The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-21
inspecting THE CAMP
The War Commission at
Jacksonville.
A FULL INVESTIGATION

Inc commissioners Visit COmmfssary /
Departments, Kitchens and Hospit-
als-They Talk With Soldiers, Sick
and Well Everything Found In Good
Condition-No Complaints Made from
EAny of the Soldiers
Jacksonville, Fla, October 1.-THE
war investigating commission spent !
this afternoon inspecting the camps in
the immediate vicinity of Jacksonville. |
A heavy rain was falling during part |
of the tour, but the commissioners per- |
formed their self appointed task Of go
ing through the camp from one end to
the other in a very painstaking man
ner. They took carriages from the de-
pot Immediately after arrival of the
train at 1890 o'clock and did not re-
turn until after nightfall. The COM
three members each, but the carriages
kept pretty closely together in the
main. They were escorted from point
to point by General A. K. Arnold, who,
in the absence of General Lee, is in
command of the corps, while Colonel
Curtis Guild, Jr., inspector general, led
a cavalry detachment which accompan-
led them on their rounds.
The party drove first to the head
quarters of the first division COM
mander, General Lloyd Wheat, and
g. o,;~ 49, -o.4 III
thorough inspection of the camp of the
first brigade of this division, including
the First Texas, the Second Louisiana,
and the Third Nebraska regiments.
While here the members of the COM
mission made a call upon Colonel
Bryan, who is personally acquainted
with most of them. They found him
almost completely recovered from his
recent illness, but very much occupied
in arranging for the mastering out Of
the men in his regiment relieved by
the order of the war department re-
ducing the size of the companies of
his regiment to the minimum Of eighty
men. He said he was making an es-
pecial effort to relieve the men who
had families depending upon them.
A portion Of the commission also
made special inspection of the Forty
ninth Iowa regiment as a compliment
to General Dodge, who found in the
colonel an old confederate. The reg
iment which attracted particular at
tention was the Second South Carolina,
because it was the newest regiment in
the camp.
The commissioners interviewed Of
ficers and privates alike and made per-
sOnal visits to the quarters both OF the
men and their commanders. They
lifted the covers from cOmmissary
stores. went through the kitchens, Wis
tied the drug stores, inspected the ap-
paratus. talked with physicians and
nurses and made special inquiry into
the method of conducting the hospit-
ais. All three of the division hospit-
ais were visited and inspected, the
commissioners going through the tents
and in some instances where CONVEX
sation was allowable, talking with the
patients. They found the patients to
.be apparently we'll cared for and so
far as could be discovered, they were
as contented as sick men generally are.
Many of them were reading books and
magazines, but in a greater number of
cases the men either held before their
eyes OI NIdSpu IlooCly LII IhSiA GIL iiS
letters which had evidently been receiv-
ed from home. The patients were all
found occupying clean looking beds or
cots and in no instance was a hospital
tent or pavilion found to be without
a floor. Indeed, almost all the tents in
the camp were foCred. In many cases
the hospital tents were effectually
screened against flies and mosquitoes.
DIT ono oOnonloint uroc hoard in the
entire round and this was evidently
not made in a spirit of fault finding.
Colonel Jones, of South Carolina, found
fault with the climate, saying that full
ly 20 per, cent of his men were i'll
largely on this account. He also said
some rations of refrigerator beef had
been received in bad condition., which
was due to the weather.
Summing up the result of the inspec-
ton, General Dodge said:
I'VE have compared notes after the
days work and find that complaint was
made from but one regiment during
the day. This was the objection made
to the climate-made by Colonel Jones.
We saw both officers n men, sick
and we'll. and we gave all an opportun-
ity to be heard, asking the men in the
absent of their officers if they had any
criticism to make. We shall tOmor-
row begin the inquiry by examining
men under oath and we hope if there
are any shortcomings to thus uncover
them. We find the sick doing excep-
t~ionally we'll and we are pleased to
congratulate their physicians on the
excellent arrangements made for their
care"
This statement was made in the
presence of the members of the com
mission and was endorsed by them.
subcommittee of two each were
appointed to inspect camps, and, il
necessary. take testimony, at Tampa
and Fernandina, the committee fol
Tampa being composed of Messrs. Nc
Cook and Sexton and that for Fernan-