Rock Island Argus., 1898-09-22

II There Is Any Lack of Supplies or At
tendanee-Washingto Deceived APpar-
entity by the Aforesaid Commander
Matter of Vessels to Boil Drinking Water
Charges Made by Generals Sanger and
Waite at the Lexington Conference.
Lexington, Ky, Sept. PA promi-
nent gentleman close to the national
administration as well as to the officers
here at Camp Hamilton says represent
tour of inspection of the southern camps
by Secretary Alger, Quartermaster
General Luddington and Surgeon Cen
eral Sternberg will likely develop nu-
merous charges from regimental and
general field officers against both the
medical and the quartermaster de-
partments and especially against some
conIsissaries. The talking was begun
here by General Sanger against the
medical department and by General
Waites against the quartermaster's
and it is expected that officers at other
points viii add very materially to this
testimony before the tour of inspection
is completed. Secretary Alger stated
that all of this information and all 9TH
er evidence that he could secure would
be presented TO the investigating COM
mission at Washington.
DIVISION HOsp1tal Disgrace.
At the conference here Tuesday even
ing of Secretary Alger with General
Breckenridge, the commander of Camp
Hamilton. and other officers, General
sanger said while the division hospital
may be a good thing, that as il was
conducted it had been a disgrace to the
service; thAt it had deprived the regi-
ments of their surgeons and caused
hardships on the sick who should have
had better attention at the proper
time. Surgeon General Sternberg. i'll
reply, insisted that all acquisitions had
been honored in Washington. and that
any medical men failing to do their
duty should be reported.
Criminal Neglect Il Charged.
General Waites told Secretary Alger
that the neglect of some quaFtermas-
ters to furnish supplies was criminal
While in Chickamauga he frequently
made reQuisitionS which were not hon
ored. An imperative order had been
sent to have all water boiled. He made
a requlsition on QuarteFmaster General
Lee for water boilers. No attention was
paid to his requisition, and after he
had repeatedly urged Ouartermaster
Lee TO send the boilers and told him
how the men were contracting typhoid
fever he wN met with a reply which
read: The WAR department does not
furnish boilers"
Bought the Boilers Himself
General Waites then purchased the
boilers himself but the seeds Of typhoid
had been sown and the daily report
showed the list of deaths and of cases
in the hospitals. Pointing at Quarter
master Luddington, General waites
said: These men cannot say it was
somebody eisa's fault. 1t was the fault
of Quartermaster Lee and it was the
fault of Quartermaster LuddinGton, who
is standing right there" Luddington
made no reply to Waites, as Sternberg
had done to Sanger.
Washington DisaVows Responsibility.
Washington, Sept. 22.-The quarter
masters department OF the army states
that the claim made by certain officers
that boilers We're not furnished for boil
ing water at Chickamauga is not true.
On the same date that Chief Quarter
master Lee telegraphed for the boilers
1000 We're sent and n little later 500
more. 1t is also stated that the soldiers
would not drink the boiled water be-
cause it had a fiat taste and preferred
and drank the fresh water.