The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-02

we'll men, but subsequent events proved
| that they did not have enough to eat. The
men never could get enough water TO sat
isfy their thirst. Ice wafer was sold al
| SIPS a pitcher. The matter was reported,
but the custom was not stopped. The
mules and horses on board went for TWEEN
ty-four hours at one time without water.
Lieut.. Col. James Parker, Twelfth New
York, said that when the troops arrived at
Chickamauga the men had to sleep on the
wet ground, with only one blanket and
no change of clothing. He said that the
First South Carolina Regiment did not
receive their guns for a month after their
arrival at the park, the men being com
PEELED to do guard duty without guns The
Twenty-first Kansas also had TO do guard
duty for two weeks with sticks.
when the volunteers first arrived at
ChickamaUga," said Col. Parker their
tongues were literally hanging out for
water. For three weeks they could moi
get water enough to quench their thirst.
Then the pipe lines were laid, but the
water The men got was not pure.
THE usual precautions that are taken
| with troops in camp were not taken there.
L have spent several years of my life in
tents, having been a captain in the Fourth
Cavalry, and 1 think any regular army Of
| fcer will agree with me that the camp
was established on the proper plan.
Gen Breckenridge, when he took COM
mand, did more to change for the better
the sanitary conditions than had been &C
complished altogether before. He had
lumber which before had been applied for
in vain furnished the hospitals; he pro-
vided lime in great abundance. He had
new tentage supplied and gave medicines
when needed.
Upon my inspection I found the hOspi-
tails OF the First Division, Third Corps,
| Third Division, First Corps, and Second
Division, Third Corps, very dirty. The
first was placed alongside dump heap.
The dirt in most cases, however, was due
to the over-crowded conditions of the hos
pitfalls. TIE surgeons were worked to death
and too particular themselves to look after
the cleanliness properly.
$50 far as l know, neither Gen. Brooke
nor Gen. Wade ever made a sanitary in
spection of the camp.
Il think there was dissemination on the
part of the government to purchase lime.
1t could have been secured easily, or even
burned by the troops. The quartermas
ters department might have accomplished
much during this war that it did not seem
| inclined to do. 1t would have been JUS
as easy TO establish at Chickamauga the
ideal conditions that prevail here at
Camp Hamilton at the cost Of not more
than 81 per man."
The night session began at o'clock.
Lieut. Frank Strange, quartermaster of
ness called. He was at Chickamauga
Park from June 1 until July II, when he
took sick and left. He testified that while
at Chickamauga his regiment was badly
equipped. His regiment was unable to
procure quartermaster supplies consisting
of clothing, tentage,. ETC., because the sup
plies were not on hand, except in small
quantities. Often the quartermasters did
not have equipment for a lack of know
ledge as to what was required. Then when
the regimental quartermaster went to the
depot they were made to wait for several
hours.
Next were called seven non-commisslon-
ed officers and privates, who stated that
generally the ratons and clothing fur
nished were good
The witness, Keen Ryan, from whom
DR. Conner expected to obtain valuable
testimony, was formerly a private in the
Third Corps signal service who was sick
in the First Division hospital at Chicka-
manga He had sent written statements
of a serious nature TO the board, but was
unable to substantiate but few. He stat
ed that the surgeons were guilty of GRIM
inal neglect by not seeing that the orders
they issued were obeyed; that the medi-
cjnes prescribed were not administered;
that on the day of Gen. Breckinridge's
review no surgeons visited the hospital
when men were dying from want of at
tention; that the water was bad; that on
frequent occasions meals were eaten when
bed pans were sitting in the rooms, rem
dering the air foul; that the sinks were
in bad order, and that on one occasion a
man was almost drowned in one.
Tomorrow morning Gen. Sanger, Mai
Griffith, acting surgeon of the First Corps
and Mai Slocum will be examined, when
the commission viii have completed its
work.
Nyo,,hars Now Mt WASHINGTON