Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-07
RESPONSIBILITY
For Disease at Camp Thomas
Is Laid
By Gen. Boynton to Brigade and
Division Commanders.
Gen. Fitzhueh Lee Testifies Rei,re Inyestiga.
tion Board His Food Ideas,a


which he had begun, yesterday, and
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee was heard. in the
afternoon. Gen. Boynton dwelt, today,
upon the causes of disease at Camp
Thomas. charging the increase toward
the close Of the camp to the lack of
sufficient care On the part of the regi-
mental and brigade commanders In
covering the sinks.
Gen. Lee detailed the conditions pre-
vailing at the camp in Jacksonville.
He said the site was a good one. TIL,
supplies were plentiful, the men we'll
taken care of and that he had no COM
PLANT to make of the war department.
treatment of his command He also
took occasion to reply to a question
put by Capt. Howell to sap that he did
not consider that he had been sighted
in the war. He had not expected to be
ordered to Santiago or to Porto Rico.
but had wanted to go to Havana and
the President had recently told him
that in case it had been necessary to
take Havana by assault he had in
tended to ask him {Gen. Lee) to lead
the assaulting army.
Gov. Beaver asked Gen. Boynton who
was at fault if the camp was crowded
If such was the case was the re-
ply, the fault was that of the regi-
mental and brigade commanders, as
the details We're left to them. Gen.
Dodge read a complaint purporting to
be OF a New York regiment saying that
coffee was issued green to the troops
and then poorly Drowned; that the
meat was tainted and inferior and that
no vegetables but onions and potatoes
We're supplied and that none of the
food was palatable.
Gen. Boynton said that so far as he
knew the coffee was not issued green.
There is no foundation for any rea-
sonable complaint in regard to the food.
1t was brought in refrigerator cars and
heard of but two cases in which the
meat was spoiled"
Gen. Boynton had inspected the camp
of the Sth New Yeik because of COM
plants by Surgeon Terry and had
found it very clean and in every re-
spect in good order, except that the
sinks were near the tents. DR.. George
also read letter purporting to come
from the chaplain of the Sth New York.
rather James Dooley, saying the camp
was hell on EARTH" and that war
would be paradise compared to this
place; as for the food it is rotten"
Gen. BoyntOn stated that he did not
wish to, take issue with a chaplain and
after explaining that Father Dooley
and rather Ryan had tents in the
headquarters yard said: IF they saw
such things as they did they were the
only ones who did. Their stories were
of sensational character that would
do credit to a dime novel,"
He said their complaints were di-
rected especially at the hospital of the
I'd Division of the Sd Corps.
Gen. Boynton also made reply to
charges formulated by Surgeon M. B.
Ward of Kansasi City who said in a
letter to the commission that the camp
was without drainage; that water was
unit to drink; that there was no proper
food and that all of the $4,000 in camp
were suffering from intestinal diseases
Surgeon Ward said also that the hos
pitfalls were overcrowded and that
many soldiers had starved to death and
many more would have starved but for
the attention of the Red Cross.
Gen. Boynton expressed his acquaint-
ance with these complaints from Ward.
who went about the hotels talking in
this line. Nothing could be more ex-
aGgerated than such representation.
said the general. OF course in so large
a camp some painful things must
necessarily happen. For instance, with
the outbreak of measles the hospitals
were quite crowded. But to say that
there was any purposely inflicted ne
glect is, he declared, "as false as it is |
possible to be-
These complaints led Gen. Boynton
TO enter upon general statement IN !
regard to the condition of the camp |
and to give his opinion as to the cause
of it. He attributed the prevalence of |
disease to the exposure of the regi- |
mental kitchen and hospital sinks. |
These had in the latter part of the
camps history been left uncovered by
earth as was directed by the order OF |
the surgeon general, and this fact more
than all others he considered RESPONSE
BILE for the spread of disease. This fall
ure to carry out sanitary orders he
thought was due to the negligence of
the subordinate officers, the brigade
and regimental commissioners.
The trouble only began after Gen.
DIoohC Was OIutIeU TO washington.
Prior to that time Gen. Brooke re-
quired daily reports from the regimen
tai officers and prompt attention to any
neglect of sanitary precautions. This
system had the effect of keeping the
camp in good condition When Gen.
Brooke left for Washington the camp
was necessarily in charge of the subor-
dinate officers. When Gen. Brooke re-
turned his time was devoted almost en-
tirely to preparations for the Porto
Rican campaign, SO that he could not
give as much attention to sanitary
regulations as he had previously
lone. Gen. Boynton elaborated upon
The strict discipline maintained byl
Gen. Brooke in police and sanitary
matters, but said there was a
of it after the Porto Rican
was decided upon. After
Cen. Brooke left there was material
Increase of disease and at one time al
most panic.
Continued on page 81