The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-22
At THE ATLANTA CAMP
The Investigating Commission.
ers Hear Few Complaints.
THE DELAY IN SUPPLIES
Considerable Delay In Getting Requisi-
tions Filled 1t the Beginning of
the War = Petty Theivlns
From the Soldiers.

Atlanta. Oct. 21.-The war investiga-
tion commission arrived here to-day
and proceeded to Fort Mcpherson.
There are now 322 patients in the hos
pitals and many are convalescent. The
commissioners talked with surgeons.
nurses and patients. They encountered
no complaint from the sick men. and
the nurses stated the work was con-
stantly growing less owing to the de-
crease in the number of patients. They
found the men I'm the mess room abun-
dantly supplied with food.
The commissioners examined only
two witnesses here. They were Major
Blair b. Taylor. surgeon In charge OF
the general military hospital here, and
Rev. Orville ]. Lave, chaplain of that
institution. Both appeared at the af-
ternoon session of the commission. Ma
1or Taylor related the history OF the
hospital since it's inception. He said
that recently he had no difficulty in
securing supplies. as he had been given
carte blanche to purchase them. He
had. however. in the beginning OF the
camps history, had considerable diff
Guilty in getting acquisitions filed, al
though he had no difficulty in getting
them approved by the authorities at
Washington. One requisition. made on
the 18th of May. and another on the
18th of June had not been entirely filled
until very recently. DIR. Taylor hadl
on account of the delay in filling these
acquisitions. been compelled to call
upon the surgeon general for a portion
of his special fund. and had thus pre-
vented any suffering among the pa
tients.
DIR. Taylor said he had found the
t.f, - IN
a day more than sufficient to furnish
food for the sick men. and he ex-
pressed the opinion that 10 cents a day
would be sufficient for the purpose of
supplying food. DR.. Taylor stated that
a large proportion of his patients had
been received from Tampa. but that
some had come from Jacksonville.
Chickamauea and other points. He also
said that many had been sent here who
were not in condition TO be removed.
as many of them were typhoid fever
patients. and In such cases repose was
a prime necessity. Many patients died
soon after arrival
Rev. Mr.. Nave said he had visited
every patient who had been In the hos
pital and that he had never heard a
single complaint from a man who was
possessed of his reason. while on the
contrary he had heard many express
sions OF gratitude and commendation
for the excellent conduct of the hos
pital. Rev. Mr.. Nave expressed the
opinion that In the conduct of military
hospitals generally there was too little
care of the clothes and other property
OF patients. He had known OF many in
stances in which men were brought
here with no clothes except their night
shirts. and he himself had secured,
through private help, no fewer than a
hundred suits for such men as had lost
their clothing.
''In a word, the thieving which has
been going on and the petty pecula-
tions which have been practiced upon
soldiers" said he. "ofttimes by their
has been one OF the saddest
features of the war"
Replying to a question from General
Chaplain Nave said he had
seen some of the surgeons at the hos
pital under the influence OF liquor. but |
not to a sufficient extent to interfere |
with the proper performance OF their |
duties.
The commission left at II o'clock to- |
night for Admission.