Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-09-01
Al CAMP OLYMPIA.
Several Deaths and Many Stories OF
Ill-Usage.

A telegram was received from the
war department to devote the hospi-
tai building at the post exclusively to
the Vermont regiment and to see that
the field hospital now being erected
near the regular hospital be completed
as quickly as possible and the sick at
the barracks be transferred there at
once to enable the stewards to fumi-
gate the quarters before the arrival OF
the convalescents from Montauk
Point.
The sick at the Military Post hos
pital are mostly doing as well as pos
sible. The weather has been ideal for
convalescent fever patients and its
effect is being felt by the boys who are
confined at the barracks and in the
field hospital.
The change from the heat of the
south to the cool weather here has
zen accompanied in some cases by
severe colds.
Lieut.. Daniel f. Curtin of Brattle-
boro, who was left sick with typhoid
fever in st. Vincent's hospital, died
Monday afternoon OF last week. He
was taken i'll about three weeks ago
at Chickamauga park and was taken
from there to the hospital His is the
first death among the Brattleboro
soldiers. His military work began IL
years ago last March. when he en-
listed as private in the Estey Guard.
He was not only one Of the best men
in the company, bat one OF the best
in the regiment and stood high as a
soldier. He was appointed adjutant
of the second battalion last winter,
and he went into the service Of the
United States in that capacity, hav-
ing the rank OF second lieutenant. His
remains were taken to Brattleboro for
burial and, wrapped in the flag, were
consigned to the grave.
John Chalmers of Co. ID, whose
home is in Danville, died in the hos
pital last week Wednesday night. He
had had typhoid fever, but the main
cause OF his death was pneumonia.
He received sun stroke while in the
Southern camp and this is thought to
have fastened his death.
Co. / of BrattleDoro. with the
largest sick list in the regiment, had
its second death Wednesday, 1.-THE
eleventh in the regiment,) when Pri-
vate Joseph Vollinger passed away at
e:l5 o'clock. Vollinger was the man
who was thought to be dead several
times during the homeward trip and
who was said to have died while
being transferred from the hospital
train to the post hospital. Each time
he rallied. however, and was consid-
cred out OF danger. He had been i'll
with malaria and kindred complaints
for over two months and had recently
been through a siege OF the typhoid
fever. The end came in a sudden
collapse, no one of the attendants
thinking his condition to be critical
Vollinger was % years old and leaves
a father and mother and several
brothers and sisters who live at Hat
field and Northampton, Mass. lie
enlisted in the last call hen the CON-
pany was recruited to its full strength
at Chickamauga. The body was
shipped TO Braftleboro in the usual
military quartermastere box, without
clothing or covering of any kind ex-
cept breech-cloth and dirty torn
piece Of cotton cloth thrown over il
and tucked under the head. He had
a uniform when taken to the hospital
and IL that was destroyed because OF
fear of contagious disease, there was
at least no reason why the law Of YER
mont should not have been complied
with and the body wrapped in clothes
soaked with solution. The neglect
was shameful and OF a piece with that
the boys tell of their hospital treat
ment, and an investigation must be
had 10 fix the responsibility. On ar
rival the body was taken TO the under
taking rooms of Hackiey & Moran.
Maj. Estey and Capt. Haigh ordered |
q fine c2sket and outfit which the
company would pay for. OF course
the state ought to do so.
A sad case is the death Of George
r. Smith of Company d, who died
in the hospital at Chickamauga the |
18th of July. He reported TO the
surgeon that he was sick, but was re-
turned to his company and ordered |
TO do full duty. He had to be car
ried to the hospital before evening
and in less than a week at the hospi-
tai breathed his last
One OF the members of Company
ID, who was in the hospital
in the South, says that he plead
ed for four hours for water. but none
came. He says that the treatment in
the hospital was something awful. |
He says that in order to get treatment
officers Of the companies had to be
appealed TO. One night the surgeon
In charge could not be found. He
had his wife with him and to enter
tain her was OF more consequence to
him than attending to sick and dying
soldiers.
Gradually the treatment received in
the hospital is coming to light and
1.