The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-09
and n


Of the troops there had only been one
years. There had been ABOUT 5000 eases
Of typhoid fever in the camp.
DIR. Giftin had no complaint of neglect
or insufticiency to make against any of
the bureaus of the War Department and
lie had heard Of only one complaint
There We're no matches for twenty four
hours. He thought that contract sur
geons should have been examined before
they We're appointed.
The doctor also expressed the opiaion
that the complaints of starvation had
arisen from the fact that it was neces
sary to put convalescents from typao0l
fever on a sparse diet He thougl,s
many deaths had been caused by over
feeding after conyalescents returned to
their homes.
Orders were given to mis- knowledge
fer prompt measures looking to the sun
preston Of the fever when Is broke out
but the orders had not been obeyed He
knew Of some eases in which the siuks
were to the last within twenty feet Of
the kitchen and in the, cases of the
Fourteenth Minnesota and Ninth Penn
sylvania regiments, the sinks .era
crowded near the kitcheNs, when there
was a quarter of mile of open field bac&
of them. He thought that il had been
mistake to locate so many men l,-
gether as were at Camp Thomas.
Requisition had been honored promptly
He got everything he asked for.
REPORT ON CAMP CUBA LIBRE.
Captain James G. Baldridge commits
sary Of subsistence for the First brigale,
Second division. Seventh Army corps
now at Camp Cuba I4ibre. Jacksonville.
occupied the attention OF the commission
during the afternoon. He reached the
camp on August 2nd and made an imme-
diate inspection of the kitchens. He
found some of them not well managed
as ali Of the army cooks were not ex
perts. He believed that for an army in
camp green coffee was preferable to tho
roasted as it was stronger and fresheg
The meat he considered good and it was
received on time except in one instance.
Upon complaint by the Second New ,Jer-
sey regiment he investigated the meat
which had been rejected by it, Some of
this meat was eaten by the brigade Off
GERS and found to be wholesome. The
next day the same regiment rejected ii
consignment OF corn beef, but this alsa
he found to be eatable. The men wcre
literally supplied with fooG and the To-
cation of the camp was good.
Still there had been an increase of dis
ease which he attributed to the climate
and to the assembling of Il l&sge body
of men. He also thought decaying fruit
and the canteen beer had had an inla-
ence in producing disease.
General Dodge read n letter to the wit
ness from member of the Second New
Jersey regiment, saying some Of the regi-
ment were dying Of starvation and others
We're completely broken down.
Captain Baldridge said taere had been
a great deal Of complaint from this regi
ment They received their full rations
and he attributed their troubles par
italy to the fact that they had an mex
perienced man MS commissary of su5sis
tence. The regiment had also made
contract with an outside baker which
gave each company only 411h loayes Of
bread per day. The full ration would
have given them twice as much. Cantain
Baldridge said he had no Ymplaint 70
make Of the officers Of this regiment, ox-
vept that they were without experience.
He instanced the fact that when the regi-
ment was ordered TO Pablo Beach with
the exception of two companies, the main
body took all. the rations, leaving nothing
to eat for those left behind.
Captain Baldridge said that when ae
first went to Jacksonville, the potatoes
were small and not good, but afterwarl
the quality improved.
The commission here adjourned