Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-02
MORE CAMP ABUSES.
TESTIMONY BEFORE DODGE CON-
MISSION AT LEXINGTON.
A WORUL LACK OF MEDICINES.
"No sumcient Excuse for shortage of
such suppIics-surgeons Generally
n Pretty bad Lot-Red-Tape Evils
sticks for Guns.

LEXINGTON, KY. November l-Be-
fore the MISUNDERSTANDING Commission
to-day Chief-Commissary Marshal, of
Camp Hamilton, denied the statements
made by Lieutenant-C Colonel Mitchell, OF
the First Territorial Regiment. last night.
lie said every requisition had been hon.
ored from the Territorials.
The second witness was General j. {.
Bates, who testified as TO the Santiago
campaign, and the camps at Mobile and
Chickamauga, where he went to see Gen
eral Brooke regarding the lack Of equip
ments. clothing, and other supplies,
'"rhe day before we left Mobile and
pretty well supplied" he said. These
were supplies for recruits. At Santiago
we had bread and meat always. Montauk
| Point was not the proper place Tor
camp of sick soldiers at the time OF year
| II was established At Montauk Point i
learned that the Long Island railroad
] had an exclusive contract TO haul the sol
| diers to the city
| MEDICAL SUPPLIES SHORT.
an Cuba medical supplies were wofully
| short. The medical offices said they could
| not get them. This was especially true
| at Siboney. In going over we had enough
medical supplies. but we were cut down
We had trouble in getting ambulances
taken to Cuba Got one for each regiment
and one for the squadron. L thlnk the
| ambulances j took were the only ones
| ashore when the Rough Riders tight &C.
| CURED, on the oath OF June
When asked what, in his opinion, was
| the weakness in the Medical Department
| General Bates said he thought great
| mistake was made in not sending medl-
cal officers in sufficient number with regl-
| ments ordered TO the Held. Additional
transportation should have been furnished
for medical officers and medical supplies
! ambulances and horses. 81 think there
| Is not sufficient excuse for medical sup
niles being short I'm Cuba Better prepa-
rations could have been made for trans
portation. We had no way 10 shoe horses
and mules"
General Bates had no recommendation
10 suggest
! CAMP THOMAS AGAIN.
DR.. Edgar Means. in charge Of the
| Gibbs General Hospital, Lexington, was
| asked regarding the sanitary condition
| OF Camp Thomas. where he was brigade
| surgeon. He read a report on the condi-
| ton of the sinks. claiming they were
disease breeders. though the men detailed
from the regiments to the division nos
pital were incompetent.
DR.. Means condemned the water supply
at Camp Thomas.
After luncheon. Major John ]. Backman
160th Indiana. was the first witness call
ed nv the commission. His testimony IN
dlcated that his regiment had Jared wei
in every respect.
Major ]. ID. Glennan, who was captain
and assistant surgeon In the regular army
and was made major and bri&ade
surgeon of volunteers June 4th. was call
ed Major Glennan was at Chickamausa
and Tampa. with the Sixth Cavalry. H.
later returned TO Chickamauga as brl'
gade surgeon. First Brigade. Third Di'
vision First Corps. He said that ID
found n much larger extent of sickness
among volunteers than he had been uset
to seeing; that he found the sinks lei
open and not deep enough TO make the
camp heathful, and that the water sup
ply was affected by this.
NO ATTENTION TO REPORTS.
Major Glennan said he reported on
these conditions, both verbally ana III
writing. and made certain recommends.
tions. but that no attention was ever
paid TO his reports. He said he trieo
TO get lime: that requistion was. made
| on the ouarterma ster's department, anC
they said they did not furnish 1t; thai
reduisition was then made on the medi
cal department, and DR.. Hudekoper tn
| corps surgeon. concerning whom sensa
tional charges have since been made, dis
approved the use of lime, and returned
the requsition
Major Glennan stated that he knew o
: certain regiments where the sick wer'
kept for weeks because the division hos
, pitaI had no room FOR them. He furthe
said that he believed that the water II
every well in Chickamauga contained
the "colon bacillus" which indicated
contamination by sewage.
SURGEONS A BAD LOT.
- Asked by Dr. Conner whether the ten
dencv in the medical service in the regu
, lar army was not TO deteriOrate from III
, day a man went in until his retirement
Major GIennan said this had been hi
impression until he saw the voluntee
4 surgeons. when he had come to the con
/ clusion that those in the regular arm
e were as good as those in the Voluntee
service. az have no doubt" said Di
| Conner. THAT the worst In the regula
army are a great deal better than som
e who were brought into the volunteers
Major William Cogswell, surgeon o
, the Eighth Massachusetts,, said tina
when his regiment reached Chattanoog
il was kept in the freight-yards eightee
hours. and II took them then four hour
c 10 be transported to the park; that tn
e men went two weeks without fresh meal
that their health was thus greatly I'm
|