Evening star., 1898-10-06
SUPPLIES AT CAMP THOMAS
General Boynton Declares That the Rations
We're Plenty and We're Good.
The Typhoid Fever, He Says, Was
Brought There From Other States
-War-Time Conditions.

of the war investigating commission was
closed yesterday afternoon General II. V.
Boynton continued his testimony regard
ing conditions at Camp Thomas, Chicka-
nlauga Park, Ga, of which he has lately
been in command. and where for some
time he has had charge of the water sup
ply.
In reply to a question by Ex-Governor
Beaver General BoyntOn said that the
water of the Chickamauga river had been
examined four times and found to be with
out contamination. He was sure there
was 70 way by which the water supply
of the camp could have been contaminated
from any wash from the camp.
Il think said General Boynton. in re-
ply to a question, both the quantity and
quality of water at Camp Thomas were am
pie and fit for domestic uses. There Is
this thing to say about the supply. There
was a great Geal of water about the
middle of the period the troops were
there hauled from outside the camp, from
springs at various distances from camp.
There had been sickness in camp and regl-
mental surgeons and subordinate officers.
without investigation, condemned the wells
and hauled water from outside the camp.
This was done simply because there was
sickness and the wells were under suspi-
cion. The analyses made after that showed
that the wells were all right.
General BoYntOn described the way IN
which the artesian wells in Camp Thomas
were bored They were from fifty to one
hundred and fifty-nine feet deep, nearly
the entire depth being through solid rock
The analyses showed that the river, well
and spring water they got was about the
same thing.
Captain Howell-"Do you not know that
typhoid fever was brought into camp
Thomas by troops?'
Typhoid Brought From State Camps.
Gen. Boynton-'CertanIy; it is well
known that typhoid fever was brought to
Camp Thomas from state camps"
Gen. Boynton was asked in relation to
details of the camp arrangements. the 10
cation of sinks. kitchens, manner OF dis
posing of offal, etc.
Regarding typhoid fever in Camp Thomas
Gen. Boynton said that up to July Is there
We're about two cases of typhoid fever in
each thousand men in camp. The sickness
at that time was not greater than is ex-
perienced by soldiers in barracks.
Gen. Boynton. in reply to questions. de-
sCribed the hospitals of Camp Thomas.
Ex-Gov Beaver asked if there were sut-
lers to supply the men.
There was something worse, said Cen
Boynton. There were canteens. author
lied by the army
Gen. Boynton said 372 carloads of beer
were brought into Camp Thomas.
Capt. Howell asked what whisky got into
the camp.
Gen. ROynton-"The moonshiners down in
your country are pretty sharp fellows, cap
tain Howell. and they managed to get
ahead of us sometimes.
The witness said that whisky was kept
out of the camp except such as found its
way there for medicinal purposes or sur
reptitiously.
Again speaking of sickness in Camp
Thomas. he said there never had been sick
ness among the regulars there. He himself
drank the river. spring or well water wher-
ever he had found it. and he had kept well.
Speaking Cf the stores in Camp Thomas,
Gen. BOyntOn said
Plenty of Good Food.
The commissary department was beyond
anything l ever dreamed of. To begin with,
a bakery turned out an 1s-ounce loaf of
bread for every man in camp if he wanted
it, and 5000 loaves We're baked when there
Were 5000 men. 1t was just as good bread
as l nave ever had on my table, and if any
body has better bread than that was he
mas better than is necessary. The army ra-
lon could not be eaten by the men. and It
was all good. The variety was equal to
anything | know of and as good as can be,
seen in any of the family groceries here in
W Washiugt gton-Canned fruit and eCerythiug
OF that sort. So far as 1 could see it was
all OF the best quality. Three-fourths of q
pound of beef. was provided for each man
lnere were occasions when some of this
Deet spollt before it reached the camps al
lhcugh II was brought to Camp Thomas in
reITlSeratOr cars, but If the men who got
II had known how to condemn it and get
another supply they could have done so
without any trouble.
heIteVe,' continued General Boynton,
tnere was more food left over in that
az my in Camp Thomas every dav of its
existence than the Army Of the Cumber-
land had to eat during the entire siege of
Chattanonga. There never was an army
led ike that, and If they didn't knov,, how
70 cook the food that was not the fanit
lev" 'ief>ih
Ex-Governor Beaver-'I begin to think
from your description
General Boynton spoke in a compliment
Iary way about the work done by the Y
NJ. I. A. In the establishment Of tents
Ior rtddihg ana writing rooms, etc He
also said that Governor Atkinson Of Geor-
Sla had done all he could to suppress the
HIlclt safe or liquors near the camp
Comparison With Time of War.
Speaking OF the way the soldiers vyere
treated generally General Boynton referred
10 the arrival of one of the eolored regi-
mehtS II ere He said the regiment Travelled
in palace cars and every one of the SOL
dlers was provided with an upper or lower
berth. He recalled the occasion of his ar
rival al Chattanooga during the civil war,
ana said that all the regimental officers
Travelled in box cars and he had a hoy tn
sit on and felt that he was extremely for
tuHate to get 1t.
W hen hear complaints about the SOL
dierS at camp Thomas not getting eenough
10 eat, continued General BoyutOn ..I re-
call 10 mind the time when you General
DODGE noe ding toward the president of
the commission, left that same locality
Win an entire army corps to go to Resa ca
10 take part in an engagement Your
army had mad nothing to eat for twenty
four hours. but it did what ii was ordered
10 DO, ana before they got ANYTHING to
eat the army had tasted thirty-six hours.
II that Is not a correct statement wouIJ
ike to know it, General Boynton remark
ed as he looked toward General Dodge,
who smiled and nodded affirmativeIy
Most OF these complaints in regard to
starvation" continued General Boynton
come from typhoid fever patients who
as matter of course. were kept on a
very low diet in order to save their lives.
and almost all the talk / heard about short
rouGns came from that quarter. Still
saw in the newspapers they were all stary-
ing TO death"
member Of the commission referred to
a report that had to come to him that
General Boynton had an interesting lot
OF photographs OF vermin IN Camp Thomas.
and that he had brought them to Wash
ington to show them to the commission
General BOynton said he had not given
out such information. and that when he
left Camp Thomas he did not know he was
TO go before the commission. He had a