The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-11-04
A GENERALS VIEW.
Gen. Bates Thinks Medical Supplies
We're WOefu1ly Short in Cuba.
TIE CONDITION OF CAMP THOMAS.
DE- Hearns Shows That the sites Were
Disease Brseders-The Water Con-
demned-NO Room for Sick In
the Division Hospital


the Division Hospital.
Lexington, KY, Nov. 2.-Before the
war investigating commission Tuesday
Chief COmmissary Marshall, Of Camp
Hamilton, denied the statements made
BY Lieut. Col Mitchell. Of the First
territOrials, Monday. He said every
requisitiOn had been honOred from the
territOrials- The second witness was
Gen J. c. Bates, who testified as to
the Santiago campaign, the camps at
Mobile and at Chickamauga sat San
tiagO we had bread and meat always
MOntauk point was not the proper
place for camp Of sick soldiers at
this time of the year. In Cuba medi-
cal supplies were wOefully short The
medical officers said that they could
not get them This was especially true
at SibOney. In going over we had
enough medical supplies, but we were
cut down We had trouble in getting
ambulances taken to Cuba We got
one for each regiment and one for
each squadron I think the ambu-
Iances I took were the only ones ashore
when the rough riders fight occurred
on the oath Of June" When asked
what in his opinion was the weakness
in the medical department, Gen Bates
said he thought q great mistake was
made in not sending medical officers
IN sufficient number with regi-
ments ordered TO the field Addi-
tiOnal transportation should have
been furnished for medical officers and
medical supplies, ambulances and
horses 81 think there is not sufficient
excuse for medical supplies being
short in Cuba" he added. Better
preparations could have been made for
transporting We had no way to shoe
horses and mules I have no recon-
mendatiOns TO suggest as to the i'm
prOvement Of war department regUla-
tons nor regarding the ratiOns. These
matters have been subject to the con-
sideratiOn OF boards and able officers,
and I do not care to offer an opinion"
Dr. Edgar A Mearns, surgeon in
charge Of the Gibbs general hospital,
Lexington, was asked regarding the
sanitary condition Of Camp Thomas,
where he was a brigadier surgeon.
He read a report on the condition Of
the sites there, which showed they
were disease breeders Thought the
men detailed from the regiments to
the division hospital were incom-
petent Dr.. Mearns condemned the
water supply at Camp Thomas because
there was typhoid fever there. The
order to boil drinking water was gen
orally Obeyed when boilers could be
procured.
Maj J. D. Glennan, who was a cap
tain and assistant surgeon in the reg
uIar army and was made major and
brigadier surgeon Of volunteers June |
4, was called. He said that he found |
q much larger amount Of sickness !
among volunteers than he had been /
used to seeing; that he had found the |
sinks left open and not dug deep
enough to make the camp heaIthful; |
that the water supply was affected by /
this He said he tried TO get lime; that /
requisitiOu was made on the quarter
masters department and they said /
they did not furnish it; that then the /
REQ QUESTION was made on the medical /
and DR.. HuidekOper,
the corps surgeon, concerning /
whom sensational charges have been |
made since, disapprOVed the use Of 1
lime and returned the requisition. /
Maj Glennan stated that he knew Of 1
pertain regiments where the sick were 1
kept for weeks because the division 4
hospital had no room for them He 4
said that be believed the matter IN 4
every well in Chickamauga park con- /
tanned the colon bacillus which indi-
,ated contamination by sewage mo 4
matter how many chemical and bac-
examinations showed that /
the water was not contaminated, I /
should still maintain that II was not 4
st for use declared Maj GIennan.
Lieut.. Col James Parer, Twelfth
New York, said that when the troops ]
arrived at Chichzamauga the men had |
% sleep on the wet ground with only |
me blanket and no change Of cloth
ng. He said that the First South
Carolina regiment did not receive their
-ifes for q month after their arrival
It the park. the men being compelled
% do guard duty without guns The
Kansas also had to do
-uard duty for two weeks with sticks
When the volunteers first arrived at
1hickamauga," said Col Parker,
their tongues were literally hanging /
ut for water For three weeks they
.ouId not get water enough to
luench their thirst Upon my in
pection I found the hospitals OF
he First division, Third corps. Of the
Third division, First corps, and Of the
second division, Third corps, very
.irty- The first was placed alongside
dump heap The surgeons were
worked to death and were too sick
themselves to look after the cleanli-
less properly So far as I know,
Ieither Gen. Brooke nor Gen. Wade
yer made = sanitary inspection Of the
amp. 1 think there was disinelina-
ion on the part Of the government to
lime 1t could have been Sc
ured easily, or even burned by the
roOpS The quartermaster's depart
aent might have accomplished much
turing this war that il did not seem
1ciined to"