The herald., 1898-11-01

ments were made to take care OF the sinks
as have been made here at Camp Hamilton
He said that the ground finally got SO per
forated with sinks in the timber portion OF
the park that it was really unsafe to ride
through it, that his horse had gone into them
up to his belly.
Col. Baldwin said that it was common
complaint, that frequently regiments
dumped their worst men off on the hospitals
| for nurses. He said that the camp OF the
First Mississippi was one OF the worst he
had ever seen, largely on account OF the
leniency of the colonel with his men,: lie
stated further that there was great dltflcul,
ty in getting lime, due to the ineiflclency OF
the quartermaster's department.. On one
occasion, he said, he was notified that there
was an abundance of lime, and that he IN
turn notified several regimental command
| ers. They made acquisitions and were CIV
en- one barrel of lime each, and notified that
that was all that could be granted them.
The next witness was Capt. benjamin
Johnston, now depot quartermaster at
Camp Hamilton. Capt Johnston served as
assistant to the chief quartermaster OF the
Fifth corps at Santiago from July II to Au-
gust D. He came away with Gen. Shatter
and served at Montauk point until that
camp was abandoned, when he came to Lex
ington.
"At Santiago" said Capt. Johnston, from
the time l landed until left, there was an
abundance OF clothing. Many of the troops
had only dog tents, but, IN my OPINION, these
were good and healthy. No complaint could
be found with the transport in which went
| to Cuba, or that in which / returned.
| "At Montauk point / visited both the de-
| tention and division hospitals, and, though
not a competent judge in such matters, |
considered both excellent.
There ia an abundance of clothing and
other supplies here, all of good quality, win
ter clothes having been issued. | have no
complaints. To my knowledge there is no
regiment here now whose men are wearing
unlined blouses. Some of the tents here
have been condemned and they will be i'm
mediately replaced. There is a great deal
of clothing in the depot and an abundance
on the way. Requisitions have always been
promptly honored."
The commission adjourned for dinner
and resumed its session at 8 o'clock.
Col. VIM. A. Pew of the Eighth Massa-
chusetts was called. The principal COM
plants he made were of the difficulty his
regiment experienced in securing medical
supplies. He said his surgeon would make
out a requisition and hand it in to the prop
er officers and they would return them,
saying there were no supplies and it was of
no use to make acquisitions. Pew said that
his regiment had difficulty in securing its
wagons at Chickamauga park. He said his
camp ground was very poor.
Col. w. Z. Leonard of the Twelfth New
York testified that the surgeon of his regi-
ment was continuously clamoring for medi-
cine to give the men in quarters. He could
not secure this, he said SO the colonel spent
$500 out of his own pocket for medicine.
Colonel Leonard said the commissary
supplies had been good and so abundant
that the men could not consume them. In
consequence, each company has a fund of
$3.50 or more obtained by selling superfuous
supplies The colonel complained of the
quartermaster's supplies, especially the
shoes. He said that he had spent nearly
5000 out Of his own pocket for shoes for his
men.
He said that the supplies were issued in
piecemeal and frequently the quartermas-
ters department got the requisitions bulled
up.
Col. w. K. Chaffee, Second Missouri, sta
ted that his regiment did not receive all
equipment until few days before leaving