The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-09-24
rNcoMpETENcE AND NEGLECT.
AIger IL Told That They Are charre-
able ito the Medical and Quar-
termasters' Departments.

Lexington, Ky, Sept. ga prom
inent gentleman close to the national
administration as well as To the Off
GERS here at Camp Hamilton, says the
present tour of inspection Of the
southern camps by Secretary Alger.
Quartermaster General Luddington
and Surgeon General Sternberg Will
likely develop numerous charges from
regimental and general field officers
against both the medical and the quar-
termaster's departments and especial
ly against some commissaries. The
talking was begun here by Gen. San
ger against the medical department
and by Gen. Waites against the quar-
termaster's and il Is expected that
officers at other points will add very
materially TO this testimony before
the tour of inspection is completed.
At the conference here Wednesday
evening of Secretary Alger with Gen.
Breckenridge, the commander OF Camp
Hamilton, and other officers, Gen. San
ger said while the division hospital
may be good thing, that as IL was
conducted il had been n disgrace to
the service; that IL had deprived the
regiments of their surgeons and
caused hardships on the sick who
should have had better attention at
the proper time. Surgeon General
Sternberg in reply insisted that all
acquisitions had been honored in
Washington and that any medical men
failing to do their duty should be re-
ported
Gen. Waites told Secretary Alger
that the neglect of some quartermas-
ters TO furnish supplies was criminal.
While in Chckamauga he frequently
made acquisitions which were not hon
ored. An imperative order had been
sent to have all water boiled. He made
n reqlusition on Quartermaster Gen
eral Lee for water boilers, No atten-
ton was paid TO his requisition and
after he repeatedly urged Quarter
master Lee TO send the boilers and tell
ing him how the men were contracting
typhoid fever, he was met with a re-
ply which read: Tho war depart
ment does not furnish boilers" Gen.
Waites then purchased the boilers
himself, but the seeds of typhoid had
been sown and the daily report showed
the list of deaths and of cases in the
hospitals. Pointing at Quartermaster
Luddington, Gen. Waites said: "These
men cannot say Ii was somebody else's
fault. II was che fault Of Quartermas-
ter Lee and il was the fault of Quar-
termaster Luddington, who is standing
right there" Luddington made no re-
ply 10 Waites, as Sternberg had done
to Sanger.
Knoxville, Tenn, Sept. 22.-The sec
rotary OF war, who on Wednesday IN
spected Camp Poland and reviewed the
enlisted men encamped there. made a
speech TO the commanding officers at
Gen. McKee's headquarters during the
morning, in which he fixed the blame
for the sickness in the different camps
throughout the country on the com
manding officers. Secretary Alger was
given an enthusiastic reception by the
citizens OF Knoxville and by the com
manding officers of the camp on his
arrival. lie went from the depot di-
rect TO the camp and shortly after
wards accompanied by his staff ana
the officers OF the camp. all on horse
back, the secretary rode over the drill
field and inspected the troops. He
then reviewed the grand parade ar
ranged in his honor and afterwards
made a speech TO the commanding Off
GERS. He next visited the hospitals
and regimental quarters and made
thorough inspection OF the condition
ofthe camp and men. Gen. Alger con-
graduated Gen. Mckee on the splendid
condition OF his camp and of the
troops. He expressed satisfaction
with the location OF the camp and the
showing made by the men.
The parade at Camp Poland was wit
messed by an immense concourse OF
people and Gen. Alger commented
upon this fact. He said II indicated 10
his mind that the people Of Knoxville
were glad 10 have the soldiers here.
The commands i'm review were: The
Second Ohio. Third North Carolina,
Sixth Virginia, Sixth Ohio. First West
Virginia, First Georgia, Fourth Ten
nessee and Thirty-frst Michigan.
After the review Gen. Alger asked
that the commanding officers assemble
at Gen McKee's headquarters, and at
the latter's tent on the high eminence
overlooking Camp Poland on the one
side and Knoxville on the other, the
secretary was surrounded by the Off.
GERS and the Knoxville citizens com
mittee. He removed his hat and In n
delicate and careful manner of speech
he said:
81 came here 10 visit this camp foe the
purpose OF acquainting myself with the
conditions. and TO see for myself just how
the troops are faring and TO hear from the
officers any recommendations which they
may think may benefit the camp. / want
10 hear what the commanders have TO say
about division hospitals and regimental
hospitals, more especially. There has been
great deal OF talk about the conditions
OF the camp hospitals. / want 60 say that
had the war department been acquainted
with the conditions said TO have existed at
Chickamau6a the troops would have been
moved long before they were We re-
ceived only good reports at Washington
from the commanding officers, and II was
supposed that the outside reports were ex-
Tho nd or