Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-02
CAMP THOMAS.
Supply Is Being Pretty
Thoroughly Condemned.
Regular Army Officers Have Little Use
for Surgeon Huidekoper.
Ne Even Refused 10 Supply Lime for Necessary
Disiniectins Purposes.

Chlef Commissary Marshal of Camp
Hamilton, denied the statements made
by Lieut.. Col. Mitchell Of the LIST Ter
ritorials. last night. He said every
requisition had been honored from the
Territorials.
The second witness was Fen. j. c.
Bates, who testified as to the Santiago
campaign, the camps at Mobile and at
Chickamauga. He went to see Gen.
Brooke regarding the lack of equip
ments. clothing and other supplies He
said: The day before we left Mobile
we We're pretty well supplied. These
were supplies for recruits. At Santa
go we had bread and meat always.
Montauk Point was not the proper
place for sick soldiers at this time of
the year.
I'm Cuba medical supplies We're Woe
fully short. The medical officers said
they could not get them. This was es-
pecially true at Siboney. In going over
we had enough medical supplies but We
were cut down. We had trouble in get
ting ambulances taken to Cuba.
When asked what, in his opinion, avs
| the weakness in the medical depart
| ment, Gen. Bates said he thought a
great mistake was made in not send
ing medical officers in sufficient num-
Der with regiments ordered to the field
Additional transportation should have
been furnished for medical officers and
| medical supplies, ambulances and
| horses.
BY DR.. Connor-"What do you think
of the propriety of allowing female
| nurses to accompany an army into the
| field?'
Il think it would be perfectly proper
| to have them at large hospitals, but
not in regimental hospitals
| Replying to leading questions by Dr.
| Connor, Gen. Bates said that with mod
ern arms. danger in removing wounded
| from line of fire was greatly increased;
that it would be difficult for ambulance
| men and litter bearers to live in the
| increased zone of fire. In Cuba it was
difficult to get oatmeal and other deli
cacies for the sick. Il think there is
| not sufficient excuse for medical sup
plies being short in Cuba" said Gen.
Bates.
DR.. Edgar Mearns, surgeon in charge
| of the Gibbs General hospital, Lexing-
ton, was asked regarding the sanitary
condition of Camp Thomas, where ne
was brigade surgeon. He read a report
of the condition of the sites there which
showed they were disease breeders.
| He thought the men detailed from the
regiments to the division hospital were
incompetent. DIR. Mearns condemned
the water supply at Camp Thomas be-
| cause there was typhoid fever there.
The order to boil drinking water was
generally obeyed when boilers could be
procured. DR.. Mearns was asked what
recommendations he would make. He
said men in charge should be given
what they ask for, as had been done
here. With competent men in charge
there should be no waste and nothing
| should be asked for that was not
decided.
Major John c. Backman, 160th Indi-
| ana, was the next witness called. His
| testimony indicated that his regiment
had Jared well in every respect.
Major j. D. Glennan, who was cap
tain and assistant surgeon in the regu-
lar army, and was made major and
brigade surgeon of volunteers, June 4,
was then called. Hajor Glennan was
at Chickamauga and Tampa, with the
9Th Cavalry. He later returned to
| Chickamauga, as brigade surgeon, Its
Brigade, Sd Division, LIST Corps. He
| said that he found a much larger
| amount of sickness among volunteers
than he had been used to seeing: that
he found the sinks left open and not
dug deep enough to make the camp
healthful; that the water supply was
affected by this.
Major Glennan said he reported on
these conditions, both verbally and in
writing, and made certain recommen-
dations, but no attention was ever paid
to his reports. He said he tried to get
lime. Requisition was made on the
quartermaster's department, and they
said they did not furnish it. Then re-
QUESTION was made on the medical de-
partment and DR.. Huidekoper, the
corps surgeon, disapproved of the use
of lime and returned the requisition.
Major Glennan stated that he knew
of certain regiment where the sick
were kept for weeks because the di-
vision hospital had no room for them
He further said that he believed the
water in every well in Chickamauga
Park contained the colon bacillus.
which indicated contamination by
sewage.
mo matter how many chemical and
meteorological examinations showed that
the water was not contaminated
should still maintain that it was not fit
for use," declared Major Glennan.
Asked by DR.. Connor whether the ten
dency in the medical service in the reg
ular army was not to deterioriate from
the day man went in until his retire.
ment, Major Giennan said this had been
his impression until he saw the volunteer
surgeons, when he had come to the con-
clusion that those in the regular army
were as good as those in the volunteer
service.
Il have no doubt" said Dr. Connor,
that the worst in the regular army are
great deal better than some who were
brought into the volunteers"
Major VIM. Cogswell surgeon of the
Sth Mass, said that when his regiment
reached Chattanooga it was kept in the
freight yards IS hours and it took then
four hours to be transported to the park
The men went two weeks without fresh
meat. Their health was thus greatly i'm
paired and a large number were taken
sick.
DR.. Cogswel attributed the typhoid to
In