New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-09-07
AWFUL.
Horrors that the Soldier Boys Were Compelled
to Endure in the Hospitals at Chick
amauga Park. 2-ss

~. Let Gen. Boynton pirate of palace
hospitals as much as he may; let him
report to Secretary Alger about the boys
reclining on modern mattresses and
enjoying the delicacies of the season I'M
til his heart is content and the fears Of
the secretary are allayed; the people
will never believe him.
= There have been altogether too many
victims and far too many witnesses.
Mrs. Beldeu, Sioux City woman, i.
one of the latter.
She went down t" ,Chickamauga to
give of her aid to the sick and suffering.
She returned bitterly condemning the
division hospital, concerning which
there has been so much scandal.
"Believe everything you hear about
it; discount nothing This is what she
says about this same division hospital.
The following is the text of an inter.
view with the brave little woman:
"Chickamauga park, I think, without
any exception, is one of the most beauti-
full and picturesque spots I ever laid my
eyes on. The surface undulates gently,
and overhead are fine trees. There is no
grast to speak of, and little underground
of any kind. But while it is the most
beautiful of garden spots, doubt if
there is a more unhealthy place in the
country. do not say this simply be-
cause I have been there and have Wit
messed the sickness in the camp, but
have it from the people who have spent
years of their life in that part of the
country. The farmers tell me that not
even song birds will remain in that park.
They have never been known. Nothing
but buzzards and crows are to- be seen
flying about. The soil or clay is only a
few feet deep, and then it strikes a
sandstone. Water does not percolate
through the soil, but either stands to
await slow evaporation or flows off to a
lower spot.
"Now [ have few things to say
about the water. You can't say any,
thing quite bad enough about the water
OF Chickamauga creek. It is simply
filthy. People will not even allow their
animals to drink or battle in it. They
use either cistern or artesian we'll water.
Our boys have been drinking the water
from this creek. Now for the Crawish
springs water. I will simply give you
the statement of Mr., Elliot, one of the
Proprietors of the Southern hotel in
Chattanooga. He says it cannot be said
to be bad or unhealthy-poison is the only
word to use. He authorized me to use
his name. SO much for that water.
What else was there? The orders to the
soldiers were to boil and filter every
drop of water. The idea of boiling and
tiltering water for $4,000 men. Why,
ten men working all day could not filter
enough of the stuff to supply "a compa-
ny for one day. I saw with my own
eyes water being boiled from daylight
to dark except when the cooking was
being Gone. The boys did the very best
they could, and nothing more could be
done by them. The water was one great
factor in the terrible sickness in the
camp. s-~~
II have said before there are large
trees, and these kept out any breeze that
might otherwise float through the park.
At night heavy mist lowers, making'
everything damp and wet. In the morn
ing this rises, but leaves great deal of
dampness. This sort of thing breeds
malaria. It gets hot and sultry during
the day, and the boys have to open the
sides of their tents and hang their blank
cts out to dry. This bad air and bad
water are the causes of much of the sick
ness.
"Upon authority of Capt. Bradley, of
Battery A, First Georgia artillery, I can
say that six years ago the park was con-
demned as a camping ground for sol
diers. It is just seven years ago that
the Georgia militia camped there, and
the mortality aud sickness were so great
that the state condemned the place as
unit for a camp. The officers of the
state did all in their power to keep it
from being made one Of the camps Of the
present war, but their advice was not
needed. AS q result, I have been adj
vised that about 1900 men have died
without ever seeing a Spaniard Or q bull
let wound. It is terrible to contemplate,
Let me tell you what have seen in
the division hospital, and just what
know to be the truth. Iah8ye visited fha