Evening star., 1898-10-12
CAMP ALGER FAULTS
General Graham Before the Investi-
eating Commission.
IGNORANT REGIMRNTkL OFFICERS
troops Were Found to Be Too
Crowded.
nj REGINENThL OFFICERS
CONDITION OF HOSPITALS


nam. commanding the "a Army Corps. was
| renewed at 1880 O'Clock this morning be-
tore the war investigating commission Gen
| Graham testified that the percentage OF
men on the sick list in his army CORPS at
various dates was as follows: July u, 35I
per cent; August 80. 3.s2 per cent: Septem-
Der 10. 4.66 per cent; September 30 Cos
per cent.
The witness when asked regarding the
| best location fof camps so far as shad, Was
| concerned replied;
Il think the open, where the sun can
reach the tents, is the best place. OBJ
Jected TO troops going in camp ia the woods
at hrst. but colonies of regiments were very
sohcltous TO have The men where They could
| be in the shade. and / permitted H. though
| the woods in which they were located were
| quite open"
| EN-GoYernor Beaver-"D.d YOU observe
any difference between the health oil me-,
Ia me woods and those campcd IN the
The witness-"No, sir. do not know how
| that was
Ex-Gov Beaver-"what, in your judg-
| ment was the cause OF the sickness an
Camp Alger?'
Gen. Graham-'Well, sir, | think the close
contact OF the camps was one special rea-
son Tor sickness. The ground We mad for
the camp was limited The tens were. I'M
the men were brought in too close contact
ana mad the same air to breathe. That was
| the opinion OF the medical officers.
Ex-Governor BeaVcI-rD.l the personal
| habits of the men have anything to do
with the sickness. in Your juusment?'
| zen. Graham-''l think so. / have always
| thought that the lack OF bathing faciitieE
mad something to do with II. The men
under the system we adopted were hathed
at least once week. To do that We
marched them seven miles, and on these
marches they were practiced in drill just as
| IL they had been in the presence OF the
enemy"
Ex-Gov. Beaver-"How about their hab-
1 its of eatng?'
Gen. Graham--'I think they had a great
| deal to do with the sickness. 1 was toid
| OF an instance in which a man was seen
| eating ice cream early in the morning, he
| tween 4 and O'Clock. Immediately aftcr
| eating ice cream this man was seen eating
| d box of sardines"
Ex-Gov. Beaver-''Did he get sickg'
Gen. Graham-"I think he did. / am
| net sure about that
Speaking OF the granting of leaves of alb
sence for the soldiers while at Camp Alger.
| he said he permitted per cent Of the men
to be away at time. AT Camp Meade
| after mastering out of regiments had be-
gesl, he Increased this percentage to IL.
Camp Alger Hospitals.
Asked regarding the hospital accommoda-
tions at Camp Alger the witness said they
sible, but he was particular to see that
each regiment had a hospital OF TWO or
three beds to care for men taken sick In
camp and who could not be taken to the
division hospitals. He preferred the sys-
TEN of division hospitals as il allowed a
supervision of the work OF all the surgeons
by chief surgeon. As TO the medical Off
GERS, he said:
Some time after the installation of the
division hospitals many of the younger vol
unteer medical officers were what might be
called green. They did not know how TO
do what they wanted to do. 1t was not
until they had been broken in. as it were
that they became really efficient. Even
then in many instances they were, without
intending to be so, neglectful. They were
neglectful in the matter of descriptive lists.
| had great difficulty in having them pay
proper attention to these descriptive lists.
The result was that men suffered by not
being able to receive their pay promptly. 1
had to try one of our medical officers be-
cause of neglect of these descriptive lists"
Gen. Graham said the commissary de-
partment was most thoroughly efficient.
The commissary officers were most atten-
tive to their duties.
Ignorant Regimentai Officers.
There might have been instances in which
rations were issued and were found to be
in bad condition, but there would have
been no trouble in having them surveyed
and condemned and 10 have received a new
supply I'm their place if the reg1mental Off
GERS had understood their duties and at
tended to their business In one instance
he knew that forty-eight hours had elapsed
before any information was given The sub
sistence officers that there was any trouble
with the supplies. General Graham ,,on-
tinued:
In many Instances regimental cornrnis-
saries, through ignorance or lack Of inter-
est. failed to pay that attention TO the men
that they should have done. | received a
telegram from the Secretary OF War saving
the Sd Virginia Regiment was living on
salt meat and had done so some eight days.
They had received no fresh beef. / al once
rode over to the camp of the Sd Virginia
and saw the colonel of that regiment He
said the men preferred salt meat as IL
was new to them. / told him the orders Of
the War Department required him to draw
fresh meat seven days in every ten days.
The medical officers desired that should be
done. l found that regiments officers did
not know how to make out a ration return. .
l sat down there and showed them how to
do 1t. The colonel said he would send for
fresh meat l learned later that the wa
gons of that regiment did not 20 for the
meat. That was evidence to my mind that
those gentlemen did not attach that i'm
portance to the matter of fresh meat
they should have done. The colonel evil
IDENTIFY thought the bacon was good enough
for him and that it was good enough for
the men.
III dHclnSE Instance taEG, lx1tle, leDot
commissaIy went to another regiment and
told them they were not drawing the
amount Of fresh meat TO which thev were
entitled. The officer replied he would NOT
draw a pound of fresh meat until Can't.
Little gave him to saw n with
Gen. Wilson asked for the name of the
officer who made that remark and the wit
ress replied that II was stated in a report
that had been made to the War Depart
ment and could be obtained there. The Sec
retary of War had ordered that this officer
be disciplined
Ex-Gov. Beaver: Did you have a school
SO that regimental commissary officers
could be instructed by experienced COM
missary officeIs?"
Gen. Graham: Yes. sir. told Col Alli-
son that ordnance officers had opened such
school and that I wanted him TO do so
for commissary officers of regiments He
did instruct them and camps were visited
in order that these regimental officers
might be instructed in the proper forms for
making out papers"
Ex-Gov. Beaver: THAT being the case
how do You account for this ignorance Of
which you sDeak?''
Gen Graham: ct cannot account for n
These people were very new TO the bust