Hutchinson gazette., 1898-10-20
-rHR INVESTIGATION COMMISSION
~---=Hfts=
II Visits ana Inspocts the Camps nj
Jacksonville, Flns


Jacksonville, Bla.
Jacksonville, Fla, October 1S.-The
war Investigating commission spent
Monday afternoon inspecting the
camps In the immediate vicinity OF
Jacksonville. a heavy rain w0s fall
ing during u pant of the tour, but The
commissioners performed their self
appointed tark Of going through The
camp from one end TO the other In
very panstaklng manner They
took carriages from the depot imme'
dlately after The arrival OF the train
at 1880, and did not return until
after mlghtrnll, The commission sep
arnted into divisions of three men,
bcrs each, hut the carriages KEPT
i. pretty closely together, in the main
They were escorted from polnt u
point by General \. X. Arnold, who
In the absCMce OF General lee, Is IN
command OF the corps, while Colone
Curtis Guild, jr" Inspector general
led u cavalry detachmeGt which ac'
companied them on their rounds
The party drove first 70 the hrad'
quarters OF the First division com
maulder, General Lloyd Wheaton, and
after leaving this poGt, made q thor
ough investigation OF the camp oi
thte FIRST brigade Of this division
including the First Texas, the SeconC
Louisiana and the Third Nebraska
regiments.
While here, the members made q
call upon Colonel Bryan, who is per
sonally acquairted with most o.
them, They found him almost com
pletely recovered from his recent i'll
mess, but very much occupied in ar
ranging for the mastering out Of thu
men In his regiment, relieved by The
order OF the war department reduc
Ing the size OF the companies in hi
regiment to the minimum OF eighty
men. He said he was making al
especial effort to relieve the men whit
had families depending upon them,
A portion OF the commission olst
made u special inspection OF th,
Forty-nlnth Iowa regiment, as a com
phment to General Dodge, who fount
its colonel, w. G. Dewese, an OLE
friend.
The third regiment receiving par
tlcular attention was the Third Soutl
Carolina, because II was the newes
in the camp, The commission inter
viewed privates and officers alike
and made personal visits to the quar-
ters of the men and their command
ers' They lifted the covers OF tn,
= eommissary stores, went through tn
kitchens, went through the drul
stores, inspected the apparatus
talked with physicians and nurses
and made special inquiry into tn,
methods of conducting the hospitals
All of the three division hospital
were visited and inspected, the com
mlssloners going through the tent
and In some instances, where conver
satlon was allowable, talking witt
the patients.
They found the patients to be ap
parently we'll cared for, and, so ia
as could be discovered, they were a
contented as sick men generally are
Many of them were reading book
and magazines, but in n greater mum
ber of cases the men either held be
fore their eyes or clasped closely /,
their arms letters which had eyi
IDENTIFY been received from home. TN
patients were all found occupyini
clean beds or cots, and in no instanc
was " hospital tent on pavilion foun
TO be without a door. Indeed, almos
all the TENTS in the camp were flooret
In many cases the hospital tents wer
efectually screened against flies an
mosquitoes.
but one complaint was heard /
the entire round and this was ev
IDENTITY not made in u spirit of fault
finding. Colonel Jones of South Care
lima, found fault with the climate
saying, that fully 20 per cent of hi
men were ill largely On this accoun
lie also said some rations of refrie
orator beef had been received in ba
condition, which was due to IN
weather. Summing up the result q
the inspection, General Dodge, tn
chairman, said;
I'VE have compared notes after tn
days work and found that complain
was made from but one regiment dun
Ing the day. This was the obiectio
made to the climate by Colonel Jone,
We saw both officers and men, sic
;" and well,and we gave all an oppoi
tundty to be heard, asking the men /
the absence of their officers, IL the
had any criticism to make.
I'VE shall tomorrow begin the in
quiry by examining the men unde
oath, and we hope IL there are an
shortcomings ITO thus uncover then
we find the sick doing EXCEPTIONAL
well, and we are pleased to congrat,
late their physicians on the exceller
arrangements made for their care"
This statement was made In th
presence of the members of the CON
mission and was indorsed by them.