The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-27
SECURE TENTS.
Carpenter Says the Camps Were
Too Crowded.
THE DELAY OF SUPPLIES
IL Took Two Months to Get Them to
Tampa-Many OF b Stores Came
Back From santiago-Denci-
ency Of Medicines.

Huntsville, Ala, Oct. 26.-The war in
vestigating commission to-day post
poned inspection of Camp Freeze owing
to a mild snow storm n very muddy
roads. Investigation here will be d.
rected especially to the procuring Of
facts concerning arrangements OF hos
pitfalls and care OF the sick while the
army vas in Cuba.
The first witness to-day was Gen.
Louis II. Carpenter. who is in command
in General wheeler's absence. He had
been at Chickamauga, Tampa and at
Fernandina before coming here. He
said that the camp at Chickamauga
was too crowded. That at Tampa was
unsatisfactory. but IL was not intended
to be permanent. That at F~ernandina
was ideal. The o supply had been
ample throughout, but quartermaster
supplies were generally slow n there
had been especial difficulty in securing
tents. There was more trouble In get
ting supplies at Tampa than anywhere
else, because of railroad congestion.
Major Charles NJ. Candy. the surgeon
who was in charge Of the medical sup
ply depot at Tampa. said he had been
bile TO fll all reasonable acquisitions
for medical supplies with promptness,
but many articles for which substitutes
could be had were not supplied. The
regulars were easily satisfied. but the
volunteers were exacting. Still there
were some DELAYS. n he mentioned
one instance of supplies ordered from
New York that were not received for
two months. He had fitted out the
Shafter expedition for Cuba and
thought that in the main the expedi-
ton was fairly well supplied. This was
especially true of the first requisition.
Hall 81 tho cnnnlfQG no had on hand
had been packed for Cuba and he had
afterwards made a supplementary ship
ment of two wagon loads. He had at
forwards heard many OF the stores
came back to Tampa on he Iroquois
He gave the name of Captain Munson
as authority for the latter statement.
During the afternoon session OF the
commission a number of officers who
had served in the Santiago campaign
and In Florida were examined. Gen.
G. 8. Carpenter said the sick at San
tiago a suffered somewhat on ac-
/ count of the deficiency of medicines and
medical supplies.
Captain George s. Cartwright. who had
been aide TO General Kent in the Santi-
ago campaign, said that doubtless some
of the men had been hungry at times.
He thought. however. that under the cir
stances. the commissary department had
been quite efficient at Santiago.
Lieutenant Farnsworth. General Law
toms a-uartermaster at Santiago, gave the
details OF forwarding supplies. and Lieu
tenant Gierson. chief OF commissary AZ
Tampa. and Captain Thompson. who has
held the position at F~ernandina, told OF
the supplies at these two points. Mr..
Farnsworth said that for a time II had
been impossible to get full rations to the
front. Messrs. Gierson and Thompson
said the principal complaints they had
heard about supplies concerned the ba-
con furnished.
Major II. d. Thompson, surgeon OF the
23d Michigan, who had served In the gen
eral hospital at Montauk Point. after
Aug. II. said that in August there were
COO patients in the hospital and that there
were often eight in a tent. He had heard
no complaint Of Ill treatment from pa
tients, but there was criticism from out.
siders. He thought deaths were caused
by the removal of patients before they
were I'm a condition to be removed. HI
estimates that from 300 to 700 had thus
been ~prematurely removed.