The semi-weekly messenger., 1898-10-25


charges was irresponsible Colonel
Taylor said that many OF the news
paper reports OF hardships were due
TO the fact that the men who went
home were In search OF sympathy
which hac caused them 20 circulate re-
ports which were exaggerated
Lieutenant Morrow. astinr commits
sary OF the Third Nebraska, Colonel
Brayan's regiment, testified to the
generally good character OF the COM
missary supplies. He mentioned one
or two instances when poor bacon had
been received and said there were oc-
casionA complaints from the men.
though not OF serious character. He
thought the troops ought TO have more
canned vegetables for warm climates
colonel w. j. Bryan was next called.
lie asked TO be excused from testify
ing, requesting that his lieutenant col
onel be examined in his stead
You will, / have no doubt. under
JACK =
stand my reasons for the request" he
said
Il think the request very proper and
reasonable" responded Governor Bea-
yer and as the entire commission as
sented to this concession, Colonel Rry-
an was excused with the request TO
send up his lieutenant colonel
Colonel w. II. Durbin, OF the One
Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana, said
there were few complaints from his
men, and that they We're generally
trivial. He spoke especially OF the
grounds OF the Third division hospital,
saying that they had for a time been
poorly k.pt. There had. however, oeen
a vast Improvement since DR.. Clenden-
min had succeeded DR.. Jesurum. OF the
Rough Riders. Daily complaint had
been made by him, but IL had appar-
entity gone unheeded. Colonel Durbin
thprp
complaints OF neglect Of his mon at
this hospital and that one OF these
complaints was to the effect that men
who had been sent to the hospital on
Tuesday last had had no medical at
tention up to the following day. He
had called attention to the condition
of affairs and TIE surgeon I'm charge
or the ward had said that he had Wis.,
tied the men, but that the patients
probably did not know he was a ply
sician.
Colonel Letcher Harden. Of the Sixth
Missouri, also complained that the
grounds OF the Third division hospital
had not been well kept. He said that
| they were bad under DR.. Vaughn. bet
| Ter under DIR. Jesurum and still much
better under DIR. Clendennin. He
| thought the army ration should con-
tain more vegetables and less meat
| DEMAND ON THE RED CROSS.
| DR.. Alexander Kent. pastor OF the
| Peoples church at Washington and
| field agent at Jacksonville for the Red
| Cross, was questioned concerning the
| operations Of the Red Cross ut this
| point. He said he had been received
| very cordially by the army surgeons
| and he had co-operatcd with them He
| had noticed the absence Of sheets and
| pillow cases at the Second division
| hospital in its early history. This was
| In midsummer and many men lay un-
| covered because 1t was too hot 10 use
| their blankets. He had supplied he
deficiency and the supply had been
thoroughly appreciated by the doctors.
| There was also at that time a shortage
| OF hospital tents and OF food suitable
to typhoid fever patients. He Lad un-
! dertaken to supply the deficiency end
had distributed two carloads or the
necessary delicacies. 1T seemed" he
said, "as IL the hospital was arranged
upon a smaller scale than was de-
| manded, and, as a consequence there
was a constant demand upon the Red
Cross TO supply the deficiency"
| DIR. Kent said he had heard many
complaints concerning misconduct at
the hospitals and many OF them were
apparently well vouched for, but they
had not generally proved well founded
when investigated. Replying to a ques-
ton, he said he thought - had been
very difficult to get medical men OF
sufficient administrative ability to
manage such institutions as the dlvi-
sion hospital. Before the female nurses
were secured the nurses who were men
or the hospital corps were not capable.
They were not intelligent as a class
and while some OF them were doggedIy
faithful to meet the requirements they
did not, for instance seem TO regard
1t as OF consequence IL flies were
crawling In and out OF a sick mans
mouth with impunity and he had seen
as many as six cases Of this kind at
one time. Since the trained nurses had
been secured the sick were better car
ed Tor than at home. He thought the
government should send cows 10 Cuba
In advance OF the army In order to
supply fever patients with milk.
The witness said that the principal
reason for the failure of the surgeons
to make acquisitions upon the gov
ernment for supplies was found in
their fear OF making demands that
would not be sanctioned. He said the
contributions OF his society were gen.
| orally solicited and not volunteered by
him. The society had paid for all the
| milk and all the Ice used at the hos
| pitals up to September LIST. The So
| ciety had also supplied lcebags hot
| water bags, syringes, etc. Since the al
lowance OF the 60 cents a day commu-
tation. however. there had been a great
improvement and he thought the hos
pitals were now In the way to be bet
ter cared for.
| Lieutenant Colonel Viferin, a yeter-
an Of the civil war and a graduate OF
the military school OF Brussels, OF the
Third Nebraska. said the regiment
. was excellently equipped. except that
| the tentage was poor. He also said
. the quality OF the clothing was bad
The pork had also been wormy a
. | times and the beef tainted, but thes,
had been exchanged. He thought tn.
clothing better than In the civil war
but the rations were not SO good a
4 | then. He also thought the camp en-
| tireIy too much crowded.
4 x.xoxaS<nons sxou