The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-25

80 'ANNA ~ - 49,
exceptions. Investigations have been
prosecuted either with gloves on or en-
tirelv hushed up.
IF the quartermaster and commits
sary departments of the United States
army should entirely escape the just
criticisms which should fall upon them
for mismanagement and the perpetra-
tion of certain actions that were Of a
questionable and doubtful character:
and should the wilful and criminal
acts performed by certain private indi-
viduals Of those departments. for which
the heads Of those departments were
not responsible. he entirely overlooked
it should be for the sole purpose Of
concentrating the entire energy Of the
administration upon the Investigation
Of the extreme cruelty n barbaritv
enacted and perpetuated upon the sick
soldiers Of the various military camps
Of the United States army by the hos
pital authorities. The medical depart
ment Of the army was so badly mis-
managed and corruptly handled that Y
is a glarinC disgrace to enlightened
civilization and will leave p vile and
hideous spot upon the heretofore fair
name OF one Of our most important
military departments. The department
seems to have been most inefficiently
conducted. not only as regards the
heads of the departments, but all along
the line. for. az a rule, the medical
practitioners Of the army were an in
efficient and a cheap lot Of physicians.
The majority OF them were young and
inexperienced This is the almost uni
versal opinion among more h $4,000
soldiers. who were encamped at Chick
amauga Park.
but that is not the worst. To have
been generally incompetent seems bad
enough. Cof course there were some
able doctors, and good men at heart,
Irrf .h.t~ K+.r. hA,aIaegIy IN tho minor
ity.D The charges the soldiers have to
bring against the ordinary army sur
geOns are worse. These charges in
clude a total absence of personal in
terost I'm patients. an apparent differ
enCe as to the profession. and criminal
negligence in many private cases. Such
was the condition of the army hospital
during the major part Of the summer
especially in reEimental and division
hospitals. Letter hospital was "A fairly
well conducted place. but of course
could unlv furnish accommodations to
a small portion of the sick. In the
latter part of July the S%ternberg field
hospital was comuleted and well
equipped. This hosrital was filed at
once with sick from division hospitals.
Through August the men fell III so rap
idly that accommodations could hardly
be furnished. Then began To arise the
complaints AGAINST the medical de-
HdIAilltuAs anu ffl Nd-H fdStS VI lIliu-
man treatment as occurred at Camp
Alger. where a soldier was driven from
the hospital and died the following
night. Then there Is another case in
a New York REGIMENT, where a dead
body was overlooked from Saturday
until the Monday following. and when
the body was found and PREPARED for
burial. it was in a horrible condition.
"Whon such cases leaked out and the
papers got hold Of them. there began
tn sweep over the country a great wave
Of public Indignation. This resulted in
frightening certain medical authorities
and Investigations were partially made
and on the strength of these, some i'm
provements We're made i'm the hospitals.
But I'm order to avoid any more public
ity, every possible influence was
brought to have the park condemned
n Camp George II. Thoma broken
up. which result was accomplished i'm
the latter part Of August, and the reg
iments were sent, some to their re-
spectiye states. or to other camps at
Huntsville, Ala, Knoxville. Tenn, and
Lexington. XIV.
The world knows how successfully
10 its ultimate aim the war has been
conducted, and we have no doubt the
peopl" Of the United States will be
unanimous i'm their support Of the sue
cessful in which the admins
tration conducted the war. yet there
Is n feeling that prevails generally
throughout the volunteer armies that
politics and political pulls were al
lowed To enter too prominently into the
affairs Of the army. This feeling has
doubtless been "propacatcd because
there was too little fighting To do and
too many soldiers To do Il. Also on his
account political influence in some
cases was used and not always worth
and merit was allowed to secure the
LE go =
examples OF such political preference
was the LIST United stat volunteer
cavalry. That regiment mnhiliZed at
Tampa, Fla, with a colonel who was
the private family physician ~ our
noble executive officer, and with a lieu
tenant colonel no less popular i'm Wash
ington. u, G.. than i'm New York city,
We can little wonder that this regiment
was sent To- cuba. though no cavalry
could be used. However. the regiment
was sent dismounted as infantry. Vet
this regiment bad hardly been ]cuuipurd
two weeks before the expedition sailed.
While regiments Of Infantry We're left
behind that had been for a number of
years memhe Of militia or National
Guard organizations. and which We're
well drilled and thoroughly familiar
with military movements and ovolu-
tions. In veriication Of this statement.
I point to the rapid promotion Of the
officer Of this regiment. Colonel Wood
o became a h~rigadier general. the
lieutenant colonel was made colonel.
and a little later the hrigatipr was
made military governor of Santiago de
Cuba. ! do not presume 10 c%ritiCise or
offer suggestions. but simply make a
statement of general facts and allow
the general public to form its own con-
illusions, and will only add that heart
ily regret that civil service principles
do not prevail I'm the army.
The 81 United States volunteer cav
airy. or Grigsby's rough riders. as our
regiment was popularity known. was
undoubtedly very fortunate i'm its Sc
lection Of officers, and particularly so
was the Montana squadron. as we can
testify from our own personal expert
oro". our major proved himself a
prince. and the officers Of our own
Troop + from NissouIa could not wei