Evening star., 1898-10-08

pecially nothing that was not at once
remedied.
Il considered that any interference with
me on the part of officers. who were my
juniors, was unwarranted, considering the
fact of my age, rank and experience" said
Colonel Lee.
General McCook-'I would like to know
VINO those juniors We're. l think the COM
mission would like to know.
Colonel Lee hesitated a moment in his re-
ply to this question: finally saying:
We'll, ! have no desire to make any
question about it When l was looking af-
ter this transportation l felt that l should
be allowed to attend to it. Some one re-
sponsible person should make all the ar
rangements for the transportation. I knew
who was interfering with me- although the
dispatches were signed by the quartermas-
ter general. But when the proofs of these
dispatches reached me / could see they
were not signed by his name"
General Wilson-"Are We to understand
that some one else signed these dis
patches?"
Colonel Lee-"I would rather have you
call for the papers on that subject. l don't
like to raise this question in my depart
ment."
General McCook-"I want to know if
anybody connected with his superior Off
GERS interfered with him in any way while
in the discharge of his duties under the
law.
Colonel Lee said about the latter part of
July, or the first of August, when troops
were DelnS sent TO Newport News, ne was
placed under restrictions in the work of
arranging transportation, which he regard
ed as unnecessary, and he at once made a
vigorous protest, saying that If some one
else was going to take charge of that work
he must do all of it: that there could not
be two persons in charge of such matters.
General Brooke, he said, sustained him in
the position he took.
EX-Gov. Woodbury-"What were the rea-
sons for this interference"
Col. Lee-'I don't know what their rea-
sons were"
Gen. McCook-"To whom was this protest
made?"
Col. Lee-"I made it to the quarterma ster
general
Col. Lee, in reply to questions said the
telegraphic interference of which he had
complained came from the transportation
branch of the quartermaster department.
and those in charge of this department
We're Col. Hecker and Maj. Bird, the former
being civilian appointee.
When further questioned the witness said
the trouble was made when the transporta-
ton branch of the quartermaster's depart
ment arranged for the transportation of
men and telegraphed him to arrange for
the transportation of the freight. He
planned that when he had occasion to ar
range for transportation he could not do
so to advantage unless it was all done un-
der single contract. For instance, if the
transportation of troops was contracte for
the company so contracting would not be
dS Ieduy " give low rates ON the tTdnSDOr-
tation of these troops equipments. By in
cluding both items under a single contract
lower rates could be obtained The wit
ness said the rates contracted for by the
transportation branch of the quartermas-
ter generals department were very low
and he did not know that he could have
done better had he made the contract.
After this instance of interference and his
objection he had had no more trouble.
Camp Thomas HealthfuI
Col. Lee was questioned as to the health
fulness of Camp Thomas
Il consider it a good and healthful place"
he said. Il believe 1t has been as health
full as any one of the other camps. 1 fur
ther believe you cannot congregate a great
lot of young men from eighteen to thirty
years of age without having disease in
camp. These young men are brought from
civil life. where their food has been cooked
and served in nice Style they have slept
in comfortable beds at home and all their
surroundings have been very different from
those they experience in camp In camp
they sleep on the ground and get food not
so well prepared as they have in their
homes. l have never known a time when
such congregation of men has been made
without disease being experienced As /
recall the statistics of the war of the rebel
lion. in the first year of that conflict we
lost on the Union side 331a per cent of our
men by reason of Sickness
Why Horses Were Sold.
Gen. Dodge called the attention of the
witness to statement in the Philadelphia
Ledger in which it was SAID that horses
were being shipped from Montauk Point
to Huntsville, while the quartermaster at
Fort Thomas. near Huntsville, was selling
800 horses at auction.
Col Lee explained that he had never seen
horses and mules given such bad treatment
as they had received during this war They
We're ridden by all sorts of people who
didn't know how to handle them and in
snort time they showed the effects of this
bad treatment. They had sold 75O out of
1000 horses and 15O out of 5000 mules. and
number of the horses died There was
also an epidemic of epiZootic among them
Many OF the animals they sold, he said,
might have got into condition again in
time. but in view of the fall campaign
which was contemplated it was thought
best to sell off the worst of the injured
ones ana get well and strong horses in
their places. The horses they sold had
brought good prices, some selling for as
much as $50, while the average for all
horses sold was from $50 to $50. and the
average for the mules S37 to $40 They
were bought by the farmers, who seemed
glad to get them
The witness was asked if he had ever
been lnterferred with in the making of con-
tracts Tor forage horses and mules He
replied that he had not except that he
would at times be restricted as to the
number of horses and mules purchased.
Speaking of the criticisms that had been
made of the quartermastcr'S department
the witness said there had apparently been
very little disposition on the part of the
critics to give credit for what had been
done. The country should understand. he
said, the great difficulties encountered in as
sembling an army. Things that are found
necessary cannot, he said, be provided in
an instant Officers of the government
cannot go here or there and buy what thev
want, Everybody must be given a fair
chance to do the work wanted or supply
the things required. In a country con-
Quoted on the principles that governs in
the United States these restrictions pre-
vail. He considered the work that had
been done was phenomenal.
AppOintees From Civil Life
General Dodge-"What was the character
of the civil appointees that came to your
department? Did they catch on to busi-
ness methods readily? Were they natural
ly efticient?"
Colonel Lee-"There is fine line to draw
there. Men may be efficient in the or
binary pursuits of life but in the army
they are brought face to face with an en-
tirely new condition of things. The civil
appontees were excellent gentlemen, but