The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-15

found much that needed rernedy;ng from
sanitary pola. OF view when he as
stunned command. bu. the conditions va
red in The numerous regtuentai camps.
He was under the impression that all or
binary efforts had been made by the OF
f1cers III command TO instruct the regi-
mental officers in tEe matter Of sanitation
and he thought this instruction had borne
fruit.
Gen Rreckinri5ge expressed tire opinion
that Ch.ckaEnauga Park was suitable as
a camp size. He was CT the opinion that
The water could have been vastly inpTov-
ed. II there had been & willingness to 81
OF the reservation for il. lie had made
no recommendation FOR water supply
after taking command. because the SOL
diers were 50 Infected that he thought the
best remedy WAS 70 Sisintegrata the COM
rane. and he had made recommendations
10 the latter effect. III fact. the greater
share OF his attention had been given 20
getting the mes away from Chicka nauga.
Cen Breckenridge said tha; he had In
creased the number Of men getting leave
at a time from two 10 six IN the company.
He was ne said. aware thar his order had
beer criticised, but my theory of discipline
is 10 make A soldier do his duty for al that
he IS worth and lst him have his fun for
ali he deserves" he said.
Gen. Breckenridge said that the coudi-
ton Of Ill the hospitals at Camp Thomas.
except Sternbeyg. WAS bad. They were
crowded and there Was a lack Of skill on
the part of the attendants. He also thought
the QuartermasJer's department rad been
rerliSs in some OF its duties; but he at
tr1buted all the t'ouhle 10 want Of experi-
eDce. There had been a lack of tentage az
the hospitals. and he knew OF no reason
why the tents should not have been sup
piled. as he was informed that the tents
were in the quartermaster depot. DR..
Conner made an effort TO get Gen. Brock
inridge 10 say where the responsibility
rested for the poor conditions in the camp.
but the latter said he had not attempted
TO locate the responsibility, devoting him.
self particularly TO remedying the evil
we all recognized that the condition
was abnormal" he said and the uues-
ton was how TO meet it. The purpose was
10 get each man what he needed. This
seemed simple enough 10 Go, but as mat
ter Of fact it was not simple The matter
seemed 10 be that the hospital attendants
were not familiar with their duties and
there was not a sufficient number OF men
in the supply department to follow up the
hospital attendants and instruct them"
lie said that apparently up TO the time
OF the arrival the first duty had been con-
ceiVed 10 prepare for war. He had chang
Ell this by turning the attention of all to
taking care of the sick. and If he deserved
any credit in his administration il was for
this change. lie said that the war depart
nnent was apparently as unprepared for
the epidemic as were the men on the
ground.
Returning 10 the question of passes 10
visit Chattanooga. DR.. Conner asked if the
conditions in that city Were not such as
10 injure the morale of the army. Gen
Breckenridge replied that such was the
case, but you can't make prison of a
camp
Continuing, he said that the town was
ran wide OPEN" and it was impossible to
keep the men in their camps under the
circumstances. Gen. Breckenridge had
not concluded his testimony when the
commission adjourned for the day.