The record-union., 1898-10-25
Never Was a Sufficient Supply Of Tentage
to Properly Quarter the Troops.
Testimony Of Major Otto HI. Falk.
Chief Quartermaster of the
First Division of the Third
Army Corps While at Chica-
manga, Before the War Investi-
eating Commission.

ADMISSION (Ala), Oct. 24.-The War
Investigating Commission sat from
until $50 to-day, and examined about
dozen witnesses, including number
CT officers and men of the regular
troops, as we'll as number of volun-
teer officers. 1t is now expected that
the commission will leave for Hunts
Vile tomorrow night.
The commission began It's session
to-day with Major Otto II. Falk on the
stand. He was the Chief Quartermas-
ter of the First Division of The Third
Army Corps while in Chickarnauga, and
he new occupies the position of Chief
QGartermaster for this camp. lie SAID
the most serious complaint in the early
history of Camp Thomas vas from
the First Missouri, whose ne1 claim cd
that their trousers were nothing more
than rags, and threatened to appeal to
charity at home to supply tneir wants.
There was also shortage in tents,
which became quite serious at the time
of the beginning Of the rainy season.
Previous to that time men had slept
under trees and under their shelter
terts without complains. Indeed. he
said, there was never a sufficient sup
ply of tentage, and it was necessary to
put six men in a tent.
Continuing he said the division had
never been completely equipped until
the present time, especially in the mat
ter of transportation facilities He
said, however, that there had been no
refusal to honor acquisitions. He
thought, however, that on the whole
there was too much red tape in the
Quartermaster's Department. Il do
away with it whenever / can. / have
succeeded so far, even though I some
times violate regulations. 1llustrat-
ing, he said he had had to sign his
name nine times in the process of pay
ing a bill of twenty dollars.
Dr. Charles M. Drake, in charge OF
the general hospital here, and who was
in command of the hospital of the FRS
Division on the Third Corps at Chick
amauga, was the next witness. He
told of various improvements he had
found it necessary to make in the hos
pital at Chickamauga There was,
he said, "such a flood of disease that il
was almost impossible to meet the de-
mand for tentage, and quite out Of the
question to anticipate it." AS fast as
he would pitch new tents they would
fill them up.
He stated that the medical supplies
had been ample from the beginning
but the hospital corps has proved inef-
ficient as to nurses. 'They were, as q
Glass; he said, 1.-The very worst mater
ial that could have been found of which
to make nurses
However, he thought there had been
no other serious results than discom-
fort to patients caused by the ineffl-
cheney of the nurses. He was positive
there had been no death from starva-
ton. Ten Of the typhoid cases had
died, and compared with the hospitals
generally, the percentage was phenom-
enally low. He was Of the opinion
that the patients in the hospital re-
ceived better attention than the aver
age man in this country receives al
home.
Major John H. Heatwole, Chief Com
missary of Subsistence, said the quail
ity of the rations had been excellent
AS for the quantity. man would have
to be a gourmandizer to eat it.
General Dodge read letter from DR.
Seaman of New York. who was before
the commission in Washington, in
which he corrected an error in his tes-
timony. He stated that he had re-
ceived only the regular army rations
for the convalescents on the steamer
OLDHAM from Porto Rico to New York
He says that such supplies as had been
received up to the night previous tc
sailing had been received from societies
Lieutenant Colonel Bisbee, in com
mand of the First Infantry, told of the
transportation of his regiment to San
tiago; briefly described the fightins
about Santiago; spoke of his expert.
ence In Cuba, of the return to Montaul
Point, and Of the stay at that place
and the transfer South. Asked if the
landing at Santiago could have beer
accomplished if opposed, he replied:
THE facilities were so poor that ]
think not AT least, I should say if
had been on shore no enemy would
have been permitted to land I cannot
say how it was with the sSaniards."
Colonel Bisbee stated that himself
and sixteen men were the only mem
bers of his regiment who had not beer
ill at some time during the Santiago
campaign. cit had been impossible tC
secure medical supplies" said the wit
ness, land if we had had them we could
not have carried Them
He added that the army was badly
broken up in that respect, and it die
not get into shape promptly, for some
reason. He said the mem We're just be-
ginning to break in health when San
tiago surrendered, and the capitulati or
came at just the right time He did
not believe there was sufficient mum
Der of doctors in the Cuban campaign
He thought the contract surgeons were
capable doctors, but they were not IA
miliar with army methods, and did not
know how to get the necessary medi-
cines. Speaking generally of the Cuban
experience, he expressed the opinion
that supplies had been as liberal as
could have been reasonably expected
Major Dempsey Of the Second Regi-
ment Infantry covered much the same
ground as Colonel Bisbee. He said thai
his command had never during the
Santiago campaign suffered for the
want of supplies. Men had sometimes
at night felt the want Of covering, but
not of food. Not moe than half the
men in the regiment were fit for duty
at the time of the surrender Of Santi-