The record-union., 1898-10-21

maze complaints, but these We're of the
KIND OF persons who are never salts
fed with any situation. One nurse had
made severe criticism, but she was of
the kind of women who would leave a
patient to whom she had just given a
bath to attend to some other errand
before drying him.
Major James E. Pitcher Of the regular
army, depot surgeon for the. Seventh
Army Corps, said that since the early
days OF the camp there had been no
dlff1culty in securing an abundance of
medical supplies, and that they were
much more plentiful and of greater va
riety than was usual in the regular
army. In the first history of the camp
supplies We're ordered from Tampa,
and it was difficult, some times impos-
sible, to secure supplies He thought
the medical staff here was efficient as
physicians, but they were without ad-
ministrative ability Many of them
knew nothing of formulating reQuisi-
tions, and Were not disposed to learn.
TO this DR.. Pitcher attributed the fact
that so much of relief society supplies
were asked for in preference to those
furnished by the Government. He
thought that if the physicians had un-
derstood this line of their business they
need not have called upon the relief
associations to such an extent Still
the relief associations were supplied
with ready money, and could supply all
articles required Immediately Fur
thermore, there was no responsibility
on the part of the surgeons for the ar
ticles secured from outside sources as
there was for Government supplies.
DR.. Conner pressed DR.. Pitcher close
ly on this point, saying to him that
the country was full of the report that
the Medical Department of the Govern
ment was not capable of meeting the
demands made upon it, and but for the
aid of such relief societies as the Red
Cross, there would have been actual
suffering.
To this DR.. Pitcher replied that such
was not the case, and then he main
tained the efficiency of the Govern
ment to take good care of its own sick
He said that it would have been ungra-
cious to accept the aid offered by the
relief societies,
Captain John W. Swatek of Company
l., Second Illinois, complained that on
furnished his men was poor, but said
on all other occasions the food was pure
and ample.
General Dodge told the Captain that
there had been complaint from almost
every man in the company in regard
TO their breakfasts and suppers.
Captain Swatek replied that he had
eaten the same food given the men, and
that it was satisfactory to him He
said, however, that he did not ordinar-
lily inspect the meats of the men.
Sergeant A. E. Lorenson of the same
company admitted that there was some
complaint among the men, but he
thought the complaints We're due TO the
fact that the men We're homesick
Colonel Taylor of the Fourth Virginia
Regiment was the first witness before
the War Investigating Commission at
the afternoon session. He said he had
no complaint whatever to make con-
cerning any department of the Govern
ment and he knew of no case of willful
neglect.
Lieutenant Morrow, acting commits
sary of the Third Nebraska. Colonel
Bryan's regiment, testified to the gem
eral good character of the commissary
supplies. He mentioned one or two in
stances when poor bacon had been re-
ceived, and said there were occasional
complaints from the men, though not of
a serious character.
Colonel William j. Bryan was next
called. He asked to be excused from
testifying, requesting that his Lieuten-
ant Colonel be examined in his stead.
You will, 1 have no doubt, understand
my reasons for the request" he said.
Il think the request very proper and
reasonable responded Governor Bea-
yer, and as the entire commission as
sented to this concession, Colonel
Bryan was excused, with the request
to send up his Lieutenant Colonel.
w. T. Durbin of the One Hundred and
Sixty-first Indiana spoke of the Third
Division Hospital, saying it had for
a time been very poorly kept There
had, however, been vast Improvement
since DR. Clehdenin had succeeded DR..
Jesurum of the Rough Riders. Colonel
Durbin also said there had been one
or two complaints of neglect of his men
at the hospital.
Colonel Letch Hardin of the Sixth
Missouri also complained that the
uOSDlldi
had not been we'll kept.
DIR. Alex Kent, pastor of the Episco-
pal Church at Washington, and field
agent at Jacksonville for the Red Cross,
was questioned concerning the opera
tions of the Red Cross at this point
He said he had been received very cor
daily by the army surgeons, and ne
had co-operated with them. He had
noticed the absence of sheets and pill
lows at the Second Division hospital IN
its early history. This was is mid
summer, and many men lay uncovered
on account of the short supplies Of
blankets. He supplied the deficiency
There was also at that time short
age of tents and food suitable to ty-
phoid patients. He had undertaken to
supply the deficiency, and had distrib~
uted two carloads of the necessary del
icacies.
1T seemed he said, ''as if the hos
pital 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"
DR.. Kent said he had heard many
complaints concerning misconduct at
the hospitals, and many of them were
apparently we'll vouched for, but they
had not generally proved we'll founded
when investigated.
Replying to a question, he said he
thought ii had been very difficult to get
medical men of sufficient administrative
ability TO manage such institutions as
the division hospitals. Before the fe-
male nurses We're secured the nurses,
who were men of the hospital corps,
were not capable. They We're not in