The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-01


sequence, each company has a fund of $3.50
or more obtained by selling superfuous sup
plies The colonel complained of the quar-
termaster'S supplies, especially of the shoes.
he said that he had spent nearly 500 out OF
his own pocket for shoes for his men. He
said that the supplies were issued IN piece
meal. and frequently the quartermaster s
department got the acquisitions builed up.
Colonel w. X. Caffee, Second Missouri,
stated that his regiment did not receive all
equipment until a few days before leaving
last things issued, he said, were the boilers
Tor boiling water. which were ordered more
than two months before. Colonel Caffee
said that sinks could be dug at the Second
MisSouriS camp at Chickamauga only four
feet before striking rock. This, he stated,
was represented to the brigade commander
and the inspector, but no action was taken.
Colonel Caffee said that he had no surgeon,
and only one assistant surgeon for some
time after the regiment went 20 Chicka-
manga.
sick men from my regiment were sent to
the division hospital and could not be re-
ceived because the hospital was already
overcrowded," said Colonel Caffee. we
had no medicine in the regiment l visited
the hospital daily while had men there and
l frequently found the tents unfioored, the
cots crowded so closely together that one
could not pass. The tents were so leaky
that when it was raining the men in the
hospital had to be covered with ponchoS
and rubber blankets to be protected from
a drenching. DIR. Griffith was in charge of
the hospital and after visiting all the others
4
Quoted one at the park. DR.. Griffith and
his assistants were doing all they could with
the means at hand. This Objectionable con-
dition of affairs lasted eight or ten weeks.
The nursing was in many cases objection
able, but / came to the conclusion that this
was necessary evil under the circum-
Colonel Caffee said that his regiment re-
ceived not only not enough barrels to boil
the drinking water, but not even enough to
haul 1t the four miles necessary, despite
acquisitions made. when we could not get
men in the division hospital on account OF
its overcrowded condition." said Colonel
Caffee I'VE had no medicine TO give the
sick. We made acquisitions for it, and they
were returned with this Endorsement from
the chief surgeon of the corps: Medicines
are issued only to men in division hospitals
and not to those in quarters In my opinion
1t was great mistake to do away with
the regimental hospitals. But had the d.
vision hospitals at Chickamauga been any
thing like the one here at Camp Hamilton
there would have been no fault to find"
Colonel Caffee gave some of the most valu-
able testimony obtained by the commission.
Col Thomas j. Smith, of the Third Ken
lucky, said that his regiment was not equip
ped with clothing for three weeks after its
arrival at Chickamauga and with arms for
a month. He had no complaint, however. to
make. as he thought everything possible
had been done to supply them. He COM
plimented the commissary and quartermas-
ters' supplies received by his command.
Lieut.. Col. D. d. Mitchell of the First
Territorial Regiment. testified that although
the regiment mustered into the service the
middle of July it did not receive
its arms until about three weeks ago It
has not yet received all it's clothing. The
men suffered without blankets on account Of
rain and the cool nights. THEY have told
us every day for ten days. said Colonel
Mitchell, that out stoves would be here to-
morrow. but they have not come yet"
Lieutenant Colonel r. W. Banks. the COM
handing officer of the Third Mississippi
paid high compliments to the officers of all
departments at Camp Hamilton. His regi-
ment lacks both adjutant and quartermas-
ter and has only six companies. More than
half the men in 1t were recruited in Chica-
go though all the officers come from Mis-
sissippi.
Colonel Banks's testimony completed the
sittings of the commission for tonight. To-
morrow private and noncommissioned off,
Ger. in most cases q quartermaster sergeant,
will appear to testify
General Dodge stated that the commits
sion hopes to finish its work here by
Wednesday night, though this will depend
entirely upon the expedition with which the
witnesses are examined.