Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-10-23
CAMP THOMAS
Was Not a Fit Placs for a Permanent
Camp---Men Should Have Been Re-
moved Much Earlier.

Admission, Ala, October 22.-The
war investigating Commission began
its work to-day by making an inspee-
ton Of the site OF Camp Shipp. in the
forenoon, and then devoting the afttl-
noon to questioning Gen Frank, COM
handing officer of the camp, and his
chief surgeon, Major Henry F. Hoyt
Both were identified with Camp
Thomas at Chickamauga, General
Frank having been in command OF The
First division of the Third corps a;
that point. and Major Hoyt, his chief
surgeon there. 1t was made plain he
general trend of their examination
would pertain more largely to Camp
Thomas than to the camp here, as a
majority of the men here were removed
from Chickamauga. There are, how
ever, two regiments here which were
in Cuba, and some of their representa-
tiyes will also be examined.
Gen. Frank said he considered
Chickamauga a good site for tenn
porary camp, but not for the permanent
camp for large army. The chief DIM
Guilty was in not putting sinks down
deep enough. Owing to the rock for
maticn near the surface, sinks could
only be made two or three feet deep,
and they frequently overlooked. There
was also a general impression that the
springs in the locality were impreg-
mated by these sinks. and it was i'm
possible to prevent the men from
drinking from the springs. He
thought the camp should have been
moved as early as July. He said he
had heard no complaints from the men
in regard to the food received while at
Chickamauga. There had been con-
slant improvement in the command
since its removal to Admission in Sep
TENDER, and Gen. Frank thought the
improvement was due TO the change OF
site
DR.. Henry F. Hoyt VISA also examined
especially in reference to Camp Thomas.
He said the increase in sickness above
the normal had begun about the middle
of July, and had been rapid from that
time forward until there were $50 pa
tients in the first division hospital on
the first Of August. AT this time 1t
was impossible to receive patients for
a period of twenty-four hours. The
increase in disease had begun with the
rainy season and he thought much Of
the malaria ad been due to the fact
that the men were compelled to sleep
on the ground. He attributed the in
crease in typhoid to the sinks, to the
flies, TO the fact that the wells were
infected and to the carelessness OF the
men. The command used water taken
through pipes from Chickamauga river
and the pipe was located only a few
feet above the mouth Of the stream
which drained the camp. The doctor
thought that some Of the water from
this tributary stream had been forced
into the pipes by means of eddies.
DR.. Hoyt expressed the opinion that
the surgeons in the division hospital
had been competent, and in support of
his opinion he adduced the fact that
there had been only q deaths cat OF
1,549 patients in the hospital for the
entire three summer months. The
nurses Of the hospital corps, while
faithful, were in most cases unskilled
and therefore incompetent He said
there had been 616 patients treated in
the division hospital at Admission, and
of these twenty had died. There had
been no exceptionally high degree Of
mortality here. but many Of the men
who came here both from Chickamauga
and Santiago were very debilitated.
He thought the change Of location
from Chickamauga had been very
beneficial. DR.. Hoyt said he was IA
miliar with the complaint concerning
the Eighth New York regiment.
There was, he said, an enormous sick
rate in this regiment and there were
many cases of Inconsistencies yet. Cir
cumstances surrounding these men
were the same as those affecting 9TH
ers.