Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-17
Commission Digging Away att
Conduct of the War.
Testimony Shows that Much Neglect
and IrreguIarity Existed.
Most Of u Due to Our unprepared Condition and
the haste Of War.

fore the war investigation commission,
To-Day, concerning the conduct of the
war from medical point of view. He
spoke first of the yellow fever hos
pitfalls at Siboney which was under his
charge in general way. He said,
however, that his time had been so
fully occupied with other duties that
he had not visited the institution
daily. He was satisfied that the hos
pital was well conducted and that the
supplies on the whole We're ample. He
did not have the complete records be-
fore him, but was sure that the NOR
tally in this hospital did not exceed
per cent.
DR.. Connor asked whether the con-
tingency of yellow fever could not
have been provided against, asking
whether. in his judgment. it should
not have been known by the surgeon
general that under the circumstances
there would be an outbreak of fever
He should have know that such were
the probabilities and everybody should
have known what were the chances in
sending an army into an infected
region in the summer season.
The witness added that under these
circumstances. he could not under
stand why more complete provision
should not have been made for supply
ing immune nurses; and he did not
know but that the corps surgeon had
asked for this assistance in advance;
he knew only that they had not been
adequately provided.
Returning to the case of the hospital
for wounded soldiers, Dr. La Carrie
said that between 1900 and 1400
wounded men had been treated by the
surgeons at this institution There
were six operating tables and more
would have been used to advantage
There were times when 40 to SO men
were waiting outside for attention Of
the wounded, there were about a dozen
deaths or less than l per cent.
DR.. Legarde expressed the opinion
that if the soldiers had been fully
equipped there would have been less
sickness among them and he thought
that much of the trouble was due to
the fact that the soldiers We're COM
PEELED to lie out on the ground without
cover.
Col. w. J. Jacobs, who was chief
quartermaster of the 5th Corps at
Tampa and in Cuba. testified that
General Humphrey had been in charge
of the troops at Tampa, and that no
order specifying what vessels the diff
ferent commands were to occupy had
been issued.
In reply to question from Governor
Beaver he said the embarkation had
been a haphaZard affair. He also
thought there was a great deficiency
as only two lighters were provided,
and one of these was lost on the way
over.
Captain Jonathan N. Patten, who as
assistant quartermaster, made the
contracts for the construction of the
quartermaster and commissary build
ings at Camp Wiloff, gave the par
ticulars of this transaction and other
occurrences at that camp. He said the
camp was not entirely ready for the
troops when they began to arrive, the
time not being sufficient.
Captain Patten said that all requisi-
tons, except possibly in trivial mat
ters were promptly filled. The witness
ssaid there had been a great deal of in
}justice in the criticisms in the news
z papers concerning the delay of sick
men at the depots going off on fur
1oughs. There was no neglect in this
matter" he said. "and no more dis
comfort than is necessary in removing
sick men, TRANSFORMATION papers
I had been furnished promptly by his
office and if the men had to stand in
line for hours in order to get these
documents he had no knowledge OF the
fact.
DR.. Conner read letter from DR.
Forwood to the surgeon general com
planning of the delay in getting lum-
Der for the hospitals, but the witness
said he knew nothing of such q condi-
tion of affairs.
At the afternoon session Captain w
w. Ireland, who was associated witt
DIR. La Garde as a surgeon and eXecu.
tive officer in the Siboney hospita
said that he had gone to Cuba on thu
Saratoga. but had not been able t.
land for six days. why. he did moi
know. The hospital at Siboney hae
been sufficiently well supplied fol
about 200 patients except in the mat
ter of cots of which there were not II
exceed 80. Patients in excess of thi:
iiuutpcI hcfc Coiiptiltu W ne bli tllGl
blankets on the ground for the frs
week of the hospitals history.
About 1900 wounded men came to b.
treated within three or four days afte
the initiation of the hospital. Tn,
surgeons We're all competent and not
understanding the shortage of supplie
the men had as good attention as the.
could have had at any other hospitals
Speaking of the Concha, concernin;
(which there has been considerable
critieism. he said he had SUPERVISE
the provisioning of that vessel and h
was sure that it had received all tn
supplies necessary. He did not know
of any ships coming North withou
medical officers and attendants, We
the convalescents were expected t
look after themselves on the trip.
DR.. Ireland said that on one occasio,
a surgeon on the Seneca had com
ashore in search of a revolver becaus
ne said the crew was insolent. He ha
not been able to get revolver but di
get rifle. Dr. Ireland had neve
heard that he had been called upon /
use 1t. He was not sure whether thi
was DR.. Bird or DIR. Hicks
DR.. Edward l.. Munson, who was O
duty at Tampa and in Cuba, being fo