camp
Washington, October 12.-General
Graham continued his testimony be-
fore the war investigating commission
today. He believed thai the proximity
of the tents to one another at Camp
Alger was responsible more than any
other course for the sickness there and
said the medical officers also were Of
this opinion. He thought the want Of
water for bathing purposes and the
habits of the men in eating other food
than prescribed by the regulations had
had deleterious influence. AT the be-
ginning Of the history of the camp
there were no bathing facilities, but
later the men were marched seven
miles in brigades once a week for
baths. There had been no lack of med
ical supplies, but some of the medical
attendants were inexperienced and in
efficient.
General Graham stated that while
the cOmmissary supplies were plenti-
full, the men were often without the
prescrib | food because the regimen
tai officers were not sufficiently i'm
pressed with the Importance of draw
ing their food. This was especially
true in the matter of fresh meat. He
said that the corps was for a time
short of wagons for transportation,
owing to shipments to Florida. This
deficiency had OccasiOned some hard
ships to the men.
General Graham said that in the case
of most Of the regiments there was
considerable delay in supplying them
with arms and ammunition, first at
tentiOn being given always to the
troops to be forwarded to the front.
For a time during IN epidemic of
measles there was a shortage of hos
pital linen for the beds, but the def
cheney was only temporary. Secretary
Alger had spoken to him personally
about keeping up the supplies for the
sick, asking that he (the secretary be
personally informed when there was a
deficiency, and assuring him that the
demand should be Immediately met.
There were occasionally shOI {. ges in
other supplies, such as ice, but he did
not believe that any deaths had been
due to this cause.
Ex-Governor Woodbury. and DR.. Con-
ner examined General Graham in re-
gard to the space Occupie by the
camp. DR.. Conner said it had been
definitely stated to him by a medical
officer that surface drainage nae found
it's way into the wells.
Il positively deny it," responded
General Graham.
Taking it all in all, General Graham
said he had no doubt that the medical
department at Camp Alger was ad-
miniStered in q competent manner. No
doubt, he said, there were individual
instances of neglect, but they were not
the rule. With the reforms inaugural
ed, Camp Alger would have been very
healthful and the remOVa to Camp
Meade was largely sentimental and in
obedience to public clamOr. General
Graham declared Camp Meade to be
an ideal camp, ~splendidly located and
we'll supplied with camp necessities.
AT the afternoon session General
Graham was examined with reference
to some criticisms of Camp Alger
made by Colonel Smart, deputy sur
geOn general of the army. General Ora
ham said he remembered Colonel
Smart's visit, but that the colonel had
made no complaint to him beyond
pointing out verbally that the camps
of the Pennsylvania troops were too
close together for sanitary purposes. A
change of site was Immediately order
ed so as to permit expansion.
Referring to officers appointed from
civil life, General Graham said that
some of them had proved efficient, but
that others were incOrrible. Some of
them were, he said, too old to learn.
General Graham said he had no COM
plant to make as to the management
of the war department, but he thought
the war was such an emergency that
the department was not at first pre-
pared to meet it's demands as promptly
as might have been considered desira-
BILE. He thought, however, that the
criticisms of citizens concerning the
conduct of the war were due to the
ignorance of the people who meddled
without sufficient information to ena-
BILE them to speak wisely. He had eX-
perienced some delay in the beginning
of the camps history on account OF
red tape methods, but when the sec.
rotary of war heard of this he tOlC
him to report directly to him (the sec.
retary.)