Evening journal., 1898-10-21
THE ARMY INQUIRY.
Commissioners Finish Their
Work at Jacksonville.
COyDITIOx OF THIRD NEBRASKA.
Colonel Bryan Excused From Testi-
fying-tegiment Wen Equipped.
RntiOns Not ns Good as civil
War RatIons-Camp Crowded.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, oct. 21.-The
war Investigating commission conclud-
ed its labors at Jacksonville last night
shortly after 10 o'clock and left Jack
sonvllle for Atlanta, expecting to take
up business there.
The commission has spent four days
in Jacksonville.
This being the first of the camps to
be visited, IL has been awarded some-
what more of the time than will be
given to other points. with the possible
exception Of Chickamauga.
The commissioners are generally
pleased with the result Of their labors
here. They have naturally met with
complaints, but these have generally
dealt with comparatively unimportant
points, and in very few If any cases
have they Indicated neglect or culpable
mismanagement. Generally one private
or noncommissioned officer from each
regiment has been called, or In many
cases more than one. In the case Of
enlisted men they were selected at ran
dom, the commissioners merely asking
that men be sent TO them without any
specification Of the purpose for which
they were called. They have without
exception said that they were receiving
enough to eat and wear. There were oc-
casional complaints of defects in cloth
ing or a request for a greater variety Of
food, but In no instance has a spirit Of
fault finding been developed among this
class Of witnesses. In some cases a
deficiency Of supplies at the beginning
OF the camps history was shown, and
there has been more or less tainted
meat received by the men, but II was
agreed by all the witnesses that the
first condition was due to the conges-
ton at Tampa and the latter to the
climate.
General McCook and Colonel Saxton
returned yesterday from their investi-
cation of conditions at Tampa. They
found the congestion that occurred at
the point at the beginning of the war
was due to the fact that cars were ship
ped from all over the country without
being labeled and without forwarding
bills Of lading.
Colonel Taylor OF the Fourth Virginia
regiment was the first witness before
the commission at the afternoon ses-
sion. He said he had no complaint
whatever to make concerning any de-
partment of the government and that
he knew of no case Of willful neglect.
Lieutenant Morrow, acting commits
sary of the Third Nebraska. Colonel
Bryan's regiment, testified to the gem
orally good character of the commissa-
ry supplies. He mentioned one or two
instances when poor bacon had been
received and said there were occasional
complaints from the men, though not
Of a serious character
Colonel w. j. Bryan was next called
lie asked to be excused from testifylng,
requesting that his lieutenant colonel
be examined in his stead
You will 1 have no doubt, under
stand my reasons for the request" he
said.
Il think the request very proper and
reasonable" responded Governor Beav-
er and as the entire commission assent
ed to this concession Colonel Bryan
was excused. with the request to send
up his lieutenant colonel.
w. Il. Durbin of the One Hundred and
Sixty-first Indiana said there were few
complaints from his men and that they
were generally trivial. He spoke espe-
cially of the grounds of the Third d.
vision hospital, saying they had for
time been very poorly kept There had
however, been a vast Improvement
since DIR. Clendenning had succeeded
Or. Jesurum of the Rough Riders. Colo
mel Durbin also said there had been one
or two complaints OF neglect of his men
at this hospital
Colonel Letcher Hardin OF the Sixth
Missouri also complained that the
grounds Of the Third division hospital
had not been we'll kept.