Evening star., 1898-11-15

he did not consider 1t web for the camps
to be in the woods He al once began get
ting them into the open, where they would
be in the sun. He said this was not neces-
sarily a criticism on what had been done.
When the camp was established the wealth
er was hot and dry. and sunstroke had been
suffered by some of the men. Under those
conditions the men were put in the woods.
When he got there the weather was very
damp, and the sunlight was desirable. He
said the scarcity of water had troubled
them, but said that the officer who had
recommended the camp had done so with
the provision that the entire camp be pro-
vided with drinking water from the Craw
fish spring. He said there seemed to be an
idea that all the water should be taken
from the park, but that if permission had
been given to haul 1t from distances he
thought there would have been no lack of
good water.
Leaves of Absence for Men.
General Breckenridge had permitted six
instead of two soldiers in a company to be
absent from their command at one time,
and he was asked whether he thought that
these leaves of absence did not result in
injuring the health of the men. He said he
thought not in fact, he believed in giving
the men as much leave as would be con-
sstent with proper discipline. He said he
did not think it would work well to try to
keep an army in prison pen.
concerning the condition of hospitals in
Camp Thomas?
General Breckinridge-"I strikes me they
were very Objectionable, principally by be-
ing oVercroWded.
General BeaVer-"W hat difficulty besides
crowding observabieE
General There was L lack
of skill or people to handle them. There
lack of nurses
General Beaver-'Io what was the crowd
ed condition of the hospitals due?''
General Breckinridge-"I should suppose
it was due to people becoming sick faster
than was expected The first hospitals L
saw at Camp Thomas did not have floors
and / ordered them to be floored at once
Some of the tents had flooring in
General Beaver-'Whose duty was it to
anticipate that sickness would spread in
the campo
General Breckinridge-'I do not know
anybody whose duty it was not"
The witness said that the trouble seemed
to be that there was nobody to insist upon
proper preparations being made. He said
that Colonel Hoff the chief medical officer
was extremely anxious to make the hos
pitfalls everything they should be. and after
he got there the SterHberg Hospital was
put in excellent condition.
Importance of Tents.
The witness, in reply TO question by DR..
Conner, said that he did not know that
tents were really necessary for the hospi-
tails. There was plenty of lumber to build
shelters with.
Dr. Conner-''If there had been suffi-
cient number of tents nineteen-twentieths
of the trouble that has been made would
have been avoided
General Breckenridge said he had never
seen a man work harder than had Colonel
Hoff
Dr. Conner-"WaS it not case of jump
ing up and jumping down and landing in
the same place? As senior surgeon of that
command should he not have seen to it
that these men were provided with proper
shelter?"
General Breckinridge-"Yes"
Dr. Conner-"They were absolutely un-
provided with proper nurses?"
General Breckinrdge-"Clearly, but that
was the trouble with the law
Dr. Conner-''f there were difficulties
did not the fault ultimately rest with the
senior medical officer of the command and
upon the senior commanding officer of the
camp?''
General Breckinridge-'I really do not
know
DR.. Conner-"These men were unproyided
with medical supplies. You say such a re-
port was made to your?
Genera, Breckinridge-"No sir; did not
know it until 1 was told at the hos
pital'
Dr. Conner-"Did you ask the medical
officer why that was So?
| General Breckenridge-"Ne; but I put
him on a board of inquiry, In order that he
might correct any shortcoming in the ad-