The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-01

park that IL was really unsafe to ride
through IT.
Colonel Baldwin said that il was a
common complaint that frequently
regiments dumped their worst men of
on the hospitals for nurses. He said
that the camp of the LIST Mississippi
was one of the worst he had ever seen.
largely on account of the leniency Of
the colonel with his men. He stated
further that there was great difficulty
In getting lime, due to the inefficiency
OF the Quartermasters department. On
one occasion he said he was notified
that there was an abundance OF lime
and he In turn notified several regi-
mental commanders. They made re-
QUESTIONS and were given one barrel of
lime each, and notified that that was
all that could be granted them.
The next witness was Captain Benja-
min Johnston. now depot quartermaster
at Camp Hamilton. Captain Johnston
served as assistant TO the chief quar-
termaster OF the Fifth corps at Santiago
from July II to Aug. %. He came away
with General Shafter and served at
Montauk Point until that camp was
abandoned, when he came to Lexing-
ton.
AT Santiago" said Captain John
ston. "from the time landed until I
left thefe was an abundance of cloth
iuB. nuny OI the TROOPS ndu Only uOB
tents. but In my opinion these were
good and healthy. No complaint could
be found OF the transport in which I
went to Cuba or that in which 1 re-
turned.
AT Montauk Point I visited both the
detention and division hospitals, and
though not a competent Judge in such
matters I considered both excellent.
There Is an abundance OF clothing and
-.
winter clothes having been issued. 1
have no complaints"
Colonel William A. Pew of the Sth
Massachusetts, was called. The princi-
pal complaint he made was of the diff
ficulty his regiment experienced in se-
curing medical supplies. He said his
surgeon would make out a requisition
and hand 1t to the proper officers and
they would return them, saying there
were no supplies and II was Of no use
to make a requisition. Colonel Pew
said that his regiment had difficulty in
securing its wagons at Chickamauga
park. He said his camp ground was
very poor.
Colonel w. +. Leonard of the 18th
New York testified that the surgeon of
his regiment was continually clamoring
for medicine to give the men In quar-
ters. He could not secure this. he said,
SO the colonel spent $500 out of his own
pocket for medicine. Colonel Leonard
admitted that his men were sometimes
not sent to the division hospital because
they were so much opposed to it,
"If you would not send your men who
needed medicine to the division hospi-
tai. how can you lay the blame for not
receiving medicine?" asked DIR. Connor.
"If we had sent all our sick men to
the division hospital replied the
4. 10 a Tor
our surgeons"
Colonel Leonard said the commissary
supplies had been good and so abund-
ant that the men could not consume
them. In consequence each company
has a fund of $3.50 or more. obtained
by selling superfiuous supplies. The
colonel complained of the quartermas-
ter's supplies. especially the shoes. He
said that he had spent nearly 5000 out
OF his own pocket for shoes for his men.
He said that the supplies were issued
in piecemeal, and frequently the quar-
termaster's department got requisi-
tions bulled up.
Colonel w. X. Caffee. 2d Missouri
stated that his regiment did not receive
all equipment until a few days before
leaving Camp Thomas for Lexington.
Among the last things issued. he said.
were the boilers for boiling the water.
months before. Colonel Caffee said
that sinks could be dug at the I'd Mis-
souri's camp at Chickamauga only four
feet before striking rock. This, he
stated. was represented to the brigade
commander and the inspector. but no
action was taken. Colonel Caffee said
that he had no surgeon and only one
assistant surgeon for some time after
the regiment went to Chickamauga.
sent to the division hospital and could
not be received because the hospital
was already overcrowded." said Colonel
Caffee. I'VE had no medicine in the
regiment. / visited the hospital daily
while had men there. and i frequent
ly found the tents unfioored. the cots
crowded so close together that no one
could pass between. The tents We're so
leaky that when IL was raining the men
in the hospitals had to be covered with
ponchos and rubber blankets to be pro-
tected from a drenching.
"Dr. Griffith was in charge of the
hospital. and after visiting all the 9TH
ers, 1 concluded that this was the best
conducted one at the park. DIR. Grif-
nth and his assistants were doing all
they could with the means at their
command. This Objectionable condi-
ton of affairs lasted eight or ten weeks
Inc nurses were IN many cases ODJeC-
tionable. but i came to the conclusion
that this was a necessary evil under
the circumstances"
Colonel Caffee said that his regiment
received not only not enough boilers to
boil the drinking water, but not even
enough to haul II the four miles neces-
sary. despite the requisition made.
when we could not get men in the
division hospital on account Of its over
70
I'VE had no medicine to give the sick.
We made requisitions for IL and they
were returned with this Endorsement
from the chief surgeon Of the corps:
Medicines are issued only to men in
division hospitals and not TO those in
quarters
I'm my opinion II was a great mis-
take to go away with the regimental
hospital. but had the division hospitals
at Chickamaura been anything like the
one here at Camp Hamilton. there
would have been the only fault to