The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-15
ALL BAD EXCEPT oNE.
Gen. Breckenridge Tells Of Chitka.
manga Hospitals.
REFUSED TO LOCATE RESPONSE
BILITY FOR TROUBLE.

DR.. HuideIsoper, the Famous "Horse
Doctor" on the Stand-Testfie led Tha' 1t
Was Difficult to Get Medical supplies
From Cove nment.
Washing ton, Novem Der IA. Gen. Brock
inridge, DR.. Huidekoper and Major Knox
were before the war investigating COM
mission today. Gen. hreckinIil ge's tes-
timony dealt with conditions at Camp
Thomas, Of which he was for a time in
command and he took occasion to say
that but for the change that was made
previous to the war RI quiring inspector
generals in ths field to report to the ad
jutant general instead Of the inspector
general, the condition of the camps now
being developed by the commission would
nave developed three months ago.
Gov. Woodbury. has returned from Yer
mont ana sat with the commission today.
The examination of witnesses begun
with DR.. R. 5. Huidekoper, lieut.. colonel
of volunteers on the stand. He said that
ne had occupied the position OF chief
medical officer of the first army corps at
Camp Thomas, Chiokamauga park, until
the 23d Of July when he had gone to Por.
to Rico with Gen. Brooke. speaking OF
the supply depot he said there were largs
quantities of some articles and super
abunuanne If others at the bs glnn1 OF
the historic Camp TLomas, but that this
condition did not long continue. He
had Immediately undertaken to regulate
requisitions SO as to equaIize them in the
various divisions of the command. AT
one tlB,e he had to appeal to Gen. Brooke
TO GET supplies necessary
sfDo you know asked DR. Connor,
''that there was full supply of medical
stores at the depot at Lytle.
II know that many articles were
lacking" the doctor replied. He con-
tlnusd, saying that he had made constant
representations to the surgeon general q t
the shortage Of supplies He d never
TIL red down any requisltlnns from the
division hospitals, except on one occa-
sion, except when he knew that the arti
cles were not on hand. Also he had re-
fused his sanction to requisition. for floor
ing for hospital tents when Gen. Brooke
had expected to move.
He contsnaed that there had been a
sutfici Of tentage saying that no
patients had been compelled to lie out
without covering for any length of time.
1t was true, however, that there were
occasions on which the sick men had
been kept for several days at time un-
~ aThe second and third division hos
pitfalls were, ~ he said in reply tC. q ques-
tlon, "always clean and well ordered.
Both institutions were we'll built, but
they had suffered throughout for proper
attendance There was never sutfie-
lent number of hospital corps men.
ReveIting to the question of tentage,
DR.. b huidekoper said he knew of his own
knowledge th the surplus tentage at
the reserve hospital was turned over to
the division hospit ais and that tent, had
oeen hsld there to the detriment of other
hospitals.
Speaking of the condition of tho camp
ir general, he said that some of the sinks
were excessively hlthy.
"Mho was responsible for that condi-
tions'' asked DR.. Connor.
i" he officers of the regiment, respond
ed DIR. hui ekoper
ssDid not the commanding general
have a duty to pei form in that connec-
tion?'' the questioner continued
The reply 10 this question was not salts.
factory and DIR. CoHnor insistsd upon
knowing whether anything had ever been
done by the commencing general to So
cure this punishment of regimental OIL
GERS VIII had refused to obey for the
proper policing of the camps, but DIR.
Huidekoper rep lied that he knew OF no
inst snce of tho prosecution of any offence
of this kind Col. huidekoper said he
had succeeded in getting supplied only
by being the rst on hand as the medical
depot WAS run in very parsimonlous
manner.
DIR. Huidekoper said that with few
unimportant exceptions the medical sup
plies for the Porto Rican expedition haa
been ample. At Newport News he had
gi ven orders that the sick men be ellml-
natsd from the command, but he found
that tine order had been evaaed and slok
men taken aboard. The witness sald
that Deputy Surgeon General Hal tsnn =.
had refused to supply disinfeotants for
the camp at Chiokamauga, saying that
to do so was contrary to army reguia'
tions Col. Huidekoper returned frequent'
ly. in his testimony, to his difficulties IN
securing nurses. He said he had once Sc.
cured an approach to the necessary mum .
Ter through an arbitrary order from Gen
brooke and when this order was issued,
the colonel had Insisted on supply ing
the worst men they had in their rez1-
menus for mem bers of the hospital CORPS
One was an epileptie and another con :.
firmed drunkard, yet the men who had
given him the poorest nurses were gem
orally the first to make complaint OF iack
of attention.
Ihe witness asserted that the sick in
Porto Rico had had good attention.
Major Thomas Knox, inspector general
who had participated in ths early part OF
the Santiago campaign as a captain IN
the first regular cavalry, was before u ,
commission at it's afternoon session. he
WAS woun ed in the battle of La Guasima
when he was the only officer Of his regl,,
ment present. He said his wounds naa
never received or required attention pe-
yond being dressed and that he had neeh
able to sit up in about three weeks tlIne
| Major Knox said he had remained Wioh
| his troops about ten minutes after receiS /.
| ing his wuund and that he had Ior enas
| time forgotten himself in giving ao'eh-
| ton to his command.
He said the sh on which his reolnleuO
went from Tampa TO Santiago was gredavs das
| Iy crowded and that when they laiuea so,' :
| the men were in poor condition iol q
campaign. cold
sihe worst l ever saw" be saio;
rThis condition was due to the iaco " '4S 4S =
they had been shut up in the hoiu " ond .nl
ship for 16 days, for they had been III sooe'
shape when tney left Tampa" aono
he said that the medical corps nau uTnS .,;tt,
as we'll as could have been expecteu ,,tinn wsn
! the means at command. The expeuig,,oat y, =
mad been hastily organized and no iiao
| no criticism to make. aro,
Gen. j. @. Breckenridge also app,eaabhetf ,, abet