The herald., 1898-10-21

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was full of reports that the medical depart
men of the government was not capable of
meeting the demands made upon 1T, and
that but for the aid of such relief societies
as the Red Cross there would have been
actual suffering.
To this DR.. Pitcher replied that such was
not the case and he maintained the suttl-
cheney of the government to take good care
of its own sick. He said that it would have
been ungracious not to accept the aid offer
ed by the relief societies.
OTHER WITNESSES
Captain John w. Swatek of Company L,
Second Illinois, complained HAT on two or
three occasions the fresh meat furnished his
men was poor but said on all other occa-
sons the food was pure and ample. General
Dodge told the captain that there had been
complaint from almost every man in the
company in regard to their breakfast and
suppers. Captain Swatek replied that he
had eaten the same food given the men and
that it was satisfactory to him. He said,
however, that he did not ordinarily inspect
the meats of the men.
Sergeant A. L. Lorenson of the same COM
pany admitted there was some complaint
among the men but he thought the COM
plants were due to the fact that the men
were homesick.
AFTERNOON SESSION
Colonel Taylor of the Fourth Virginia
regiment was the first witness before the
war investigating commission at the alter
noon session. He said he had no complaint
whatever to make concerning any depart
ment of the government and he knew OF no
case of willful neglect.
Lieutenant Morrow, acting commissary
of the Third Nebraska, Colonel Bryan reg
iment, testified to the general good charac-
ter of the commissary supplies. He men
toned one or two instances where poor bd-
con had been received and said there were
occasional complaints from the men, though
not of serious character.
COLONEL BRYAN CALLED
Colonel w. j. Bryan was next called. He
asked to be excused from testitying, request
ing that his lieutenant-colonel be examined
in his stead.
You will, l have no doubt, understand
my reason for the request" he said.
Il think the request very proper and rea-
sonable," responded Governor Beaver, and
as the entire commission assented to this
concession Colonel Bryan was excused with
the request to send up his leutenant-coonel.
COLONEL DURBIN
w. T. Durbin of the One Numbered and
Sixty-frst Indiana spoke of the Third divis-
ion hospital, saying they had for d time been
very poorly kept. There had, however, been
vast improvement since DIR. Clendennin
had succeeded DR.. Jesurum OF the Rough
Riders. Colonel Durbin also said there had
been one or two complaints of neglect of his
men at the hospital. Col. Letch Hardin of
the Sixth Missouri also complained that the
grounds of the Third division hospital had
not been well kept.
REV. DIR. KENT
DIR. Alex Kent, pastor of the Episcopal
church at Washington and field agent at
Jacksonville for the Red Cross was ques-
toned concerning the operations OF the Red
Cross at this point He said he had been re-
ceived very cordially by the army surgeons
and he had co-opcrated with them He had
noticed the absence of sheets and pillows at
the Second division hospital in its early his
tory. This was in midsummer and many
men lay uncovered ON account of the short
supplies OF blankets. He supplied the def
cheney. There was also at that time a short
age Of tents and food suitable for typhoid
patients. He had undertaken to supply the
deficiency and had distributed two carloads
of the necessary delicacies.
at 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 com
plants concerning misconduct at the hos
pitfalls and many of them We're apparently
well vouched for, but they had not general
ly proved well founded when investigated.
Replying to question he. said he thought
it had been difficult to get medical men oi
sufficient administrative ability to manage
such institutions as division hospitals Be
fore the female nurses were secured, the
nurses, who were men of the hospital corps
were not capable. They were not intelli
gent as class. and while some of them were
doggedly faithful, they failed to meet the
requirements. They did not, for instance
seem to regard it as of any consequence il
flies were crawling in and out of a sick mans
mouth, and he had seen as many as six
eases of this kind at one time. Since the
trained nurses had been secured, the sick
were better cared for than at home.
FAIRLY SATISFIED
Lieut.. Nivquain, veteran of the civil
war and graduate of the military school OF
brussels, OF the Third Nebraska, said the
regiment V-as excelently equipped except
that the food was poor. He said the
clothes were bad. The pork had also been
wormy and the beef tainted, but these had
been exchanged. He had thought the cloth
ing better than in the civil war but the ra
tons were not so good as then. He thought
the camp entirely too much crowded.
Other witnesses examined at the after
Mo REST Nj