The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-09

canned beef used by the army and said that
in nearly all cases he personally tested a
sample of the goods before making a pur-
chase.
The committee next heard two witnesses
from local packing houses touching the
character of the canned beef purchased for
the army. They said the same quality of
goods had been delivered to the French and
British governments and no complaints
have ever been received from them. They
thought it possible that the hot weather at
the Southern camps in Cuba might have
had some effect ON the canned roast beef.
Rev. George X Hoover, a Chicago clergy
man, whose son died in the Second Divi-
sion hospital at Jacksonville, Fla, said:
In the hospital there seemed to be a lack
OF medicine-some of the simpler medicines;
In talking with ward master nurses and
others found what l thought was unnec-
essary fear of stating facts. For instance,
no one would talk to me without saying:
You must rot give my name or will be
subject to punishment 1t seemed to me
that there were not enough nurses there.
Having had experience along these lines IN
the civil war was satisfied 1T Jacksonville
that there was somebody there either in
competent or else cruelty neglectful."
First Lieut.. Charles McQuiSton, of the
Fourth Infantry, who served as quarter
master and regimental commissary until
the 1st of July and remained in Cuba in
other capacities until the close of the cam
paign, said that at Tampa and afterwar1 Is
In Cuba his regiment almost always had the
full supplies allowed by the army regula-
lions. Il know of no complaint being made
by any member of my regiment he SAID:
Col. Edward c. Young, of the First Illi-
Eois Volunteer Cavalry said 'At Chicka-
manga our quartermasters' supplies were
fairly adequate and prompt. The water.
however, was not fit to drink half the time. !"
Gol. Marcus haVanaugn, OF the oeVsNsn
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, who was at
Camp Alger nearly three months, said his
regiment had not half as much hardship
and deprivation they expected when they
went into the service The mistakes which
happened, if they We're mistakes, were those
which resulted from lack of experience.
At the evening session DR.. Frederick H.
Wines, secretary of the Illinois Army and
Navy League, who visited Chickamauga
Tampa and Jacksonville during the war,
submitted a report he had made TO Secre-
tary Alger commencing conditions in the
camps as generally satisfactory. The doctor
said he was particularly impressed with
I could observe said DR.. Wines, "the nurs-
ing in the division hospitals was very I'M
satisfactory. 1t was my observation that
senior officers would not and junior officers
dare not report the condition OF things IN
the camps and hospitals when that condi-
ton was bad. l did not see any evidences
of carelessness, neglect or incompetence on
the part of those in charge of the hospitals
but there was difficulty in obtaining medi-
cines in proper quantity and complaint that
special diets, ice, milk and similar supplies
could not be secured. l personally observed
no case of a soldier in a hospital being i'll
treated, although many ,rumors to that ef-
feet came to my notice"
DR.. Wines continued: II do not believe
any army ever went into the field that was
furnished by the government, he said, was
good, and many of the soldiers discarded the
clothing sent by others for those furnished
by the government because they found them
of better quality. He said the water at
Chickamauga was contaminated in the river
above.
Mai. Lawrence M. Ennis, of the Seventh
Illinois Volunteers. said: 1.-THE only neg
lect that we had to complain of was the
neglect of not sending US to the front; our
men were remarkably free from sickness,
and my observat ton was that a great deal
of the sickness in the other regiments was
caused by lack of attention from the off,
GERS"
General Dodge thinks that the labors of
the committee in Chicago will be concluded
by tomorrow night.