Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-11-04
WAR DEPARTMENT INQUIRY.

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/ CHATTANOOGA, Oct. 99.--The war in
Nesti"ating commission spent yestcr-
day in inspecting the site of Camp
Thomas, in Chicl>amanga Park. The
conclusion seemed quite general that
many Of the regiments were thrown
more closely together than they should
have been. and that this fault could
have been avoided by moving, as there
was. in the opinion OF at least some of
the commission. sufficient space that
was not occupied for the accommodate
ton of many thousands more oftroops
than were ever present there. Many
OF the sinks were also found to have
been nearer to the tents than proper
ideas of sanitation encourage. and in
some eases the character of the SUR
face was such as to warrant the con-
viction that the sinks were shallower
than they should have been. but this
was true only of part of the camps.
CHATTANOOGA Tenn. Oct. 3o.-Maj.
Comcgys testified before the invesli-
Camp Thomas did not know how to
take care of themselves. He thought
the colonies and regimental surgeons
to blame. j. G. Howell railroad sta
tion agent, told of an instance in which
81 sick men. being part of a Wisconsin
command, had been placed on a train
and started to their homes without
medical supplies or physicians and
without furloughs or transportation
papers. They were taken off train
at Chattanooga and their wants adj
ministered to by mem bcrs Of the relief
societies DR.. Stapp, a physician. de-
tailed a visit to the hospital of the
Second division of the Third corps. in
Augusta. saying he had found it over
crowded and dirty and with no ply
sicianS in attendance at the time.
KNOXVILLE. Tenn, Nov. 1.-The
first witness before the commission
was DR.. Martin, contract surgeon
from Ohio, who was at Chickamauga.
He repeated his expression of opinion
that the water in the pipe line system
at Chicllamauga was contaminated by
the water from Cave Spring creek.
He said that after lie had first cx-
prc>sc,: this opinion. saying at the
same time that the fact, in regard to
the existence Of typhoid fever were
being suppressed. he had been sum-
moncd By General Sheridan and told
that he must retract Immediately or
submit to a court-martial. He had
then written letter of retractlon. but
he declared that he had done this to
promote discipline. and not because
lie had changed his opinion as to the
pollution Of the water. Lieutenant
Colonel Baldwin. who was on General
.Nadcs staff at ChickAmauga. said
when the camp was first established he
did not inspect single hospital that
Was not filthy. Upon reports to COM
lnai','ing general the conditions i'm
proved for fe" days. but in a short
time were as bad as ever He had
known acquisitions to be made fire.
Tuentiy and not to be honored. lie |
did not consider Chickamaura Park a
good place for camp. He saw the
creek nearly every day and never saw
the water in such condition that he
should have liked todrinll it. 1t was a
complaint that frequently |
regiments dumped their worst
men off on the hospitals for nurses
Col. Pew said his surgeons could not
get acquisitions filed. Col. Lenord had
spent $500 out of his own pocket for
shoes for his men, the quarterma ster's
department failing to furnish them.
Col. thatfee said his men did not re-
ceive water boilers ordered two months |
before until just before breaking camp.
He had no surgeon for some time after
reaching camp Tents in hospitals
leaked and men had to be covered with
Nnr, could nf End II,
t he hospitals and no medicines would
Lieut. Col. Mitchell said his men had
not received its arms until three weeks
ago and had not vet received all Of its
LEXINGTON. Ky. Nov. 1.-The te>ti-
monv before the war Investigating
com N; >s.on yesterday only emphasized
the facts brought out the day before.
TIE opinion was general that the Wa
ter q, Camp Thomas. Cnickama1@a.
was bad. that the hospitals were badly
crowded and unclcan and that supplies
were hard to obtain and sometimes un-
Uht;iiuable. General Bates testified
that ut Santiago the medical supplies
were. WOcfu!lV short. Bates thought
that a great mistake WAS made IN not
sending enough medical officers with
the regiments to the field. Additional
tran portaton should have been pro-
yidct for them and medical supplies.
a,uhu!ances and horses. DR.. Cog-,well
testified that at Camp Thomas the
clothing ami blankets of the men who
died of typhoid fever were brought
back without having been washed or
hoiled and used by other men OF the
re~,nent.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 3.--Major
E"mcyne, retired army officer who
went to Cuba as correspondent. testl-
fled before the war investigating COM
mission that the embarkatlon at
Tampa and the debarkation at Dali
uuiri showed an entire lack Of system,
matters apparently going hap-hazard.
No attempt was made to clean Siboney
till the fever broke ont. There was q
deficiency in proper food at the hos
pitfalls and there were not enough
surgeons.
LEXINGTON, Nov. 3.-Gen. Sanger.
commander of the Third division. said
the camp at Chickamauga was badly
located. being in rocky ground. where
sinks could not be deeply dug.
WHO OWNS EGYPT.