The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-25
TROUSERS WERE IN RAGS
Facts Brought Out by the War
Investigating Commission.
A SHORTAGE IN TENTS
DR.. Seaman Makes an Explanation.
Mississippians Had an Amnity for
swamps-Poor Landing Facil-
tiles al Santiago.

Admission, Ala. Oct. 2l-The war in
vestigation sat from . until $50 o'clock
to-day and examined about a dozen
witnesses, including a number OF on
GERS and men of the regular troops. as
well as a number Of volunteer officers.
II is now expected that the commission
will leave for Huntsville tomorrow
night.
The war investigating commission be-
gan it's session to-day with Major Otto
ii. Falk on the stand. He was the
chief q~uartermaster OF the first divisi IN
of the third army corps while in Chick
amauga and he now occupies the rosi-
tion Of chief auartermaster for this
camp. He said the most serious COM
plant in the early history Of Camp
Thomas was from the LIST Missouri.
who's men claimed hat their trousers
were nothing more than rags. There
was also a shortage in tents. Indeed.
he said. there was never a sufficient
supply OF tentage.
DIR. Charles NJ. Drake, I'm charge of
the general hospital here and who was
in command OF the hospital of the first
division OF the third army corps at
Chickamauga. was the next witness.
He stated the medical SUPPLIES had been
ample from the beginning. but the hos
pital corps had proved inefficient as
nurses. However. he thought there had
been no more serious results than dis
comfort to patients. caused by the In
efficiency of the nurses. He was posi-
tive there had been no death from star
walton or privation.
Major Joseph II. Heatwole. chief
commissary of subsistence. said the
nualify of the vatfOps had hepp excel
lent.
General Dodge read a letter from DR..
Seaman of New York. who was before
the committee in Washington, In which
he corrected an error In his testimony.
He stated that he had received only the
regular army rations for the GONZALES
cents on the steamer OLDHAM from Porto
Rico to New York. He says that such
supplies as had been received up to the
night previous to sailing had been .e-
ceived from the relief societies.
During the night he continued,
''the hospital ship Relief arrived and
early the mex morning i boarded the
Relief and personally secured. without
any requisition, the additional supplies
enumerated in the receipt signed by
me. Until my conference yesterday
with Major Bradley. l believed these
supplies. like many others. were bought
by outside contributions and were not
government supplies" The letter Is
dated Oct. 16 and Is directed to the sur
geon general of the army.
Major Davi Vickers, who was inspec-
tor general for the second division of
the third corps at Chickamauga, said
that some of the regimental officers in
sisted on making poor selections OF
amp sites, and in n instance a Mis-
sissIppi colonel who had put his men
In a swamp had insisted upon remain
Ia. Aa the raa.nd that tho NiaGiQ-
sippians had a natural affinity for
swsmps. Nevertheless his men were
taken sick.
Lieutenant Colonel Bisbee, in COM
mand Of the LIST infantry, told the story
of the transportation of his regiment 10
Santiago. Asked IL the landing at San
tiago could have been accomplished II
opposed, he replied: The facilities
were so poor that I think not. at least
I should say IL I had been on shore no
enemy would have been permitted "a
land. ! cannot say how IL was with the
Spaniards." He said there vas con-
siderable difficulty in getting food while
in front OF Santiago. but we had
enough" He added: IF there should
have been more to eat, the men would
probably have been sicker." Colonel
Bisbee stated that he did not believ,
there was a sufficient number OF doc
tors In the Cuban campaign. Speaking
generally of the Cuban experience. he
expressed the opinion that the supple.
had been as liberal as could have beer
reasonably expected.
Major Dempsey of the I'd regular in.
fantry covered much the same ground
as Colonel Blsbee. Other members oi
the two regiments of regulars sta.
toned here who were examined were
Captain waring OF the LIST. Quartermas-
ter Katz OF the LIST. Private Feldus OF
the LIST. Quartermaster Sergeant Stab
OF the I'd and Private Hounchell OF tn,
%. All testified that while there wa,
a difficulty in securing rations ISSUED
while the troops were In the trenches
In the vicinity of Santiago. there wa!
no real suffering on the part Of the mel
on this account.
Col. James Pfyre of the I'd Tennes
see. whose regiment had been encamp
d at Chickamauga park previous I,
removal here. aid the commisssr.
SUPPLIES had been excellent in qualit,
and ample In quantity until within tn
past month Colonel Pfyffe said IN
reply TO questions that a canteen hat
been maintained in his regiment anc
that beer in large quantities had beei
sold at II.
Did you consider Il proper for you
regiment to maintain a general bee
garden for all the camp?" he was ask
ed by Connor.
The colonel said he did not knov
but tina the beer was there to be sol'
and advocated the sale OF beer at can
teens as a protection against more So
rious indulgence In whiskey.
Great northern Changes.