Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-09
PAYMASTER IN CAMP
The Troops Of the Second Corps Be-
eeiying Their Money.
-FOUR REGIMENTS ALREADY PAID
Surgeon Issues a Circular Relative
to the Hospitals.
COLORS FOR Sd VIRGINIA

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CAMP ALGER, Va, June 8. 1898.
Paymaster General Stanton reappeared
this morning and made the hearts Of about
5000 boys thoroughly happy today. The
Individuals concerned were the members of
the 9th New York, Sth Ohio and 9th Hill
IL IS, each of which. as stated elsewhere.
looked for the coming of the paymaster
with eager eyes all day yesterday.
The Sth Ohio was paid first then the 9Th
Illinois, and last Of all the 18th New York
Tomorrow the work of the paymaster will
be resumed and continued till the entire
I'd Corps has been paid.
A general order was issued last night for
bidding the sale of pies and lemonade, 9TH
erwise the hospitals would have been
crowded
The 30 Virginia Regiment In camp here
will shortly be presented with handsome
stand of colors, the banner to be a testi-
monial from the men and women Of Rich
mond. most Of the soldiers In the regiment
being from that city and vicinity. The Idea
originated with Mrs. c. T. Boylkin of the
Virginia capital. who has undertaken to
raise the necessary funds. The banner Is
to be made by Lilley Brothers, and is to
be one of the finest In the volunteer army
1t will be presented to the regiment by Mrs
Boykin. the presentation speech being
made. however. by Capt. John Cussons of
Richmond. A large delegation will be pres
ent from that city to witness the ceremony
Charles Straub Of Washington was ar
rested yesterday evening for violating the
county liquor laws. He was apprehended
through the efforts of detail from the 9th
Illinois and was Immediately turned over
to the civil authorities.
The Differences of Opinion.
In connection with the differences Of opin
ion that have arisen between Lieut.. Col. A.
c. Girard. chief surgeon of the corps, and
the several regimental surgeons assigned
to duty with their regiments, Col Girard
this morning sent the following circular to
every medical officer in camp:
Circul1r-The chief surgeon of the corps
notices with regret in The Evening Star
rerort of alleged lack of harmony between
him and the regimental surgeons of the
command. This regret is intensified by tie
fact that he has studiously planned 10 per-
feet. under the instructions which he is
carrying out, the regimental organizations
and the wishes of their medical officers.
A careful study of article No. 3. s. e. O.,
and G. 0. No. So adjutant generals office,
should convince the medical officers that he
Is only executing plan indicated in these
III.
he has made special study of The sub
ject. and is Convinced that the proposed
system OF Organization Is the best one in
modern methods of warfare to relieve The
fighting part of the army of the care Of
the sick and wounded and to concentrate
the work of the medical department in the
field where 1t may be most needed. ~
Ihe medical department in this corps
has labOred under difficulties owing 70 lack
of equipment. which had to be hurried to
the troops at the front, and has been COM
PEELED to call in everything but what was
needed for the care of the sick in quarters
Since then ample supplies have been re-
ceived, and state property will not he used
but will be kept intact, to be returned to
the regiments, should the exigencies of the
service not demand Its use. but the prin-
cipie OF aboiishing regimental HOSPITALS
must, under present orders, be carried out
Division Hospitals.
Every facility will be given to the sur
geons Of division hospitals, who are all
volunteers, and taking care of their
own men. Funds have been given me by
the surgeon genera, to supply every deli
cacy for the sick In the hospitals 1 have
also made arrangements with the agent of
the national relief commission to supply
additional food and comforts for the sick
IN large quantities. of such a character as
can, IL not needed at present, be kept for
emergencies. 1 have requested, and been
promised. a portable ice machine refrig-
orator. Ice cream freeze and similar ar
ticles, which l have asked for for each d.
vision hospital
Al this ought to convince the regimental
surgeons that / have the welfare IF the
SICK at heart, and in interfering with their
regimental hospitals am only carving ont
instructions, the wisdom of which they vii,
fully realize II we enter upon actual war
fare. single example should suffice to
convince them. Assuming that a regiment
Suffers severely in an engagement. while
int
vision surgeon has at his disposal the hos
pital corps of his division, with all its
ambulances to succor the wounded instead
of leaving the regiment with its few hos
pital attendants under the old system to
struggle with more work than they can at
tend to, perhaps leave the wounded suffer
lrg on the battlefield, and the next day
with its few ambulances trying 10 reach a
field hospital equipped for total strangers
The regimental commanders should be par
1cularly pleased to have their fighting
force kept intact, and have their wounded
attended to by large, well-organized hos
pital corps principally recruited from the
states forming the division
Il trust this explanation will preserve mr.
the good will and jealous cooperation of
the medical officers of this command So
far have not noticed anything out friend
ly FEELING. and trust the newspapers have
been misiLformed.
Added Explanation.
In explanation of this Colonel Girard
went over the whole plan of the medical
department to The Star reporter. If the
corps was to serve as corps he thought
1t best that its medical department should
be organized as a corps. Moreover, this
was the attitude of the War Department.
and in organizing division hospital to do
all the work of the corps Colonel Girard
was but executing orders from his supe-
rlors. If the regimental hospitals suffered
In the operation 1t was not his fault
The officers themselves, many of whom
are assigned to service in the division hos
pital. are not Modified by Colonel Girard's
explanation. Their position Is the same as
yesterday, when they presented an almost
urbroken front of opposition to the whole
scheme. In the future all gifts to regi-
mental hospitals will be regarded techni-
cally as gifts to the colonies of the regi-
ments 1t will then be impossible for any
authority to cause its transfer to the divi-
sion hospitai.
Quiet investigation.
Mr.. Baker. Representative Sprague's pri-
vate secretary, came out to the camp yes
terday afternoon at the request of several
officers in the 9Th Massachusetts, to look
into the matter. He spent some time walk
ing through the wards in the hospital and
taking notes Of its supplies. Governor Has
tingS of Pennsylvania has also been moved