The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-15
WAR INQUIRY PROCESSES:
IMPORTANT WITNESS BEFORE THE
BOARD AT THEIR SESSION.
Surgeon Huidkopfer, Chief Medical
Officer of the Third Corps. Testi-
fies ~ 10 the Conditions at Camp

enridge. Or. Huilekopfer and Gen. KNOX
ware before the war investigation eonl-
mission today. Gen. Breckinrlage's tes1l-
r1ony dealt wish the conditions a Camp
Thomas. OF which he was for time II
command. and he took occasion 20 say
that but for the change which was made
previous 10 the war. requiring inspectors
general In the field 10 report 20 the adtu-
taat general instead OF the inspector gem
erai. the conditions Of the camps no" oe-
ing developed by the commission would
have been developed three months ago.
Gov. Woodbury. has returned from YER
mont and sat with the commission to-day.
The investigating commission resumed
the examination OF witnesses today, with
Dr. x. S. Huiakopfer. OF the volunteers.
on the stand. He occupied the position or
chief medical officer OF the First army
corps at Camp Thomas. Cnickamauga,
until the Grd day OF July. when be went
10 Porto Rico with Gen. Brooke speak
ing OF the supply department. he said
there were large quantities OF some ar1l-
cles and superabundance OF others at the
beginning OF the history Of Camp Thomas,
but this condition OF affairs did not long
continue. He continued by saying he had
made constant representation 10 the sur
geon general OF the shortness of supplies.
He had never turned down any reQuisi-
ton from the division hospitals, but he
flooring for hospital tents when Brooke
had expected to move. He contended there
had been a sufticiency Of ten;age. saying
that no patients had been compelled 10 lie
without covering for any length or time
He repeatedly called attention 10 the lack
OF nurses. and about the lst of July there
was an increase of the hospital corps men
in response 10 his representations but the
supply was never equal TO the demand.
rtf no
In general. he SAID some OF the sinks were
excessively filthy. Some were never IN
proper condition.
.Who was responSib bic for that condi-
tion?" asked DIR. Connor-
THE officers Of the regiment" answered
DR. Huidekopfer.
Connor insisted upon knowing whether
anything had ever been done by the COM
mand!ng general 10 secure the punishment
OF rcgimental officers who had refused 10
obey the order for proper poi.c.ng OF the
camps but Huidekopfer declared ne
knew of no instance OF prosecution Tor
any offense OF tins kind.
Huiakopfer said he had SUGGESTED IN get
ting supplies only by being first on hand.
as the medical depot was run In very
parsimonious manner. There was not only
a great scarcity OF important drugs such
as quinine and opium bat disposition on
the part Of the puryeyor not to give out
what there was.
DR.. Huidekoper said that with a few
tIlimportant exceptions the medical sup
plies for the Porto Rican expedition had
been ample. AT Newport News he had
given orders that the sick men DC elimlnat-
I'd from the command, but he found that
The order had been evaded and the sick
men taken aboard. This was especially
true Of the Third Illinois regiment. whose
surgeon. Dr. Huldekopfer said. had persist
ed from the first in breaking the letter OF
the law. He said that when the command
started TO Porto Rico. Gen. Brooke had
exercised his prerOgative 10 demand the
filling OF a requisition which had been
refused ny the deputy surgeon general. but
In response TO a question he said he did
not know why the general had not eXer-
cised this prerosative in securing supplies
al Chickamauga.
Responding to a request from ex-Gov.
Beaver Dr Huldekopfer detailed the part'c-
lilars OF his education as a physician, giving
also his experience In military service. He
said he had been graduated as a physician
from the University Of Pennsylvania in 1874
and afterwards had studied much In Paris.
Berlin and other European capitals ana
had had considerable experience in hospitals
and in general practice. He went 10 Europe
a second time on the recommendation OF
DR. D. Hayes Agnew who desired 10 es-
tahish a veterinary hospital. After re
turning to this country he went 20 New
York and was engaged largely in the manu-
facture OF toxines. only practicing human
medicine for charity. He had been a sur
geon in the Pennsylvania National Guard
from 1874 to 1898. being brigade surgeon
most OF the time covering the Homestead
strikes and the Johnstown floods.
In answer 70 question from Gen. Beav-
er the witness said that Deputy Surgeon
Genera. Hartsuff had refused 20 supply dis
.nfac.auts for the camp ut Chickamauga.
saving that to do 50 was contrary 10 any
army regulations.
DR. Hu!dekopfer referred frequently dur
ing his testimony 70 his difficulty In Sc
curing nurses He said he had once Sc
s,sred an approach II the necessary num-
her through an arbitrary order from Gen.
Brooke and vaen ;his order was issued
the companies insisted on furnishing their
wors; men In service tn the hospital corps
One was an epieptic ana one a confirmed
drum kard. Yet the men Who had given him
the worst nurses were generally the first
to make complaint OF lack OF attention
The witness said II was not true that pr
Har,s.pn had taken charge % a hospital
as Ihe latter had stated because OF us
MANAGEMENT. Dr. HartsuT had volunteer
- 70 take hospital on one occasion. bBt
the offer had been declined. 50 5hat X was
all on paper
In fact" She witness added "C;ea.
Brooke woald have stopped him If be had
attempted to DO so"
MAJ. Thomas T. Knox, Inspector general.
who participated IL the early part % ,he
Santiago campa IN as captain N the
FIRST TEX alar cavalry. was before the war
Investigating committee AZ IS afternoon
session He VAS wounded in rho battle -
Ia CuaSioa the second - after landing.
when he was the only officer Of MS rces-
n TT present MAJ Knox Sai1 the ship III
which the rt .nent went from Tampa 20
Santiago ms greatly crowded and thaf
" sen th.y landed the men were IN poor
condition 1or action. 'the worst ever
saw" he Sa;t This vas due 20 the far.
that they had been SHAT m IN the hold of
sAe ship fCr sixteen DAYS FOR thev r44
BEEN iu good shape when thev left Ta-aua.
re sai3 TIA; the medical corps had done
as Nell as could have bsec expected wst~
the means AZ command. f{e thought !,
veild have been better * there had bean
more surgeons. an3 probably s. wou}}
have ocen be.ter = there coui5 have hes~
a:ubaisnces and more Filters. tat :he ex-
petition had been hastily ovSaalz4s ana