The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-10-11
MORE WITNESSES
FOR THE DEFENSE
More Testimony Favorable to Al6eriSm
Brought Out Yesterday.
CAPT. CULVER, ROUGH RIDER
~ I
Reluctantly Admitted That Meat Furnished
at One Time Was Spoiled.
NO LACK OF RATI0Ns IN CUBA
Major Gallagher Testified That Supplies
Were Forwarded as Rapidly as
Land d an No One Was Refused
Out of Coffee Two Days.

Washington. October 1O.-The war inves-
tigating commission had three witnesses
before it today. Captain Culver, of the
Grigsbys Rough Riders. Dr. Hysell, chief
surgeon of the Second division, located at
Camp Thomas, and Major Gallagher, who
was in charge of various commissary de-
pots In the Santiago campaign DR.. Hy-
sells testimony dealt with the sanitary and
hospital conditions at Camp Thomas. He
said that there was less typhoid fever in
the troops of the Second division than in
the other divisions and stated that upon
his advice the division had secured its wa
ter from outside springs instead of from
the Chickamauga river, as he considered
the river water liable to be impure
Major Gallagher detailed the process Of
supplying rations to the troops in the hed
He said that one time there was DELI
cheney in coffee and sugar for two days,
and expressed the opinion that this short
age would have proved serious II 1t had
continued for any length of time He said
the supply of lighters was not sufhcient TO
permit the accumulation of any considera-
BILE quantity of food at any one time.
Captain J. II. Culver of Troop A of the
Third United States volunteers (Griggspy
Rough Rfders) was the first witness. he
had been stationed at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga, from May until he was mus
tered out on the 11th of September. His
company had been located in the woods,
but while the site was dry, he thought they
would have been better off in the open.
The food generally was abundant and good.
At first they only received fresh meat two
nd a
bread was hard but this was soon rectified.
Meat Was Tainted
On one occasion the meat was tainted
but it was condemned and exchanged. He
stated, however. that the tainted meat was
not badly spoiled, and that he would have
been glad enough to have had the use of
it in the civil war. Captain Culver men
toned an instance when the bacon received
was wormy, and when the command first
arrived there was shortage of tentage,
but these defects had been speedily reme-
sdied.
/ Captain Howell interrupted the proceed
dngs to inquire the object of the examina-
ltion of the witness, to which Ex-Governor
Beaver, who was conducting the examina-
ltion, replied that it was to show what the
different bureaus of the war department
had done and how they did it, and he
thought the inquiry very pertinent. To this
Mr.. Howell responded: '"The proper men
from whom to secure this informa ton are
the officers who supplied the equipment"
General Dodge stated that there had been
some complaints as to delay in supplying
the regiment with its equipments. This
Explanation satisfied Captain Howell and
the Investigation proceeded
Captain Culver stated that at one time
twenty-five of his men were sick He
thought the proportion not exceeding those
of the civil war, and until the men learned
to depend upon army rations, and not to go
outside for food He thought the pies sold
to the men were unwholesome, and also
said that much stale friend chicken was
sold to them.
In conclusion, Captain Culver said he had
no complaint to make of treatment, except
in the location of troops in the woods. He
had protested against this location.
Captain Culver was followed by Dr.
James H. Hysell, who was chief surgeon of
the third division of the first army corps,
and who was located at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga, from the 7th of June to the
21st of August.
surgeon In Civil War
He had been surgeon in the civil war, and
since then he had been in general pratcice
All the early cases of typhoid were treated
in the regimental hospitals, and the patients
were not isolated until after the construc-
tion of the division hospitals, when the
typhoid and suspicious cases were isolated
and the men well attended by physicians
and nurses, though at times one nurse
would have charge of thirty men. The
sinks were kept covered with earth, but DR..
Hysen said that no special precaution was
taken to disinfect vessels going to and from
the Sinks There had been LOO cases of all
kinds of diseases treated in the hospital and
fifteen deaths.
I DR.. Hysel thought typhoid fever had
been imported into the camp from the out
side and the increase had been due to the
failure to properly cover the sinks and to
the prevalence of flies. He did not think
possible to effectually isolate typhoid fever
eases, as typhoid was so difficult to de-
tect in its early stages. All reasonable
precautions had been taken in locating the
camp to prevent the development of dis
ease. He admitted that in case Of an
other war by the experience of the past
more effective means could be provided
At the afternoon session the commission
examined Hugh j. Gallagher. He had
served as depot commissary at Siboney,
San Juan, Santiago and Montauk Point.
At Siboney the rations, he said, were for
warded almost as rapidly as landed. Only
q very sanaAM quantity could be accumu-
lated, yet the commissary during the stay
at sibeney had been able to meet all re-
quisitions for rations by the troops, and
no one was ever refused. He heard no