The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-14
He Tells What He Knows of COndi-
tons at Camp Thomas.
BEST TO Be HAD AT THE TIME,
Conditions Were Not Perfect but Were
as Good as Possible Under the Cir
cumstanccs-Much of the TrOu-
bic Was Due To- Oyercrowd-
ing in the Camps-The
Water Supply.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.-After devot-
/ ing the afternoon to hearing the testi-
mony Of Or. Hon. 2 chief surgeon of the
/ Third Army Corps. stationed at Camp
| Thomas the War Investigating Commis-
sion gave the remainder Of the day to the
reading Of papers submitted by Secretary
/ Alger with his statement concerning the
conduct Of the war. The papers include
orders for the movement Of troops. COM
munications TO the Secretary Of war from
/ the officers in the field and from the
| Secretary TO them and various other doc
uments bearing upon the investigation.
The documents reveal the fact that Gen
eral Miles recommended the occupation
Of the Isle Of Pines about the time of
the battle of Santiago and that Secretary
Alger disapproved the suggestion. 1t
also appears that General Miles recon-
mended that some point between Santi-
ago and Porto Rico be taken previous to
The beginning Of either campaign.
MILES AND SRAFTER.
The correspondence also developed the
fact that there was an apparent conflict
OF authority between Generals Miles and
Shafter at Tampa before the Santiago
campaign was inaugurated. IL also
shows that orders were issued by the
Secretary Of War that in the event that
General Shafter should be disabled by
sickness or other cause. the command
OK the troops az Santiago should develop
upon General Wheeler. and upon the
next IN command IN case OF the disability
of both Shafter and Wheeler.
The commission has summoned Major
Louis j. Leaman, a surgeon in the First
Volunteer Engineers 10 appear before f.
and he is expected 70 testify a to-mor-
row session. He has recently been
quoted in New York as saying that 200
men had died daily because Of the
mal-administration OF the quartermaster
department
Lieut. Hon was before the War Depart
eating Board to-day. He is a regular
army officer and was chief surgeon in
The Third Army Corps. at Camp Thomas.
Chickamauga Park. He said ne lll moi
consider the camp TO have been in the
best sanitary condition. but expressed
the opinion that it was the best 70 could
be- under the circumstances
The men were encamped somewhat
closer 10 each other than they should
properly have been. and IL had been i'm
possible without blasting 10 make the
sinks as deep as good sanitation re-
qu'red owing to a layer of limestone
which lay two or three feet below the
surface OF the ground throughout the
camp.
Furthermore, e was impossible 10 COM
pei the men 10 use the sinks, and he
thought it probable that this difficulty
had led 20 Injurious results. Every ef-
fort mad been made to- have the sinks
properly covered and disinfected and 10
have the men use them.
LACK OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
Or. Hon said that In the beginning the
camp was deficient in medical supplies.
There were az this time many cases of
darrhOea and &c had been impossible %
meet AN the demands for remedies. The
shortage was due 10 the fact that IL
was expected that tho troops would
come 90 camp supplied with medicines.
but some Of them failed in this respect.
Continuing. Dr. Hon said the capacity
OF the division hospital was often
doubled and trebied. There were eight
men I'm tents which were intended TO ac-
commodate six. on one or two occasions
patients We're necessarily placed IN beds
made upon the floors because Of a tenn
porary deficiency IN cots.
The orders provided for careful dlsin-
lection IN typhoid cases AS a rule. the
nurses were without training. and this
TACT cccasiOned some difficulty IN deal
ing with typhoid cases. Yet he knew Of
no specific cases OF suffering on this ac-
count. lie specified the case Of a man
afflicted with an infectious disease who
had been compelled 10 lie IN the open air
one night on account OF the lack OF
tentage. The captain was sure that no
injury resulted, as the weather was pleas
ant.
Dr. HoG said that the shortage in med
lcal supplies had continued for several
weeks. but there was generally sufn-
cient 20 meet the immediate demands
lie also said that some requisitlons had
0een returned by the Washington author
tiles because improperly filed and he
was under the impression that there
had been complaints OF some suffering
on this account There was considerable
delay in securing the flooring for the
tents.
NOT HIS FALUT.
WAS there any priyation on account |
OF the shortage Of tents?' asked Gov |
ernor Woodbury..
1T was so reported" responded DR..
Hon
Whose fault was it?" he was asked.
Not mine he replied. Il did all that |
I could do"
@-t~ |pyFe NA lue 4ulfl corps were I
more closely crowded than they should /
have been, but he had understood that /
the crowding had been supposed 10 be /
a military necessity in the beginning"
Or. COnnor stated that the Governor OF |
Arkansas had complained OF the neglect |
)f the troops from that State The Wit |
ness replied that the Arkansas troops re-
,clved the same medical care and atten- |
ion that had been given 10 other soldiers |
under like conditions.
He knew OF no case in which the men
In the hospitals had been compelled TO
he on the ground. but he thought there
we're probably cases whore the sick men
lad been kept under flies several days.
DR.. Connor read an extract from the
etter OF the Arkansas Governor SAYING
hat he had made personal investigation
- the conditions in this hospital and that
he had found the conditions deplorable-
simply disgraceful."
INCOMPETENT SURGEONS.
He charged that the doctors In the IN
ititution were all northern men. unfamil-
ar with diseases incidental 10 the South.