The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-06
OFFICERS OF SUPPLY DEPART
MENTs ACTUATED BY ZEAL AND
WORKED INTELLIGENTLY
CAMP HORRORS EXAGGERATED
BOYNT0N TELLS OF THE CONDI.
TIONS AT CHICKAMAUGA.
1t Was Impossible for the River to
Have Been Contaminated, lie
Says-Were Three Supplies
From Which Ample Wa
ter Was Obtained
There.

Washington, Oct. 5.--Gen Wheeler COM
pleted his testimony before the war in
vestigating commission to-day, and was
followed by Gen. H. V. Boynton. who was
still on the stand when the days session
closed.
Gen. Wheelers statement of to-day dealt
entirely with the conditions at Camp Wi
koff, and Gen. Boynton's with those of
Camp Thomas, where he is now in COM
mand.
Gen. Wheelers examination was on the
line OF the New York Worlds charges.
He said ii there were any camp horrors"
on Aug. 27, as charged, the commander of
the camp was responsible, for he had full
power to furnish relief. There were prob
ably individual cases of suffering, but as
a rule he knew the soldiers were well
cared for There was certainly no lack
of food. Gen Wheeler explained the cir
cumstances concerning the death of Priv
ate Hugh Parrett. He said Mai Beach
had investigated the occurrence and had
made report.
My inquiry" said he, developed the
the men, but 1t also developed the fact
that he had proved so efficient in the field
that they were devoted to him and had pc
titioned for his retention in the army"
Continuing. he said that the charge was
that the man was not sent to the hospi-
tai when he had complained just before
his death. This, he thought, was one Of
those individual cases Of neglect, and he
thought it was to be explained by the fact
that DIR. Tabor was probably in himself.
He found this to be true in other cases.
Gen. Wheeler said 1t was true that many
soldiers would fall on the streets He
thought that all of them had been weak
ened by their experience in Cuba, and
most Of them had the germs of fever in
them.
The general took up a statement attrib-
uted to DR.. Sem concerning the sinks. Fe
said the sinks were covered every hour
with earth or lime. He had examined the
ground and found that the soil was not
porous. He also found that other physi-
clans did not agree with Dr. Sem as TO
the danger of typhoid. The wells were a
long distance from the Sinks and the soil
was very compact. effectually avoiding the
danger of contamination. There was no
outbreak of fcver, such as DR.. Sem had
predicted; hence, 1t was a false prophecy.
He submitted also in reply to a charge at
tributed to Dr. Cyrus Edison that a small
percentage of the men in hospitals were
without cots and were lying on the floor
en- Aug. 80. They were, however, supplied
.r{kb ha.1 M In
plant on this account.
THE fact is,' he said that the sur
geons and the other officers and men con-
Quoted themselves most heroically and
It is painful to me to see the effort 20
make 1t appear that they were complain
ing when they were not"
Maj Dimmick was quoted as having
charged the contract surgeons with ia
difference. The general admitted that
there were instances in which officers had
found 1t necessary to hunt up physicians
and take them to the sick men.
Replying to a question, he said ne had
put in a filter on the 31st of August, merely
as a precaution-not because chere was
then any danger but because come of the
surgeons had suggested that the water sup
ply might become impure as 1t grew lower
Many of the doctors had contended that
the filter was not needed, but the Secre-
tary of War had said that if Il would
~
was done out of abundant precauuon
Gen. Wheeler said he had seen a state
ment from DR.. E. r. Smith to the effect
that the drinking water was contamin-
ated. He had had an examinat ton made
not only by the surgeons, but by Col
Smart, a noted expert and they had in
formed him the water was pure.
Replying to some criticisms of the dis
injecting plant made by DR.. E. Gilman
johnson, the general said it had been
very effective and had done much good
He thought il entirely probable that many
men had developed typhoid after leaving
the camp. He admitted that before the
steam laundry was put to work there was
a scarcity of clean bed linen for typhoid
and other patients.
Replying to criticisms by DR. Heber
Newton, referring especially to the failure
to have the camps at Montauk provided
previous to The beginning of the war, Gen.
Wheeler said that in view of the condi-
tions as they existed then, 1t would not
have been expedent to build a hospital.
Mr.. Howell asked why there had not
been a court martial investigation of the
charges against Dr. Tabor in the Parrett
case.
Gen Wheeler replied that he con-
sbdered after the report made upon the
case the initiative of a court martial
should be taken by the Washington au-
thorities, and not by himself. He also
said in reply TO question from Capt.
Howell, that he had encountered no OBJ
stacles in securing such supplies as he
had made requisitlon for. He thought
there were tents enough to make 90 600
men comfortable, while there were never
more than 10000 at one time.
Gen. Wheeler said, In reply to a question
from Gen. Wilson. that he had heard of
but one instance in which a surgeon had
become intoxicated. The man was reiev-
ed from duty, but there was no court mar
tial as It was impossible to procure tes-
tlrnony bearing on the case.
Gen. Dodge asked the witness for a gem
Continued on second Pagal