The times., 1898-10-27
4 BALLAD OF WHITEWASH
Some New Voices Heard in the
Alger Relief 0ratoriO.
SAD LACK OF DISCIPLINE
Gen. Carpenter Says the Officers
Knew Their Men Too Weli-Cheat-
ing Companies Ont of FIour-De-
tails of the MOntauk Hospital
scnndaI-one Railroad to Wikofr.


morning. 1t was raining and showing. and |
the proposed inspection of Camp Force |
was postponed
The inquiry began with the examination
of Gen. Louis II. Carpenter. who COM
manded the First Division, Third Army
Corps, At Camp Thomas. He was also at
Tampa and Fernandina. Gen. Carpenter
described the camp at Chickamauga as
too crowded. and said the troops suffered
delay in getting supplies from the quar-
termaster's department
The commissary, he said. was in good
condition. and he knew of no instances
where men did not get rations.
At Tampa. he said. there was great
congestion in railroad transportation. and
the troops did not all have proper tent
age. The site was not good for long en-
campment. Fernandina. he thought, was
an excellent location.
Too Familiar With Officers.
Cen Carpenter believed that the volun-
teers needed discipline. and thought they
knew their officers too well. He said
strangers would make better disciple
nRrians.
Major c. NJ Gaudy. chief surgeon of
the Fourth Army Corps. appeared next.
he thought the expedition to Cuba was
fairly well fitted with medical stores. He
said he had heard some of the stores came
back in the hold of the Iroquois. but that
DR.. Munson and Col. Pope might know
something definite about that.
Lieut. Col. Charles H. Grearson, chief
commissary of volunteers at Tampa. tes-
titled the rations were good. except the
bacon which was rejected. He did not
think the troops We're properly supplied
with bread while at Tampa, but this was
because they would not go to the trouble
OF putting up the ovens and baking their
own bread.
Troops Cheated in the Flour
Each company had exchanged its flour
for bread and was cheated in the transac-
tion.
Capt. Richard Thomas, depot commits
sary at Huntsville. said he agreed with
other witnesses about the railroad con-
gestion at Tampa. While at Fernandina
there was some complaint about the
bacon, but unjustly. AT one time a lot
was condemned, but upon appeal to Gen.
Coppinger II was re-eNamined and found
IN good condition and re-issued. There
has been no complaint at Huntsville
Two thousand rations are kept on hand
at one time.
Capt George S Cartwright a lieuten-
ant in the regulars. and quartermaster Of
volunteers, said he had heard of COM
plants from the Seventy-first New York.
They had three days rations when they
started to the battle, but lost them. lie
considered their rations sufficient Once,
though, many troops were without their
full ration for thirty-six hours. He him
self, on the night of the lst of July, had
only half hardtack to eat, while the
other half he ate the next morning.
Medical Work Before Santiago.
Lieut. John Hamilton Stone, an as
sistant surgeon in the regular army, gave
q description of medical preparations. He
said that when he arrived in Cuba he
was unable to land all his medical sup,
piles, though he had with him on the
vessel medical and hospital supplies fol
six months use. He landed all possible
by having the men take packages or
their backs. He could get no transporta,
ton and the hospital pouches were car.
ried on his horse and the backs of the
men.
He was on the firing line July l at th'
battle of FL Caney Wounded men wer,
attended to and sent to the rear. In
afternoon he was ordered TO the division
hospital to assist in the care of tS(
wounded. He found there everything nee
essary There was no scarcity of m di
cines or surgical instruments. After tina
day. though, there was difficulty in oh
tanning some medicines.
Operations Generally Successful.
He saw three hundred patients in th'
hospital at one time. Generally speak
ing the operations were success -ui Man!
OF the wounded had only the Mauser bul
let wounds. but quite number OF larg
brass jacketed bullets We're extracted
Major Harris, surgeon in the regula
army, who was with the cavalry brigad
supplemented the testimony of DIR. Stone
He remarked: 81 went to the medica
DEPOT, saw what 1 wanted. and a ket
for it,
Major H. D. Thomasson. regimenta
surgeon of the Thirty-third Michigan
was the next witness.
At Monteuk Point he was assigned t
the general hospital He found a defici
ency In the number of surgeons. wh.cl
was even more marked than the sma.
number of nurses.
Montnuk Hospital Conditions.
The hospital was somewhat overcrowd
ed. Sometimes eight men Were in a tent
At times there were nearly a hundI e
men without cots. NO deaths OCcLrre
from lack of cots or medicines, hos
pital supplies. There was no complain
of neglect or ill-treatment from the pa
tients.
He charged that many patients wer
moved from the general hospital whil
in a condition unfit for travelling. The
were sent TO New York hospitals and
their homes. This was done frequentl
to make room for other patients He sal
from 200 to 800 patients had been Il
away who should have been kept in III
hospital.
limit to BE Moved.
On one occasion he was told to get q
patients ready to be moved. lie foun
only seventy in his judgment who wer
in a condition to be moved and so report
ed, but being told that he must get 20
he insisted on a written order to that e
feet The order did not appear and /
sent only the seventy.
He alleged that the hospital was muc
ovsrcrowded. 1t was built for 500, an
there were $50 patients. The nurses wei
also lacking.
DR.. Connor asked II that number cou
not have been placed in twenty-fol
ly. but explained that tents could not |
obtained.
You couldn't get them there?'
THE transportation was deficient"
replied.
just One Railroad Line.
A moment later he added that transpo