Evening star., 1898-10-08
BEER AND PIES
Colonel Lee Accounts for Illness at
Camp Thomas.
TROOPS THERE WERE WELL SUPPLIED
Civilian Appointees of the Quarter
masters Department.
INEXPERIENCED BUTZEALOUS

During the examination of Major Hersey
of the rough riders yesterday afternoon
before the war investigating commission,
after The Stars report closed Major Her
scy said in reply to questions by General
Wilson. that the cause of sickness was a
combination Cf circumstances While in
Tampa watermelons were brought in camp,
and they had a very bad effect on the men,
He issued order against bringing them
in, and there was an Improvement
Major Hersey was asked If he had seen
any neglect at Camp Wikof.
Major Hersey-"I don't believe soldiers
Were ever taken care of better than they
were in Camp WiSoff. 1t was standing
joke in our regiment when the newspapers
same to say, Let us see who has starved
to death now We had more things for
our tables sent to us than We could use
Friends of officers and societies sent us the
finest articles of food. We sent a whole
load of these articles to the 10th Cavalry
could not make use of them
Speaking of the general hospital at Camp
Wikon. he said he considered it the finest
field hospital he had ever seen.
"lt certainly was magnificent hospital"
he said.
In regard to the case of Tiffany who was
reported to have died from starva ton,
Major Hersey said Tiffany had had yellow
fever. and that DR.. Gonzales had favored
having him in camp. but other surgeons
thought otherwise, and he sent to BoS-
ton. Major Hersey thought that Tiffany
had been killed by kindness more than
anything else. AT Boston his friends had
met him. slapped him on the shoulder and
occupied his attention, when he should
have been given complete rest.
The case of Wrenn of the rough riders
was called to the attention of the witness.
He said Wrenn wanted u furlough to at
tend tennis tournament, and, after he
had gone he was taken i'll. He quite
well when he left camp. He had been i'll.
but not seriously i'll. He begged hard to be
allowed to go to the tennis tournament,
and as he had been a good soldier Major
Hersey gave him permission to leave camp.
Col. Lee Tells About Camp Thomas.
Col. James G. c. Lee of the regular army
was the next witness. He was sworn. He
was the assistant quartermaster general. in
charge at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga
Park, Ga, from April 10. He had seen
thirty-five years service in the army.
Colonel Lee began a detailed statement
of events at Camp Thomas during the
period he was there.
While there were at times reports re-
garding the impure character of the water
al Camp Thomas after he arrived there,
analyses showed it to be pure, with the ex-
ceptiOn that the water of the river was
muddy.
Bear in mind" said Col. Lee. speaking
of the supplies furnished in the camp,
that we did not know from day to day
what the requirements would be-
He said supplies could not always be OBJ
tanned at the moment they We're needed.
The men were crowded little at first he
use of the lack of tentage, but gradually
they Were better provided for. At first they
had to put six men in a tent: then they
got more tents and had five men to tent,
and finally reduced the number of men in d
tent to four
Quartermaster's Department Def-
cient.
He had but two officers of the quarter
masters department until late in June.
They We're not created, and when they were
created it took time to get their bonds and
to report for duty. He had to take amb-
tiOus young lieutenants and coach them in
their duties. At first he simply taught them
to get the goods out without undue delay,
and after he had more time he instructed
them more minutely in their duties. He
had only got these young men trained when
the new appointees We're sent to him, and
they were not as good as the young men
he had trained, and he had to do all his
work of giving instruction over again.
Speaking of the fitting out of 1900 men
for the Porto Rico expedition, he was sur
prised at the readiness with which the
equipment was effected considering the
conditions. An idea seemed to prevail that
the quartermaster's department could pro-
uuct anything at any moment IT was called
for. He got the first very well fitted out,
they did the I'd Corps. They did not
complete the fitting out of the Sd Corps.
Delay in Putting in Floors.
AT the beginning there was no expecta-
tion that floors for tents would be required
at Camp Thomas. The army was in the
field, and they proceeded with the idea
that it would be treated as an army usu-
ally is treated in the field. This accounted
for the delay in putting in floors.
No pinching economy was practiced in
the camp; everything was provided with a
lavish hand
Unusually Well Equipped Army.
Il have served through the war of the
rebellion" said Col. Lee "and l have no
hesitation in saying that have never seen
in the U1ited States troops fitted out and
supplied as that army in Chickamauga
with everything necessary and many things
that We're unnecessary. l do not believe
any army in the world was ever equipped
with as many things in the same time as
was the army at Camp Thomas. l do not
say these things in any spirit of vanity or
boastfulness, but because 1 think it is
true"
Col. Lee said there was usually short
age of troIsers. they could never get them
fast enough. The men wore them out rap
idly.
The witness said they had discovered that
forage had been stolen, and horses in some
regiments had been made to suffer for this
reason. He had caused prosecutions to be
begun on these cases, and he thought peo-
pie who had bought these stolen articles
could be implicated, so that the government
could be reimbursed. In reply to a ques-
tiOn, the witness said the people who were
under suspicion as having stolen these ar
ucles We're Drlvates. No officers were i'm
phcated. so far as he knew.
The witness said there had never been
any difficulty in furnishing supplies, only
they could not always be furnished imme-
diately.
There was a disposition" said Colonel
Lee, TO find fault if articles were not on
hand when they were called for. If a man
could not get what he wanted Immediately,
he would be reproachful. and generally not
ready to show any consideration"
The witness inStanced a case in which
100 hospital tents were called for. He had
but seventy-hve on hand. and asked when
they We're wanted. He was told they would
be needed in three days, and by telegraph
ing for them he had the tents by the time
they We're wanted.
Food Good and Plentiful.
The witness said the food furnished at
Camp Thomas was good and plentiful. He
sliH har l1ic