The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-30
THE WAR INVESTIGATION
Some 81 the Horrors Of Volunteer Soldier
Life Are Made Public,
WITHOUT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
WiscOnsin Regiment sent Home I'm
BaA si,ape--Doctors Didn't Know
Pnsum0nia from Typhoid.

Chattanooga Tenn. october 2s.-MaJot
Edward +. Comegys was tho first witness
before the war investigation commission
today. He was medical purveyor here dur
/ ing the life Of Camp Thomas. He stated
there had never been amy dclay In filling
his reouisitlons on tho surgeon general
and that he had always been able 70 meet
all reauisitions upon hilnself. Ho accodnt-
ed for the sickness In Camp Thomas by
1 saying the men did not know how to take
care OF themselves. He thought the col
onels and regimental surgeons were to
blame.
4 Lieutenant James NJ. Arrasmith, who
acted as chief ccmmissary of subsistence
| for Camp Thomas. said that while in the
beginning there had been some congestion
on the transportation lines. there had never
been any shortage Of supplies. The rations
were the best he had ever seen issued in
twenty seven years experience. Licutcn-
ant Arraemith also said the sinks were very
| badly cared for aud that the stencil through
| the camp at night was simply sitting. He
also said the discipline was very slack.
| The witness considered Chickamauga u nat
lural camping site. but that there We're
more men In 1t than there should have
been. There was. he said. general inn
lprovoment In the camp after General
Breckenridge took command.
Drs. Baxter and 3oyd. local physicians
were called 10 testify in regard to the case
of Sergeant Frank. who died here during
the summer as the result OF Il railroad ac-
cident. Dr. BnSter said that notwithatnnd-
/ Ing tho man WAS In state OF profound
4 shock after the accident DR.. Samuel %.
nd tha In ut.f1
upon removing the wounded man TO Chick
nmauga park. Tine man died on the way
out. as he tBaxtcr) had predicted he would.
DR.. Baxter told of one train OF Wisconsin
sick which be had seen ON its way hoyue
without medical officer or medical sup
plies.
Tho commission closed Its sessions here
tonight by hearing tho testimony OF sGme
residents. stating their observation oil tie
conditions at Chiekalnauga park while The
troops were there and giving their Goa
: illusions as to the cause OF disease there
| Tonight General Dodge's private car waa
detached from the special train for Knox-
Vile with all the commissioners on board
, except General Dodge. Colonel Sexton and
/ Colonel Bonner. These three members OF
the commission remain In Chattanuogu'
until tomorrow night. when they viii lsive
mere Tor Lexington. KY. leaving thence
for Cincinnati. Chicago and Detroit and
taking testimony At each place In turn.
l
) spend Monday and Tuesday at Knoxville
/ and then procced to Washington direct
. Edward BELTS, engineer OF the Chicka-
e manga park committee, gave The paiiloil.
o lars OF the establishment OF the water
supply system OF the park for the army
= including Tho digging OF wells ana Tho es
Establishment OF the pipo line service. Hi
$ Testimony sncluded Il number OF reprrggn.
: tations on uhls subject He said there wac
an ample supply OF waiter for tns troops
y at all dimes, and There would have boar
8 spino for $4,000 more troops on the plp
4 line.
g J, G, Howell, railroad station agent, tolt
}, OF 1n Instance In which 'tfty -four sick men
y being mart of Wisconsin command ha
9 been placed on train and started TO thol
J. homes without medical supplies or physi
y clans and Without furiuughs or tq,us
!, portatinn papers. They were taken Off oh,
~ train mt Chattanooga and their wants ad
- mlnLstered TO by members OF the relle
= soclNtles.
y Ira j. lIanee. q private scling us Nom
her OF the hospital corps, who said no la,
been a pnlcbleing physician IN Louisville,
KY. for eight years. was examined ON tn.
| lines OF u communication he had SEM {.
the commission lu this communication h
= had charged that patleuts had been treate,
for typhoid fever when they plainly la,
i pneumonia. lie said therc were seveta
!, suoh patients, aaA no gave the name o
;" Vincent Flora, OF the Third elinois, az on
OF THEM, this he said being as plain a cas-
~ OF pneumonia as he had ever seen. Upu
T. being prcssed he modified his gtntemt n,
.. saying that hc had had consultation wit
a The physicians US 10 their hms OF treat
~ ment. tlc avid. however, thaG he cons!d
ID erred some OF the physicians incompe. en-
g He also charged that appointments wer
70 made In the hospital corps upon polltlcs
W influence.
" Captain Daniel NJ Mccarthy and NJ N
D. zalanski OF the qmartcrmasters depart
mewt here gave their testimony az 40 q,
- conduct OF tho officers They agreed tina
Il the administration OF this department hs
as efficient corps Us could have bee
expected under the circumstances Osptai
Zallnski, who had charge OF the issuanc
Of of clothing, said II had been impossible 4
some cuses TO supply certain sizes OF cloth
ing. but that otherwise khe mon had bee
well supplied
Dfl DR. H. u. Slap, n local physlcan, de
tulled a yislt TO the hospital OF The Secon
division OF the Third corps in Augus
saying he he'd found II overcrowded an
DIRTY and With no physicians In attendaac
Mt ths time. Dr. Slap said he had see
20 great deal OF drunkenness among Tn
VI soldiers In ths city, but that he had move
Of heard OF ary special effort to close the so
m looms and other places OF vice. ne hal sea
e. drunken soldiers lying In the streets, an
~ he was sure much OF the sickness d
ii Camp Thomas was due to the habits OF Ia
o. men.
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