Evening star., 1898-08-20
Removal of Additional Troops to
Middletown Not Probable.
ADVERSE OPINION At CAMP ALGER
Report in Sd Virginia Case Forward
ed to Gen. Graham.
THE PROBABLE VERDICT
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CAMP AIGER

CAhI ALtIE
DUNN LORING. Va. August -. 1898.
A commission. consisting of Surgeon
Majors Reed. Vaughn and Shakespeare.
came to camp this morning for the purpose
of examining it's sanitary arrangements.
All the members of the board are from the
office of the surgeon general of the army.
The investiga ton is one of the effects of
adverse criticism of the medical depart
ment of the ID Corps, particularly with ref
erence TO the measures adopted to prevent
the spread of typhoid fever. Colonel A
c. GiTaTd, chief surgeon of the corps, ac-
companied the board in its tour of the
camp. The inquiry will probably be con-
cluded this afternoon. and the report made
public from the War Department about the
middle Of next week
As the time set for the migration of the
1st Division to Middletown approaches II
becomes decidedly uncertain whether the
command will ever go there.
Col GiraTd has just returned TO Dunn
Ioring after having made a thorough eX-
animation OF the camping ground at Mid
dletCwn, and reports that th3 conditions
prevailing there are anything but satls-
factory. There is hardly enough ground
for one division, he says, and not water
enough for one regiment. Under sucn cir
cumstancas it would be manifestly unwise
TO send 2uOoo men there, and, although no
word has yet come from the department 10
II is effect the impression is general that
tFis will not be done. If work is begun at
orce on artesian wells, sufficient number
could hardly be finished within six weeks
so the 1st Division officers expect their
command to remain at Dunn Loring until
late in September, in any event.
Successor to GEN. Butler.
Gen. Buffers successor for the time being
is Brig. Cen Goblin of the Sd Brigade. He
I,r- r-irt1ta IF
rank as senior brigadier general of the
division, but the department is making
ready, SO say some of the officers on duty
here. to make him its permanent COM
mander So far he has made no changes in
the division staff Capt. Calhoun and Lieut..
Hampton. Gen. Buffers personal aids, have
been assigned to duty as assistants 10 the
division quartermaster and acting DIVISION
engineer officer, respectively, in order TO
as sure them regular positions on the stan:
There IS still one vacancy-that occasloned
by the resignation of Inspector General
Belmont The staff will probably remain
as It Is now until the division is disbanded
Verdict Rendered.
Speculation is heard everywhere as to
the verdict of the court of inquiry in the
case of the Sd Virginia As Indicated in
The Star of yesterday. the court came to
conclusion early in the afternoon. When
L
signed it was placed in the custody of Lieu
tenant SummeraU, the recorder of the
court Colonel Gross. Lieutenant Colonel
Duval and Lieutenant Colonel Edgeriy, to-
gether with Lieutenant Summeran, then
left for Middletown to deliver the document
to General Graham. No one connected
with the tribunal would offer the slightest
hint as to the decision, but the impression
grows stronger every hour that the Vir-
ginians have lost.
Among the officers of the regiment there
IS still no doubt that General Buffers or
der viii be set aside as soon as the finding
of the court is made public, but there are
few outsiders who echo that opinion. 1t is
pointed out by the staff officers who have
followed the proceedings closely that the
issuance of such an order is a discretionary
act. and that. unless it was grossly absurd
and mal.ciously unjust, no court would pre-
sumo 10 interfere. In this case. although |
the Virginia counsel established enough
facts TO make the order seem of doubtful
necessity. il has not been shown that Cen
eraI Butler transcended the limit of his
rightfuI authority in the slightest degree.
1t will be matter of much surprise to
decided majority of the officers here if the
court recommends any change in the order.
Majority Wants to Go Home.
Some of ,hs regimental commanders have
been engaged recently in discovering the
number of their men who desire to remain
in the service In many cases thu results
have not been very gratifying. Most of the
enlisted men are now completely dissatis-
fed with army life and anxious to get back
TO their old work as soon a possible. Eight
hundred men in the 1st New Jersey. for in
stance. would leave tomorrow if they could
In the Ith Ohio and Sth and 18th Pennsyl-
vania a majority holds to the same view
The 6jth New York figured it by percent
age. and only 30 per cent expressed de-
sire to 90 to Cuba for garrison duty
One battalion of the 4th Missouri and re-
cruits from nearly every regiment in the ID
Division left camp yesterday for Middle
town, together with the baggage of the I'd
Brigade. This practically completes the
transportation of the Camp AIger contin-
gent until new wells are dug and more land
secured.
ALL PLANS ARE PSI,T