The Lamar register., 1898-10-26
BRYAN DIDN'T TALK.
EXCUSED FROM rEsrrry,no.
war Board Hears Nothing Very Bad .t
the Camp at Jacksonvllir-Alger Not
lnternsted In the site at Fernandina-


Jacksonville Fla. Oct. 20.-General
j. Wilson and Captain Howell, con-
stituting the subcommittee appointed
to visit and report upon the conditions
OF Camp Fernandlna. mnde their re-
port to the full commission to-day.
The following Is the important part
OF the document:
We carefully examined the site of
the Third Pennsylvania volunteers.
which 1t has been reported was a trop-
lcai jungle on worthless land until
cleared and upon clearing which the
troops are said 10 have worked like
slaves until Il was fit for n camp site
we visited and obtained from the
county clerk of Nashua county n map
showing the land occupied by the
troops and his official certificate as to
the ownership OF the land. This GER
uhcate states that the greater part of
the lands occupied reverted to the
state of Florida in June, 1897. by reo-
son OF unpaid taxes, and that no one
oy the name of Alger ever controlled
any lands IL :i;c county, ss shown hy
the records. and that the land occupied
by the Third Pennsylvania volunteers
as camp wns Mt the time the proper
ty OF the state Of Florida
Your committee. therefore. has the
honor to report that In it's opinion the
camp was well selected, that probably
the site was equal In all respects to
any other that could have been found
on the Florida coast"
Colonel W. ]. Bryan was next called.
He asked to be excused from testify
Ing. requesting that his lieutenant colo
mel be examined In his stead
-Nnn Will I have NO Anttht
stand my reasons for the request" he
said.
Il think the request proper and rea-
sonable. responded Governor Beaver.
and as the entire commission assented
TO this concession. Colonel Bryan was
! excused with the request TO send up
his lieutenant colonel.
Lieutenant Colonel ylfqunin OF the
Third Nebraska. a veteran OF the Civil
war and a graduate OF the military
school of Brussels. said the regiment
was exceliently equipped except that
the tentagc was poor. He also said
the quality Of the clothipg was bad.
! The pork had also been wormy at
times and the beef tainted. but these
had been exchanged He had thought
the clothing better than in the Civil
war. but the rations were not so good
as then. He also thought the camp
entirely too much crowded.
W. i. Durbin OF the I6fst Indiana
spoke especially Of the grounds Of the
Third division hospital. saying they
bad for n time been poorly kept.
There had. however. been vast i'm
provement since DIR. Clendennin had
succeeded DIR. Jesurum OF the Rough
Riders. Colonel Durbin also said
there had been one or two complaints
a s.F hNsn. sN 81
Colonel Letch Hardin Of the Sixth
/ Missouri also complained that the
/ grounds of the Third division hospital
had not been well kept.
Dr. Alexander Kent. pastor of the
/ Episcopal Church at Washington aud
| field agent at Jacksonville for the Red
| Cross. was questioned concerning the
1 operations Of the Red Cross at this
point.
''It seemed" he said. las II the hos
piial was arranged upon smaller
scale than was demanded. and as a
/ consequence there was a constant de
mand upon the Red Cross to supply
/ the deficiency"
| DIR. Kent said he had heard many
complaints concerning misconduct al
/ the hospitals. and many OF them were
/ apparently well vouched for. but they
| had not generally proved well found.
/ ell when investigated.
Replying to a question. he said he
/ thought II had been very difficult 70
I get medical men OF sufficient admins
trntive ability to manage such institu-
/ tons as the division hospitals. Before
/ the female nurses We're secured the
nurses, who were men of the hospital
corps. were not capable. They We're
| not intelligent as clhss, and while
/ some of them We're doggelly faithful
! they failed to meet the requirements.
I They did not, for Instance. seem to re-
/ gard il as of consequence II flies were
/ crawling in and out OF n sick mans
mouth with impunity, and he had seen
as many as six cases of this kind AT
one time. Since the trained nurses
had been secured the sick were better
cared for than at home.
Many other officers were examined,
| but their testimony was favorable to
/ the government in most cases.