The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-13
GENERAL eRAHAM's TEsTlMoNY.1
Tells More About Conditions at Camp
Alger.

luFnlSneu UH9 commission W1tn SGaue
ment showing the percentage of sickness
in his command from the first of May tt
30th Of Septem Der. The statement showed
a gradual increase for the entire period
the highest percentage being six per cent
toward the end of September. Gen. Gra'
ham believed that the proximity OF the
tents to one another at Camp Alger Is
responsible more than any otEer CAUSE
for the sickness there and said the medl'
cal officers also were of this opinion. he
thought the want of water for bathing
purposes and the habits OF men in eating
other food than that prescribed ny the
regulations had had deleter1ous in1u-
ence. In the beginning of the history OF
camps there were no bathing facilities
but later men were marched seven
miles in brigades once week for baths.
The division hospitals were soon estab-
lished and he considered these hospitals
superior to the regimental hospitals as
they were always in the hands of expert
epced army physicians. There had been
no lack of medical supplies but some OF
the medical attendants were inexperi
enced and inefficient. A portion were
especially negligent in furnishing de-
scriptive lists when patients were SO sent
from regimental to divisional hospitals
and these were very essential in promot-
ing the welfare for the men. Graham
stated that while the commissary supplies
were plentiful, the mon were often with
out the prescribed food because the regi-
mental officers were not sufficiently i'm
pressed with the Importance Of drawing
their food. This was especially true in
the matter of fresh meat. In one case an
officer of a Kansas regiment bad refused
to draw the fresh meat rations until he
could have saw with which to cut 1t
up. The general also found many of them
to - be ignorant of methods of pre-
ham said that in thu case of most of the
regiments, there was considerable delay
in supplying them with arms and ammu-
milton, first attention being given always
to the troops to be forwarded to the front.
The command was, however, fully armed
and in every way equipped to take the
file before his camp was abandoned for
Camp Meade. For time during an
epidemic of measles there was shortage
of hospital linen for the beds, but the
deficiency was only temporary. In many
instances men declined to have sheets on
their beds, being used to sleeping between
blankets. Secretary Alger had spoken
to him personally about keeping up the
supplies for the sick, asking that he (the
secretary be personally informed when
there was deficiency and assuring him
that the demand should be immediate Y
met. There were occasional shortages IN
other supplies, such as ice, but he did
not believe that any deaths had been due
to this cause.
Ex-Governor Woodbury. and DR.. Con-
nor examined General Graham in regard
to the space occupied by the camp. Origi.
nally it was much too small, and General
Graham had from time to time extended
it, removing the tents farther from each
other. DIR. Conner said 1t had been def
nitely stated to him by special medical
officer that the surface drainage had
found its way into the wells.
II positively deny 1t, responded Gen
eral Graham.
A letter from Philadelphia complained
of the presence of green fruit booths.
General Graham said he had ordere
them outside of the lines and had tried
to protect his men from them. There
had been complaint of the hospital, Dunn
Loring, charging drunkenness on the
part of the medical attendance. The
institution was inspected, the result be.
ing that the attendants were entirely vim.
dictated.
Taking it all in all, General Graham
said he had no doubt that the medica
partment at Camp Alger was admin @
tered in competent manner. No doubl
there were individual instances of neglect
but they were no. the rule.
With the reforms inaugurated CamI
Alger would have been very healthful
and the removal to Camp Meade was
largely sentimental and in obedience tt
public clamor.
General Graham declared Camp Meade
to be an ideal camp, splendidly located
and we'll supplied with camp necessaries.
1t is on the line of the Pennsylvania rail
road and General Graham said its service
had been very prompt. All that was nee
essary to make the camp perfect was the
control of the weather. He thought the
camp would be especially desirable dur
ing the fall season.
commission, General Graham vas exam
ined with reference to some criticisms OF
Camp Alger, made by Colonel Smart
deputy surgeon general Of the army, tc
the effect that the tents were too much
crowded, saying that in some cases entire
battalions occupied no more space than
should be assigned to company. He had
also charged that the sinks were crowded
against the tents and had referred to the
general condition in the camp as being
most deplorable. He defended the medical
department against the charges preferred,
saying, that it could not be held respon-
81 BILE for the gross ignorance of the yolun
teer officers.
General Graham said he remembered
Colonel Smart's visit. but the Colonel
had made no complaint to him beyond
pointing out verbally that the camps OF
the Pennsylvania troops were too close
together for sanitary purposes. A change
of site was Immediately ordered so as te
permit expansion. General Graham SAID
that he would recommend that in the
future there should be regular officers in
all volunteer regiments; that camp tents
should be farther apart; that arrange
monts should be made for cremating al
effete matter. Some of the volunteer
officers had proved efficient but Others
were incorrigible. Some of them were,
he said, too old to learn.
General Graham said he had no COM
plant to make as to the management Of
the war depsi tment but he thought the
war was such an emergency that The de-
p4rtment was not at first prepared te
meet its demands as promptly as might
have been considered desirable. He
thought, however. that the criticisms oil
| citizens concerning the conduct of the
war were due to the ignorance of people
| who meddled without sufficient informa
ton to enable them to speak wisely.