The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-18
All the Sick Found to Be Doing Wei,
and Provisions for Their Care
Regarded as Excellent.
PLAN TO ALLAY Discomfort
CONSOLIDATION of REGIMENTS
URGED BY MANY POLITICIANS,
Who Favor Mastering Out Volunteers
"Spread-EagIed" at Camp Meade.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Oct. 1.-THE war
investigating commission, which arrived
here this morning, spent the afternoon in
specting the camps in the immediate vicin-
ity of Jacksonville. A heavy rain was fall
ing during part of the tour, but the COM
missioners performed their self-appointed
task of going through the camp from one
end to the other in a very painstaking man
ner. They took carriages from the depot
Immediately after the arrival of the train
at 2:30 o'clock and did not return until after
nightfall The committee separted into di-
visions of three men each, but the carriages
kept pretty closely together in the main.
They were escorted from point to point by
Gen. A. K. Arnold, who, in the absence of
General Lee, is in command of the corps,
while Col. Curtis Guild, jr., inspector gen.
eral. led a cavalry detachment which ac-
companied them on their rounds.
The party drove first to the headquarters
of the First Division commander, General
Lloyd Wheaton, and after leaving this point
made 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 commission made call
on Colonel Bryan, who is personally ac-
quainted with most of them. They found
him almost completely recovered from his
recent illness, bat very much occupied in
arranging for the mastering out of the men
in his regiment relieved BY the order of the
War Department reducing the size of the
companies Of his regiment to the minimum
of eighty men, He said he was making an
especial effort to relieve the men who had
families depending on them.
A portion Of the commission also made
a. special inspection of the Forty-ninth
Iowa Regiment as compliment to General
Dodge, who found its colonel. w. G. Doves,
an old friend. The third regiment receiving
particular attention was the Third South
Carolina, because it was the newest in the
camp. The commission interviewed privates
and officers alike and made personal visits
to the quarters of the men and their COM
manders They lifted the covers of the COM
missary stoves, went through the kitchens,
went through the drug stores. inspected the
apparatus, talked with physicians and
nurses and made special inquiry into the
method of conducting the hospitals.
All three Of the division hospitals were
visited and inspected, the commissioners
going through the tents and in some in
stances where conversation was allowable,
talking with the ratients. They found the
patients to be, apparently, well 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 greater number Of
cases the men either held before their eyes
or clasped closely in their arms letters
which had evidently been received from
olI
ing clean beds or cots, and in no instance
was hospital tent or pavilion found to be
without floor. Indeed, almost all the tents
in the camp were floored. In many cases
the hospital tents were effectually screened
against flies and mosquitoes.
But one complaint was heard in the en-
tire round and this was evidently not made
in a spirit of fault-fnding. Colonel Jones.
of South Carolina found fault with the cli-
mate, saying that fully 20 per cent. of his
men werc 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 inspection General Dodge, the
chairman, said: I'VE have compared notes
after the days work and find that COM
plant was made from but one regiment dur
ing the day. This was the objection made
to the climate by Colonel Jones. We saw
both officers and men, sick and WELL and
we gave all an opportunity to be heard,
asking the men, in the absence of their off,
GERS, if they had any criticism to make.
We shall tomorrow 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 exceptionally
well, and were 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
commission and was indorsed by them.