The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-16
GEN. MILES STYLED A GENIUS.


pirate the necessary moneys for reforms.
Replying 10 a question from Mr.. Wood
bury, he said: THAT considering the sys-
tem he thought the government had done
far better in its conduct of the war than
anybody had expected and just about one
fourth as well as Il should have done
Gen. McCook asked Gen. Breckinrjdee f
he had visited Gen. Shafter in his tent
when the latter was i'll at Santiago. and
Gen. Breckenridge replied that he had
done so.
Did he then offer the command of the
army to you, as has been reported in the
press?"
Gen. Breckenridge replied: II very mucb
prefer not TO answer that question. Yon
should ask Gen. Shafter. Such CONVEX
satlon as occurred between Gen. Shafter
ana myself on that occasion is not OF a
character to be spoken of lightly 1 fall
70 see now reply from me would pro-
mote the subject of your inquiry You
want TO know what Gen. Shafter did. noe
what ne may have thought of doing. If
zen Shafter has not repeated the con-
Versatlon, l ought not TO do so"
AS matter of fact, he did not turn
the command over to you?'' suggested
GOV. Beaver, to which Gen Rrecl1inridre
responded; mo; he did not, and / do not
thlnk there is any improperly in saying
'nat ne could not have done So"
Or. Connor questioned Gen. Breckin-
ridge about the condition of the sinks at
camp Thomas when the troops left there,
saying that il had been represented to the
commission that some 5000 of them had
been found to be uncovered. The general
replied that necessarily some of the sinks
hda peen left uncovered; chat 1t was d.ff-
cult TO clean up after large army evac-
n mr. IL L., L.
mad foreseen this and had asked 81 800
from Washington for the purpose of put
ting the sinks in proper condition This
money had not arrived before his depart
ure, but he supposed 1t had been receiv-
ed later and had been used by his success
or for the purpose for which it was in
tended.
Capt Robert w Dody, who was master
OF transportation at Montauk Point and
DR.. Magruder, a local physician were also
examined at the morning session. They
testified as to Camp Wykoff and Camp
Alger, but nothing of Importance was de-
veloped
DR.. William G. Weaver, Ninth Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, was the first witness at
the afternoon session, and he proved an
important one. as he gave detailed infor-
nation concerning the conduct of the reg
mental hospital at Camp Thomas. Dr..
Weaver said that typhoid had broken out
about June Is, and that it had increased
from that rin1e until Aug. 20 There had
been about 600 cases of this disease in the
regiment, and twenty-eight or thirty
deaths. The doctor said there was an in
sufficient supply of drugs and that at
times he failed to get what was needed.
Quinine was one of The articles of which
there had been scarcity, and leo 900 pills
were secured from home. He said that at
one time there were fifty-six typhoid pa
tlents in the regimentaI hospital because
there was no accommoda ton for them in
the division hospital At another time
there were sixty-seven fever patients in
the company tents for whom admission
could not be secured in any hospital, di-
vision or regimental. In summing up the
causes of disease In the camp, DR.. Weaver
included overwork of The men as one. He
also expressed the opinion that the water
from Chickamauga creek was polluted.
DIR. Weaver related his difficulties in Sc.
curing tents for the regimental hospital
and said that in one case Chief Quarter
master Lee had refused to allow the regi-
ment to have tent which was stored and
which was its property. Col. Lee said The
tent could not be taken out except in the
proper military manner; but the regiment
had never been able to ascertain what he
required and had never secured the tent.
The defect was supplied by taking the
officers mess tent for hospital purposes.
In this connection Gov. Beaver express
ed the opinion that this conduct on the
part of Col. Lee was an outrage and he
said the only mistake that the doctor and
his colonel had made was that they had
not taken the colonel by the nape of the
neck and kicked him out of the camp"
The witness expressed the opinion that
oh. 10 f-1a.a
by the government, adding that not an
article of properly in his hospital had been
thus supplied the citizens of Pennsylva-
MIA buying beds, blankets, sheets and all
the food, ice and milk, that had been bee used
there. They had expended over 5000 on
the hospital alone.
Mai. Louis A. Lagarde, a regular army
surgeon, testified that transports taking
troops 10 Cuba were overcrowded. On his
steamer. the Saratoga. thirteen cases of
fever had developed going over. He spoke
hiehly of the work done by the Red Cross