The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-14
Testify Before the War Commission as to Care
OF Dur Troops.
CONDITIONS AT CAMP THOMAS
Stated by Captain Culver, OF Giggsbys Rough Riders, and DIR. Hyseh'
Chief Surgeon of the Second Division Major Gallagher, Depot
Commissarya at Siboney, Tesifes to the Quality and
Quantity of Rations Issued There--A Change in
Corps Comnanders-.An Appeal From the
Yellow Fever District.


Washington, october 1a-The war
investigating commission had three
witnesses before it today. Captain
Culver, of Griggsby's Rough RIDERS
DR.. Hysell, chief surgeon Of the Sec
ong division, located at Camp Thomas,
and Major Gallagher, who was In
charge Of various commissary depots
in the Santiago campaign.
Captain Culver had been stationed at
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, from
MAY until he was mustered out, Sep
TENDER 18th. The food, he said, gen.
orally was abundant and good. On one
occasion the meat was tainted, but 1T
was condemned and exchanged. He
stated, however, that the tainted meat
was not badly spoiled and that he
would have been glad enough to nave
had use of it in the civil war. captain
Cuver mentioned an instance when the
bacon received was wormy, and when
the command first arrived there was
a shortage Of tentage, but these de-
fects had been speedily remedied.
Captain Culver stated that at one
time twenty-five of his men were
sick. He thought the proportion not
excessive-no greater than during the
first days of the civil War-and until
the men learned to depend upon the
army ration and not to go outside for
food. He thought the pies sold to the
men were unWholsome and also that
much stale fried chicken was sold to
them.
In conclusion, Captain Culver said
he had had no complaint to maxi of
the treatment except in the location of
his troops in the woods; he had pro-
tested against this location.
DR.. HyseIl testified that he had been
surgeon in the civil war and since then
had been in general practice. All the
early cases of typhoid fever were treat
ed in the regimental hospitals n the
patients were not isolated until after
the construction of the division hos
pital, when typhoid fever and suspi-
cious cases were isolated and the men
were we'll attended by physicians and
nurses, though at times one nurse
would ave charge of thirty men. The
sinks were kept covered with earth,
out DR.. Hysell said that no special pre-
caution was taken to disinfect vessels
going to and from the sinks.
According to his opinion the men in
his division had not as much water as
they should ave used, though the men
did not complain. This was due to the
fact that he had been suspicious of the
water from ~Chickamauga river springs
and had water hauled to the camp in
barrels from outside. He had DR..
Martin, of the First brigade, to eX-
anime the intake of the pipe line and
this had reported that 1T was
$50 feet below the mouth of Chick
amauga creek, which received the
drainage from the camp. DIR. Martin
had also reported that the men were
in the habit of bathing in the river
above the intake.
DR.. Hysell thought typhoid fever had
been imported into the camp from the
outside and that the increase had been
due to the failure to properly cover the
sinks and to the prevalence of flies.
The examination of DR.. Hysell was
conducted by DR.. Common, of the COM
mission, and was very scorehing from
a medical standpoint.
At the afternoon session the commits
sion examined Major Hugh J. Gala
CHER. He had served as depot commits
sary at Siboney, a Juan and Santa
go and recently occupied this position
at Montauk Point, and then had been
made chief commissary of General
Skaters corps. The ratiOnS were, he
said, forwarded almost as rapidly as
they were landed. He heard no COM
plant of lack of rations at the front.
At first they were able to forward
about sc, 1000 rations each day. From
SibOney the depot was moved to Ell
POso, sever miles inland and at this
point there were never enough ratiOnS
on hand for eve a day ahead and at
this point it was impossible to fill all
the acquisitions. There was a shortage
in coffee and sugar, which continued
for two or three days. This was due
to the difficulty in landing supplies be
cause of the high surf at Siboney.
nin ~Ha -o;I tl@,,o xrN- -
instance when the canned roast beef
spoiled and ii was destroyed. Some po-
tatoes and onions and tomatoes were
- thrown away at Santiago, for the
/ame reason. Indeed, when it was dis
. covered that any article of goods was
defective it was destroyed. On one
occasion it had been necessary to issue
green coffee to men on the firing lines.
but the issue had only been for a day
and the emergency was unavoidable.
Colonel DENLY, pressed for Informal
ton as to the shortage of coffee and
sugar, and Major Gallagher stated that
there We're probably two days when the
men were without these articles He
!, said the storm was the immediate
4 cause of this deficiency, but that If
i there had been a sufiie1ency of lighters
this deficiency would not ave occur
red. The major said there was not 10
his knowledge a shortage in any other
article of food during the campaign.
Suppose asked General McCook,
Nthis sHortage of rations had lasted for
seven days instead of two, what would
have been the result?'
W. would probably have. had to
fall back" replied Major Gallagher.
"Men cannot fight on short xations."
Major Gallagher said that OF the five
civilian assistants he had had, two
We're inefficient and indifferent 30 their
duties. They were Captain Lerd, of
New York, and Captain Ryan, of Kan
sas. Major Gallagher said the consnis-
sary supply at Montauk was abundant
and good while he was at that point
CHARGES AGAINST FEDERAL or
FIC1ALS.
Charges have been preferred before
the civil service board against Wray
T. knight, postmaster 1t Richmond,
Va; his assistant, John L.. Grubbs; n.
j.. Smith, deputy collector Of internal
revenue under Collector Brady, and
Morgan Treat T1nited States paarshal