Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-14
ninistration of q. NJ. Dept

xASHINGTON, October Batter de-
,otirg the afternoon to hearing the tes-
Ebony OF Dr. Hon. chief surgeon Of the
Third Army Corps, stationed at camp
Thomas. the War Investigating Commits
.lor gave the remainder of the day to
che reading OF papers submitted by Sec
,.,.rv Alger. with his statement con-
,.-r,nr the conduct Of the war. The
,era,s include orders for the movement
~ troops. communications TO the Secre-
.srv Of War from the officers in the heid'
and from the Secretary to them' ana
v.r,ous other documents bearing upon
the investigation.
The documents reveal the fact that
General Miles recommended the occu-
patton Of the Isle of Pines about the
time of the battle Of Santiago, and that
Secretary Alger dlsapproved the sugges-
tion.
II also appears that General Miles re-
commended that some point between
SANTIAGO and Porto Rico be taken pre-
vlous 10 the beginning Of either cam
paign.
NIL Ii.fsS-SHAfIEtS NONr LAN' -
The correspondence also developed the
fact that there was an apparent CONNECT
~ authority between Generals Miles ana
sbafter at Tampa before the Santiago
campaign was inaugirated 1t also SHOWS
that orders were issued by the Secretary
of War that in the event that General
shafter should be disabled by sickness
or other cause. the command OF the
troops at Santiago should devolve upon
General Wheeler, and upon the next IN
command. in case of the disability OF
both shsfter and Wheeler
TIE commission has summoned Major
rorfs J. Seaman, a surgeon in the First
volunteer Engineers, to appear before
r and he is expected to testify at to-
r,o~row's session. He has recently been
ouoted I'm New York as saying that 200
mon had died daily because of maladmin-
f.fr4tion of The Quartermasters Depart
ment.
HOFF ON CAMP THOMAS.
Lieutenant Hon was before the war
Tntesticating Board to-day. He is regu-
l,r army onicer. and was chief surgeon
in the Third Army Corps at camp lhoii-
ae Chickamauga Park. lie sald ne ulu
mot consider the camp TO have been IN
tbe hest sanitary condition. but expressed
the opinion that il was the best IT could
be under the circumstances.
The men were encamped somewhat I
closer ~ each other than they should
rro,erIv have been. and II had been i'm
uossible without blasting 10 make the
sinks as deep as good sanitation required
owing to a layer of limestone, which lay
two or three feet below the surface OF
the ground throughout the camp. FUR
thermore, IL was impossible 10 compei '~he ~
men TO use the sinks, and ne thousht II
urobable that this difficulty had led 10 IN
ilrious results. Every effort hau peen
made to have the sinks properly covered
and disinfected, and TO have the men "so
them.
HOSPITAL DEFICIENCIES
DIR. Hoff said that in the beginning the
camp was deficient in medlcal supPiieS.
There were at this time many cases ol W
l.arrhoea and 1t had been impussiOiT ,,,s ~
meet all the demands for remedies. Inc
ebortsqe was due TO the fact that 1t was
eypected that the troops would come 70 70
camp supplied with medicines, pue sumo
OF them failed in this respect.
Continuing. Dr. Hoff said the capacity ol
IA. di,isfon hospital was often douDleu
and trebled. There were elght men 1"
tents which were intended to acconi'ho-
date six. on one or two occasions "a 20
tiarts were necessarily placed IN peus
made upon the floors because Vi 'S'''
porary deficiency in cots.
SHORTAGE OF TENTS.
The orders provided for careful disln
fection In typhoid cases. AS RUE , ta'
nurses were without training. anu u@n' @
fact occasioned some diihcuNy III u."s o. ,,s
Net
snsriec cases of suffering on this ac
c1lnt He specified the case oil MAJ
aw,cted with an infectious disease "n'
had been compelled 10 lie IN the open d.
ono riaht on account of the lack Oh tei'
a., The Captain was sure that no III
inv, resulted. as the weather was pie"
SAINT. 4, ,,,edt
Dr. Hon said that the shortage IN ineu'
cal supplies had continued ior ,s $50
weeks. but there was generahy su'"0', ~
In meet the Immediate demands IA
sso ia that some acquisitions nae
b.an returned by the Washington authori
tss because improperly filed, and ne wa
Under the impression that there mao peci
COMPLAINTS OF some suffering on this "e
count There was considerable oeiay
securing flooring for the tents.
NOT HIS FAULT, AT LEAST.
"was there any privation on accouh
-
of the shortage of tents?' asked Goyerno
Woodbury.. pr
1T was SO reported" responded pr
H0ff.
Whose fault was it?' he was asked.
Not mine" he replied. Il did all ina
] could do"
The troops OF the Third Corps "ef
more closely crowded than they shoul'
have been. bat he had understood ina
the crowding had been supposed 10 DC
military necessity In the beginning
ARKANSAS COMPLAINT,
Dr. connor stated that the Governor
Arkansas had complained OF neglect
RENTED mat the Arkansas troops receives
the same medical care and attention ina
had been given TO other soldiers unde
IKE conditions He knew Of no case y
which men In the hospital had been com
PEELED 10 lie on the ground, bur ne tnoogn
a.. aA2