The record-union., 1898-11-15
Testimony Relating to the Conditions at
Chickamaugd Park.
Was Not a Sufficient Supply of
Medical Stores to Meet Require
ments-The Division Hospitals
Were Always Clean, But Suf-
fered for Proper Attendance,
There Being Lack of Nurses.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.-General
Breckinridge, DR.. Huidekoper and Ma
jor Knox were before the War lRvesti-
CATION Commission to-day. General
Breckinridge's testimony dealt with
conditions at Camp Thomas, of which
he was for a time in command, and he
took occasion to say that but for the
change that was made previous to the
war, requiring Inspectors General in the
field to report to the Adjutant General
instead of the Inspector General, the
condition of the camps now being de-
veloped three months ago.
Governor Woodbury. has returned
from Vermont, and sat with the COM
mission to-day.
The War Investigation Commission
resumed it's session to-day with DR.. X.
S. Huidekoped of the volunteers on the
stand He said he had occupied the
position of Chief Medical Officer of the
First Army Corps at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga Park, until the I'D Of
July, when he had gone to Porto Rico
with General Brooke.
Speaking of the supply department,
DIR. Huidkoper said there was a large
quantity of some articles and super
abundance of others at the beginning
of the history of Camp Thomas, but
that this condition Of affairs did not
long continue. He had Immediately
undertaken to make regular requisi-
tionS so as to equaliZe them in the
various divisions of the command. At
one time he had to appeal to General
Brooke to get the supplies necessary,
the Commissary General insisting on
being guided by the supplies on the
table, which was not a fair test.
do you know" asked DR.. Connor,
that there was not a full supply of
medical stores at the depot at Lytle?"
Il know that many articles were
lacking" the doctor replied, and added:
"It is not true, as has been stated, that
there was full supply"
He continued by saying that he had
made constant representations to the
Surgeon General of the shortage of sup
plies. He had never turned down any
requSition from the division hospitals,
except on one occasion, except when
he knew that the articles were not on
hand. Also he had refused his sane
tiOn to a requisition for flooring for
hospital tents when General Brooke had
expected to move. He contended that
there had been a sufficiency of tentage,
saying that no patients had been COM
PEELED to lie without covering for any
length of time. 1t was true, however
that there We're occasions on which the
sick men had been kept for several
days at a time under the tent flies.
THE Second and Third Division Hos
pitals were always clean and we'll or
dered," he said. Both institutions were
we'll built, but they had suffered
throughout for proper attendance.
There never was a sufficient number Of
Hospital Corps men. On the other
hand the First Division Hospital was
not so we'll conducted. for lack of dis
cipline due to the prospects of removal
He had repeatedly called attention to
the lack of nurses, and about the first
of July there was an increase of hos
pital corpsmen in response to his rep
resentations, but the supply was never
equal to the demand
Reverting to the question of tentage.
he said he knew of his. own knowledge
that the surplus tentage at the reserve
hospital was turned over to the Divis-
ion Hospitals, and that tents had not
been held there to the detriment of
other hospitals. However, he stated
that there We're always unoccupied
tents at the reserve hospital
Speaking of the condition of the camp
in general. he said that some of the
sinks were excessively filthy. Some Of
them were never in proper condition.
WHO was responsible for that condi-
tion?" asked Dr. Connor.
The officers of the regiment" re-
sponded DR.. Huidkoper.
Did not the commanding General
have a duty TO perfOr-u in that cOnnao
tion?''
The reply to this question was not
satisfactory. as DR.. Connor insisted