The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-14
Captain Stivers Talks of Con-
ditions at Camp Thomas.
THERE WAS NO MEDICINE
The STUFF Furnished Was in b Form OF
Insoluable Tablets-Hospital Arrange
ments Were the Worst Immsgin-
aple-Plenty OF Food.

GrgsDy 3 TOuBn rueTs, the OF Cuiicd
states volunteer cavalry. arrived home
yesterday from ~Chickamauga, having
been mustered out of the service on the
Sth of the month. Captain Stivers pre-
sents a soldierly appearance i'm his off,
GERS uniform, but does not look much
like his former self just now, as he is
leaner than the proverbial bean pole
from having lost 25 pounds of flesh
while in the service of Uncle Sam as the
result of an attack OF malaria. Captain
Stivers arrived on the Northern Pacific
train yesterday morning and was kept
busy ali day receiving the greetings of
his friends. On the same train with
Captain Stivers came Sergeant Ed NC
Roberts and Corporal John Wrath,
members of the troop. The other MEM
bers are scattered over the country,
visiting friends before returning home
to Butte. Sergeant McRoberts shows
the effects OF his experience and looks
thin and sickly. but Corporal Wrath
appears to have Jared very well and he
is looking the picture of health.
Captain Stivers when seen yesterday
gave his version of life at Camp Thomas
and the numerous stories of hardships,
complaints of i'll treatment, ETC., that
have come from Chickamauga. Being
no longer uader the restraint of the artl-
Giles of war, Captain Sttvers talked free
ly and did not hesitate to cIiticise where
he considered criticism due. but does not
AXE the serious view of matters that
some of the soldiers apparently do.
The first cause Of all the talk that
has been made" said he, was our fail
ure to get to the front. The boys all
enlisted TO go to war and they did not
- - l. kANa. rant In
camp. If we had beer sent to the front
YOU would never have heard all the talk.
Then, many of the men could not APP
preciate the necessity Of such strict
discipline as was enforced, but which
was absolutely essential 10 make soldiers
Of them, and they rebelled against IL
These were the primary causes OF the
dissatisfaction, which was augmented
by the u~nsanitary condition of the park
which spread sickness among them.
This, as a matter of fact, was the only
| real cause for complaint the boys had,
but that they had one in the matter OF
caring for the sick there is no doubt.
The ground was clay, affording no
drainage and the water was scarce
very bad. The regiment applied Tor
permission to pick out a more sanitary
spot and move, but 1t vas never grant
ed. The boys, OF course, fell sick and
the regiment lost 10 men, three OF
whom were of our troop. The hospital
arrangements were of the poorest I'M
aginable. With 1000 men in the regi-
ment, the regimental hospital would
accommodate but eight patients. 1t
was an old tent, pitched in the hot sun,
and when it rained the tent leaked so
badly we had to cover the sick men
with the rubber ponchos furnished the
soldiers. Then no medicines were pro-
vided. or at least there might as well
have been none, for such as were pro-
vIded were not the proper remedies and
were in tablet form, so old and stale
that they would pass through the sys-
tenn without dissolVing. ! was, my
self, taken with a bronchial trouble at
one time and went to three different
hospitals, but could get nothing for il.
Then [ was told in numerous cases
when / sent men to the hospital that
they did not have the proper remedies
and | had to lei some one TO Chat
tanoogo to get a prescription filled.
Another trouble was the fact that
they had no hospital mess and we had
to feed our sick men from the regular
rations. which, of course no sick man
could eat. | received 800 from the Sol
diers' Aid society here, which was a
great help in getting proper o Tor
the sick. The Red Cross proffered
nurses for the regimental hospital, but
/ lnt Ollt was INItNAtu diiu AAN WIN Ac
experience were detailed from the
troops as nurses. Little wonder then
that the men got dissatisfied, but as ]
said. this al their chief reasonable
cause for complaint. The grub was as
good as l ever saw in the army, and ]
have been around army posts a great
deal of my life. 1t is true grub got
short occasionally, but It never became
a serious matter. Thu full army bar
racks rations were issued and included
fresh bakers bread and vegetables and
fresh meat nearly every day. Such
shortages as there were occurred when
the meat would be spoiled, which could
not be helped some times, in that eli.
mate. and frequently when 1t would
be condemned none would come in It's
place, but as a general thing, the food
was good and there was plenty of it
for the regimental fund was expended
I'm purchasing UGH things as were no
provided in army rations. OF course
ii was hard for the boys to get accus,
toned to army r~atlons, but l could no
consider this a just cause for complaint
1t has been demonstrated that the ra,
lions provided by the government ar,
the best for troops that could be fur
nished.
The discipline enforced, though
strict, was not as strick as in IN,
regular army, so the boys really haC
~ nv Noiiihs oh lhd' sCoIe' al
though the work was hard for tn,
cavalrymen. as he has his horse an,
many more accoutrements than an in
f~antryman, and their work u~ndoubtedl,
became onerous. On the whole. how
ever, had il not been for the unsani
tary camp and poor medical attention
our troops would AVE Jared well, an,
as I said. If We could have gone 4
the front there would nave been no ba'
feeling"
Speaking of the criticisms that hav
been heard concerning his course, Cap
tain Stivers said:
Among 81 men there are found L
be some who will find fault. but l d
not feel at all guilty. j did M dut.
by the boys. and could do no more. |
was hard at first for them TO accustor
themselves to the strict discipline, an
no doubt some of them thought ! wa
nnfair hut Mhnn ] recalNed nrlar