The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-22
THE WAR BOARD.
Fort Mcpherson Visited and
Witnesses Examined.

Atlanta, Ga, Oct. 21-The war IN
vestigating commission arrived over
the Southern Railroad at 10 O'Clock to-
day. and after calling upon Gen. Pen
nington, in command of the Depart
ment, proceeded to Fort Mcpherson.
The only work to be done here is in
connection with the hospital at the fort
The members separated into parties Of
two each to visit the various divisions
of the institution. They found the bar
racks at the post had been transferred
into hospital wards, and notwithstand-
ing the day was wet. the wards We're
all found to be comfortable and warm,
made so in each case by a large stove
in the centre of the room. There are
now 800 patients in the institution, and
many OF them are convalescent. The
commissioners talked with surgeons.
nurses ana patients. They encountered
no complaints from the sick men, and
the nurses stated that the work was
constantly growing less and less irk-
some, owing to the decrease in the
number of patients They also visited
the mess hall of the conValescents
while they were at dinner, and the diet
kitchen while dinner was being pres
pared.
The commissioners examined only
two witnesses here. They We're Maj
Blair B. Taylor surgeon in charge of
the general military hospital here, and
Rev. Orville ], Nave, chaplain Of thar
institution. Both appeared at the ar
ternoon session of the commission.
Maj Taylor related the history Of the
hospital from it's inception. He said
that recently he had had no difficulty
in supplies, as he had been given carte
blanche to purchase them. This author
ity, however, had not been given UNI
til the first of August, whereas it had
been asked for as early as the 25th of
June. He had in the beginning of the
camps history, considerable difficulty
in getting them approved by the au-
thorities at Washington. One Iequisi-
ton made on the 10Th Of May end an
other on the oath of June had not been
entirely filled until very recently. These
acquisitions had been made upon the
New York supply depot, While all that
were made on the st. Louis depot had
been promptly filled. One hundred and
16 cots ordered in the beginning of the
season, had only arrived day or two
since. and they were not now needed.
Rev Orville J. Nave said he had Wis
tied every patient. who had been In
the hospital and that he had never
heard a single complaint from man
who was possessed of his reason, while
on the contrary he had heard many
expressions Of gratitude and commen-
dation for the excellent conduct of the
hospital.
Mr.. Nave expressed opinion that in
the conduct of the military hospitals
generally, there was too little care Of
the clothes and other property of pa
TENTS He said: The thieving which
has been going on and petty peculation
which has been practiced upon soldiers
oftentimes by their comrades, has been
one of the saddest features of the war,
while the bodies of the patients were
carefully guarded their property was
not Yet these articles were often, the
chaplain said, very sacred to the pa
tient in case of his recovery. and to his
friends and relatives in case of his
death" Chaplain Nave said he had
seen some of the surgeons at The hos
pital under the influence of liquor, but
not to a sufficient extent to interfere
with the proper performance Of their
duties.
The commission left at IL O'clock to-
night for Admission.