The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-10-28
PROBING COMMITTEE
Dr.. Boss Testifes That Medical
Supplies We're Short at Santiago.
TENTS TOO NEAR TO THE SINKS.
Sick Men without the Protection Of a Tent
Mule Drivers Used as Nurses-Camp
Thomas Not Considered Suitable
for Permanent site.


for Permanent site.
Admission, Ala, Oct 28-Dr. 3 D.
Boss, assistant surgeon in the First in
fantFy, was the first witness before the
war Investigating commission vester-
day He was with this regiment and
with the Fourth infantry in Cuba. He
arrived at Santiago on the 10th Of july.
He found the medical supplies short
and was unable to secure any Of them
for a few DAYS until he learned how
to get them from the division hospital.
There was a sufficient quantity of qui-
nine, but a shortage Of morphine.
However, he had all of this latter
remedy that was absolutely necessary.
de was a bic to secure hospital stores,
such as food delicacIes, by ''rustlingo
Tor them, getting them first from the
Red Cross society and then going to
Santiago for them. He had made a
re9uisitiOn on the surgeon Of the divi-
sion for these supplies, but had been
unable to secure them because they
were not there.
Dr. Conner asked if the government
could not have gotten these supplies
TO Santiago as promptly as the Red
Cross, and Dr. Boss replied that, while
he had no information, be thought it
could have done so. He had left San
tiagO with the Fourth infantry and
gone to MOntauk point on the Seneca
When they left Cuba, he said, the com
mand was ''alI broken uD, - and every
man Of the command was sick on the
way north The doctor himself was
sick and at the detention hospital at
Montauk, and he testified to the care
ful conduct Of that institution, saying
that supplies were ample and the at
tentiOn was all that could have been
desired
Col Fife, Of the Third Tennessee,
having made request to supplement-
his statements Of Monday, gave some
particulars concerning the sinks used
By his regiment He said they were
very near the tents and that it was
impossible to remove them further,
owing to the proximity Of other regi-
ments, six Of them being within
stones throw.
Other witnesses examined were
Lieut. Reed, Of the Fourth Wisconsin;
Lieut. West, Of the Third Alabama,
and Lieut. HALEY, Of the Third Ten
nessee- West Is the cOmmissary and
quartermaster Of his regiment and
Reed was cOmmissary for his regi-
ment for time West said the sup
plies were ample and excellent, but
Reed complained somewhat of the
meat supplied before the regiment left
Wisconsin. Lieut. HALEY is commits
sary for his regiment He said there
had been a few complaints that the
l.
thought the complaint was caused by
the return Of men on furIough.
Other witnesses at the forenoon ses-
sion were Fountain Ragland and Ed
ward Simmons, two cOlOred men of
the Third Alabama; II. c. LemEe, a
quartermaster sergeant Of the Fourth
Wisconsin; Congressman COlsOn, a col
Onel of the Fourth Kentucky, and
Lieut. Col. Cabell, Of the Second Ar
kansas
Col Cabel said, in reply toquestiOns.
put BY DR.. COnuOr, that he had OBJ
served a condition of affairs at the
hospital of the Second division of the
Third army corps in June which he
considered horrible He had himself
seen one sick man lying without the
protection of even a tent and he had
been informed by other officers that
several others had been left in the
same way. He thought the doctors
were honest enough, but that they did
not know how to get supplies. Mule
drivers had been used for nurses and
he had been reliably informed that
many of them were in the habit of get
ting drunk and neglccting their pa
tents Col. Cabell is 4 lieutenant in
the regular army and his testimony
made an evident impression upon the
Maj. Charles Z. King, surgeon of the
Fourth Wisconsin regiment, was one
Of the first witnesses in the afternoon
DR.. King said the medical supplies Of
his regiment were insufficient, and
that there was much delay in getting
filed. He thought there
was a sufficient quantity of food, but
said some Of the men would not eat it, /
preferring to buy food for themselves. I
Gen. Wilson asked if the men had ever
10 him as surgeon of the
and DR.. King replied that
they had.
DR.. Henry r. Lee, major and surgeon |
Of the Third brigade, First division, !
Third corps, said he had urged the re- /
mOval Of the camp from Chickamauga |
because he considered the water bad l
and because Of the impOssibility Of /
getting deep sinks
Maj. Woodbury., an engineer on Gen. |
Franks staff, did not consider the site 1
Of Camp Thomas suitable for q per
naRent camp. He said he had, after a !
rain, seen water from the creek drain 4
ing the camp running into the in take I
pipe Of the camp pipe supply system
After the examination Of several /
Dther witnesses the commission ad- 4
burned TO meet at Huntsville.
Tnsurrsnts Ars onedIens.