The times., 1898-10-07
mo BLAME IS ADMITTED
Gen. Lee Before the Alger Re-
Lief Commission.
QUERIES WITHOUT POINT
Gen. Boynton Concludes His Testi-
mOny by waxing EnthusiasticEIIy
Eloquent In Behalf of the Defense
Thus Far the Relief Workers
Have Avoided the Development of
DapaagiDg Exiden nee.

The Alger Relief Commission finished
its examination of Brig. Gen Henry V.
Boynton yesterday. and afterwards COM
menced with Mai. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
The examination OF the latter will be con
tinued today
The farcicai nature of the so-called in
yestigation was more clearly demon-
strated yesterday than ever. if such a
thing could be possible.
The questions propounded by former
Gov. Beaver. of Pennsylvania, who acted
in the role of chief inquisitOr, were all OF
a leading character. and suggested the
kind of reply the commission expected
to receive.
AT some stage in his questioning MIR.
Beaver has asked each witness thus far
examined in a most plaintive and pa
thetic tone of voice whether he thought
that any blame attached to the Presi-
dent or the disting uished Secretary of
War for the mistakes that were made in
the management of the war.
The answer has invariably been in the
negative and the air OF triumph with
which MIR. Beaver puts on when he has
extracted such reply Is almost as anus
placently and mods TO his fellow relief
workers as If to say. you see. gentle
men, how utterly. utterly groundless are
all these sensational charges against the
War Department"
An EnthLsiastic Witness.
Gen Boynton was by far the most en-
thusiastic witness for the defense that
has appeared thus far. Camp Thomas. at
/ Chickamauga Park, was beyond doubt
| the healthiest spot on the face OF the
globe. He had no patience to even dis
! cuss the matter with anyone who enter
/ tanned a contrary opinion as to the two
! chaplains who had made unfavorabie
/ comments upon the condition Of affairs at
/ Camp Thomas. they had for the most
part kept TO their tents presumably with
/ the flaps closed tighU and did not know
/ what they We're talking about. Gen.
/ Boynton had for some time regarded
/ these two particular chaplains as general
! nuisances anyway; but how this could
! have been If they had kept to their tents.
! as Boynton declared Will probably al
/ ways remain one of the unsolved mys-
teries of the war.
| Gen. Boynton, towards the close OF MS
! examination. made most valuable con-
! tributiou 10 medical science He admit
/ the camp. but said that its appearance
/ was due altogether to flies. II there had
! been no flies there would have been no
| typhoid fever at Camp Thomas. Here
| after flies should be abolished from all
| army camps. and, according 10 Boynton
| theory. the dreaded typhoid would go
| with them.
| Gen. Boynton had nothing TO say about
! the horse doctor, who held the position OF
| chief medical officer at Camp Thomas.
| Gen. Lees testimony was mild HIS
! Camp at Jacksonville had had very little
! sickness and his men had made but few
| complaints.
| Gen z. V. Greene. who has recently
returned from Manila, will. It Is under
| stood. follow Gen. Lee on the stand No
| date has as yet been fixed for the ex-
animation of Mai Gen. Miles
GEN. Boynton-Ccntinued
The examination of Brig. Gen. Henry
V. Boynton regarding the condition of
affairs at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga
Park. was resumed at 1890 O'Clock.
IF camp arrangements at Chickamauga
| were defective" asked Mr. Beaver, who
| was responsible?''
1.-The brigade and regimental command
| ers." replied Gen. Boynton.
| Inquiry was made about the reports con-
cerning the camps Of the Eighth and
| Ninth New York regiments, especially as
| to the quality of food and whether or
| not coffee had been served green, and
vegetables. chiefly potatoes and onions.
| spoiled
| Gen. Boynton said that all the coffee
| he had seen was roasted. As to the mat
| ter of food. in whatever shape they put
| il. there was no reasonable ground for
| the criticism. The beef came in refrig-
! orator cars of the same kind that brings
| beef to Washington. He had heard but
| two complaints regarding supplies Of
| meat. and there never was time when
| such beef as had spoiled could not have
! been exchanged for good beef If the off,
| GERS had known how to do it,
| Regarding the camps of the Eighth and
| Ninth New York. Gen. BoyntOn said he
| personally examined that of the Eighth
after Surgeon General Terry. of New
| York. had described IL as Indecent and
| filthy"
1T was just as clean as this room.
| gentlemen. said Gen. BOynton
a statement was read by Gen. Dodge
from Father James Duley. chaplain. say
| ing the camp at Chickamauga Park was
| a perfect hell on earth" War would
have been paradise compared with the
| condition of Camp Thomas Men died
| under the trees for want of water" he
J SAID, ana men mad typhoid fever for
days without receiving medical attention,
| no one even taking their temperature.
| Only dozen hospital attendants were
! provided for 500 men. Everything about
| the camp was badly managed. OF the
| food he said Sc but one word would
| describe it-Rotten."
81 do not care to take issue with the
| chaplain responded Gen Boynton.
Father Duley had tent in our head
| quarters yard and he spent most of his
time there. Father Daily, another chap
| lain, was with him. They told these
| stories to me, and at first l was inclined
to put some trust in them. But investi-
| cations 1 myself made soon made me
lose faith in them. Their stories would
| uninteresting If the chaplains saw the
things described, no one else saw them, -
Gen Boynton said that on one occa-
sion, when the army was expected to be
| ordered to Cuba, he asked Father Duley
how many men he supposed would be
left behind on account of sickness. He
| answered 5000.
| ''I looked up the sick list for that date
and found the total number reported
| sick to be 2,5OO-in quarters and in hos
| pital."
Limitations of English.
A similar statement to that of Father
| Duley, sent to Gen. Dodge by Major
| Milo B. Ward, of Kansas City. was read
| TO Gen Boynton. OF this he said:
! "It could not be more exaggerated in
the English language. L am not ac-
| quainted with any other
The witness bOre Testimony to the eff