Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-11-04
WAR INVESTIGATION.
chief Surgeon Hartsuff Tells of the
Condition at Camp Thomas

| CONDITION AT camp InOHllS.
| WASHINGTON. Nov. 3--Dr. a. Hart
sun. who was chief surgeon of the
| army at camp Thomas. Chickamauga
| Park. from the 2lst of April to the 9th of
July last, was examined today by Col
| onoi Denly of the war Investigating
commission concerning the conduct Of
| the camp from q medical point of view.
| RE criticised various features in the
management of the camp. beginning
With the location OF some of the rcgi-
m"ntS. He said that the park VAS. on
general principles. good camp ground.
but tina, some Of the regiments We're
located in swampy sections and others
| on rock. ground where i, was inpos-
siblc TO ct the sinks of sufficient depth.
In other cases the camp was poorly
drained and in most instances III. tents
We're toe close together. He said the
sites Were selected by General Brooke
and nGtwithstandiu. his own position IN
chief medical officer he had not been
consulted in regard To the location. He
had made ii formal protest at the time,
but che protest was not needed. DR..
Har,Suf took positive ground against
the establishment, of division hospitals
at the expense of the regiments. lie
said that th. law for the organization
OF volunteer forces did not provide for
the establishment of II hospital and that
as Il consequence there was no force fo:.
he hospital work and the only way to
got ON" was to transfer men from the
volunteer force to the regular force,
and "ftent!tncs these men We're not the
most efficient that could be secured. He
thought Il division or field hospital was
i necessity. but he did not think I,
should be built up as at present by
taking surgeons. stewards and anlhul-
anccs from the regiment. hut rather as
an Independent institution.
DO you" asked Colonel DENLY
l,. Ill ;I.l, II;
hospitals a bad policy?''
Very bad as done" responded the
witness.
Couldn't YOU. as chief medical of
iirer have controlled the niiltcr1'
| n. was next asked.
mo sir it was I'm order Of the Sec
| rotary of War. and under this order no
| rc:iinrntal hospital could be maintain
! Cd He thought this order tlnfnrtun-
ate. that in carrying il into effect the
| work Of caring for III. sick was greatly
ntnrfered With ana that no on. bene
| fitted Ivy il.
Or. Harlsuff aslo expressed the opin-
nn that the water supply Of the camp
Was not good.
Another feature Of the camp system
! which Dr. Hartsuff criticised. was that
Of allowing each regiment I" have Il
| refuse dump Of its nwn This had
rendered the camp objectionable from
y hyGicnic point of view. He had re
commended to General Brooke the
| cremation OF the garbage. ..
! Asked is the volunteer army surgeons
| Iinlcr him Wrr. competent. DR.. Hart
suif replied that some We're white others
We're not, The great difficulty had been
!" secure men Of administrative ability
| 10 conduct The hospitals
| He thought there had been suffering
| because OF this ignorance. and instauc-
"a one ease. in which he had found a
| III. hospital practically out Of food. be
cauS" non" nf the surgeons connected
| With ii knew how to make !, ration re
turn.
Summing w Or. Hartsum said
I'm my opinion. the sickness at Camp
| Thomas was due largely to the mex
| pcri"ncr. and in many eases tn" ilef-
| iir,'ncy nf he medical officers ANA also
20 tn" inrili"iency and in.xpcriencr OF
IN" officers who did not furnish the
support they should have to the medi-
al department. The execution of amy
ulan nf operation rests largely With the
linc officers. the duties Of the surgeon
Being limited To recommendations. They
| are. therefore. unable To correct abuses
themselves ana must depend upon
! others to d" that This applies In the
| officers of the regiments as Well as To
| the general officers
| Or llartsum holds the rank Of col
nncl in the regular army and is now
| chief surgeon of the department OF the
lakes. with headquarters nt Chicago.
COL. McCORD'S DENIAL.
WASilNGTbN Nov. Cool. Fl. NJ.
McG"rd. Of the First Territorial In
fantry, today Went before the invest ga
ling commission and made the follow :
| ing statement,
4 see by newspaper reports that
| Lieutenant Colonel -. -. Mitchell. of
MY regiment. the First Territorial T.. $.
Y, Infantry, lwho before joining tn"
regiment was Il captain in the Fifteenth
| lAfantry) gave some testimony for the
| investigating commission yesterday III
! Lexington. Ky. to the effect that re-
QUESTION made by the commanding Of
iicrr of that regiment tmysclD had not
been promptly responded To. | wish u
contradict this statement If il WAS
made.
Thu medical officers of the regiment
| hay" never complained of Il lack of
supplies nor has the quartcrnaSter o.,
th. coinniSsary ever made compla ints
that they could not get their reuuis-
'i"n promptly filled.
Tile regiment is We'll equipped in
every way This fact will be patent
| when say that i'll the early part of
,!c service ana contained thirteen
hundred and eight officers and men
| lp To the present date, il. has lost but
tire" men by death and now has over
700 officers and men ready for duty"
1
a.