The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-21

had been complaint from almost every man
~ the company in regard to their break
Iasts and suppers. Captain Swateka re-
the men. and that 1t was satisfactory to
him. lie said, however. that he did not or
dinarily Inspect the meats Of the men
Sergt A. r. forenoon OF the same COM
pany. admitted that there was some COM
PAINT among the men, but he thought the
complaints We're due TO the fact that the
Colonel Taylor. of the Fourth Virginia
Regiment. was the first witness at the aft
plant whatever TO make concerning any
department. Of the government, and that he
knew of no. case OF wiiiful neglect.
Lieutenant Morrow, acting cUnmiSsary OF
the Third Nebraska. Colonel Bryans regi-
ment, testified to the generally good char
acter of the commissary supplies. He men,
toned one or two instances when poor
bacon had been received, and said there
were occasional complaints from the men,
though not of serious character.
Col. W. j. Bryan was next called. He
asked 10 be excused from testifying, re-
questing that his lieutenant colonel be ex-
amined in his stead You WILL have no
doubs, understand my reasons for the re-
quest he said.
4 think the request very proper and rea-
scnabie. responded Governor Beaver. and,
as the entire commission assented to this
eoncessicn. colonel Bryan was excused with
the request to send up his lieutenant
colone,.
". 4. Durbin. of the observation-disclosures
$iAlg-lISi 1nuIana. EdlQ there were Few
complaints from his men. and mat they
We're generally trivial He spoke especially
CT the grounds OF the Third Division hospi-
poorly kept. There had however, been a
vast Improvement since DR.. Clendenin had
succeeded Dr., Jesqrum, of the Rough
Riders. Colonel Durbin also said there had
been one or two complaints Of neglect of
his men at this hospital.
Col Leteher Hardin, of the Sixth Mis-
ScuTi, also complained that the grounds of
well kept
D. Alexander Kent. pastor of the Peoples
Church at Washington, and field agent at
Jacksonville for the Rcd Cross, queS-
toned concerning the operations of the Red
CrosS at this poirt. he said he had been
received very cordially by the army sur
geons and had co-operated with them He
low cases at the Second Division hospital in
Its early history. This was in midsummer.
Of the short supply of blankets He sup
piled the deficiency. There was also at that
time shortage of tents and food suitable
to typhoid patients. He had undertaken to
supply the deficiency and had distributed
Two carloads OF the necessary delicacles.
1T seemed" he said, as If the hospital
was arranged upon a smaller scale than
was demanded. and, as a consequence, there
was constant demand 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 We're apparently well vouched for. but
,tney had not generally proved Wen IOunu-
ed when investigated. Replying to ques-
ition, he said he thought it had been very
difficult to get medical men of sufficient adj
miniStrative ability to manage such 1nStltu-
tions as the division hospitals. Before the
female nurses were secured the nurses, who
were mer of the hospital corps. were not
capable. They were not intelligent, as
class. and. while some of them were dog
gedly faithful. they failed to meet the re-
quirements They did not for instance,
seem to regard it as of consequence If flies
were crawling in and out of a sick man
mouth with impunity, and he had seen as
many as six cases of this kind at one time.
Since the trained nurses had been secured
the sick were better cared for than at home:
The witness said the principal reasons of
the failure of the physicians to make requi-
sitions on the government for supplies was
found in the fear of their making demands
that would not be sanctioned. He said the
contributions of his society were generally
solicited and not volunteered by him.
MAS d husp the
agement of the case Of Charles Beraud. jr.,
Of the Louisiana troops. for which the hos
pital management has been. severely crit-
csed. He said he had the care of this case.
that everything possible had been done for
the man. and that the father OF the man
had thanked him for his care Of his son.
IieUtenSnt Colonel Vifquain. a veteran OF
the civil VAR and a graduate of the Military
School of Brussels, of the Third Nebraska.
said the regiment was excellently equipped
except that the tentage was poor. He also
said the quality of the clothing was bad:
The pork had also been wormy at times and
the beef tainted. but these had been ex-
changed. He had thought the clothing bet
ter than in the civil war. but the rations
were not SO good as then. He also thought
the camp entirely teo much crowded.
Other witnesses examined at the after
noon session were Lieutenant Jones. COM
missary Of the Fourth Virginia. Private
Allen o. White. of the same regiment; Pri-
waite. S. c.. Thompson: of the Third Ne
hraska; Lieutenant Freeman. commlssary
of the -hundred-and-sxty Indiana;
C0mE1issary Sergeant Morse. of the one
hundred7and- sixty-first Indiana; James X
pourie. a company commssary sergeant of
the Sixth Missouri. and Private James t.
james, of the Sixth Missouri. All these wit
nesses expressed themselves as satisfied
with their treatment The cOmmssary Off
GERS said the rationS were abundant. but
that occasionally the fresh meats we're
tainted owing TO the heat. The privates
found no fault. all saying they had enough
10 eat and generally that the food was
good