The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-21

mlssary at Camp Cuba Llbre under
General Lee, was before the commits
sion at it's afternoon session. He had
occupied his position since the 21st of
May and he had been able during all
this time to fully and completely meet
all acquisitions made upon him for
supplies and there had never been any
lack Of them. AS a rule, also, the
quality was excellent. At first there
had been trouble with the bacon and
about $50, 900 pounds of it had been
spoiled and, therefore, condemned and
ordered destroyed. There had been
Weavils in some of the hard bread, but
it had never been issued when found
to be bad. All the fresh meat was Sc
cured from Armour & Co., and was
brought to the camp in refrigerator
cars. AS a rule this meat was excel
lent and in cases where the meat vas
not good the contractors had replaced
it without requiring official condemna-
ton. Yet. it was necessary either to
cook refrigerator meat or put it on
ice in order to prevent it spelling in
this climate. In this connection Col
onel Wood read a letter he had writ
ten to General Lee in response to a
complaint made by Colonel W. J.
Bryan, concerning the beef. In this
letter he said that if beef was spoiled
it was due to the most criminal neg
ligence of regiment and company Off
GERS. He said also in the letter that
the beef must be inspected when is
sued; that this inspection must be
final and after this nc complaints could
be entertained.
Captain Chauncey V. Baker, chief
quartermaster was also examined dur-
ing the afternoon session. He had
been in Jacksonville from the begin
ming of the camp on the 21st Of May,
but at that time was quartermaster
for the Second corps He said that
when he arrived the command was
short of all kinds of stores and that
he had been unable in the beginning
to meet all acquisitions for supplies
! when made by the regiments when
they arrived. There had, for instance,
been some trouble in securing tentage.
There was also shortage in clothing,
and in most cases he had assumed the
responsibility of making purchases
and his curse had afterwards been ap-
proved. The first clothing received
was not of good quality, but it after
wards improved. However, the men
were as a rule glad enough to get any
thing and there were no complaints.
Indeed the troops had manifested a
disposition to be satisfied with what
ever they received. Captain Baker
! said that he attributed whatever delay
had been experienced to the necessity
of eQuipping so large an army in so
brief a time, and he thought that un-
der the circumstances, it was no
greater than was to have been ex-
pected.
Explaining General Lawton's selec-
ton of the first camp here he said it
was due to the fact that the railroad
could offer good facilities here and
to the additional fact that water
could be secured conveniently. The
site was low and the men were o.
when the rainy season began. General
Lawton had expected the troops to be
ordered almost Immediately to Cuba
and this circumstance controlled him
entirely in the selection of the site for
the first encampment. He said that
| the volunteer regimental Quartermas-
tiers had all worked hard to learn their
business and that their service had
been satisfactory.
Captain Baker was followed by Col
onel Curtis Guild, Jr., inspector gen
| eral of the corps. Colonel Guild said
he had been on duty in Jacksonville
| since June list. He said he had made
it his business to make an early morn
ing inspection of the camp each day
with regard to sanitation and he knew
that this bod hopn tho c1Cf0m Of 9TH
ers in his department. He had also
invented a form of weekly report
which had given excellent satisfaction.
Colonel Guild said he had found the
officers of the volunteer forces willing
to accept suggestions and in many
cases he had been thanked for them.
He had also made frequent inspections
of the hospitals. In the beginning
there was a lack of government sup
plies for these Institutions; but the de-
ficiency had been supplied by the Red
Cross Society. The witness testified
to the devotion of the medical depart
ment and in referring to the interest
of all in the care Of the sick, he in
stanced the fact that in the recent cy-
clone here not a single hospital tent had
been blown down. In some instances
in this emergency entire brlgades turn
ed out to protect the hospitals and
hold them down. Colonel Guild men
toned some cases in which goods had
been received in poor condition. In
one case a large lot Of canned beef
had been received which was putrid, but
the contractors had replaced it with
acceptable goods. The Second New
Jersey had suffered on account of the
frequent changes Of the commissary
and they appeared to experience the
want of food because of the ignorance
of the officers of the regiment.
Colonel Guild said that he had never
found a case of deprivation due to the
failure Of the government to furnish
proper supplies. He was also unable
to recall any case in which there had
been n suffering in a hospital on &C.
count of neglect and was satisfied that
all had been done for the sick that
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