Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-27
ruE sunaroN-GENEnAL.

The developments made before the Al
ger-Dodge Investigation Commission show
plainly that the work OF the s'ngcon-gen-
eral OF the army was ill-done. The medi-
cal department Of the navy was two
months ahead OF that of the army in Its
preparations for war.
Not only was Surgeon-General Stern
borg slow in getting together the requi-
site supplies, but he was unsystematc In
many respects. IT is true the necessities
OF the case compelled him to make use
Of the services OF many young and un-
tried medical officers but 1t seems equal
ly true that he failed TO give them in
structions as he should have done. AS =
rule. the surgeons were faithful and COM
petent but many OF them got entangled
IN red tape, and few OF them knew how
TO extricate themselves. They seem to
have had little help from the medical in
spectors and their work was done under
many Disadvantages In most hospitals
there were too few doctors and nurses,
and many Of tho latter were conspicuous
ly unfit for their places.
| IN the Santiago expedition the medical
department went out miserably equipped.
but il does not appear that any very
vigorous remonstrance was made by Cen
eral sternbers.
| This was a war in which the Surgeon
General expected that the vast improve
ments said to have been made in surgery
and sanitary science would be demon
strated to a wondering world. but the
fact is that Of all the departments OF the
army the medical appeared at most DIS
advantage. The chief reason for this may
be found In the fact that Surgeon-fiene-
raj Sternberg is not practical man. He
is Il writer and an eXperimenter and
theorst, rather than an executive officer.
That he is n man Of ability, We believe
is conceded by the profession. lie was
an assistant surgeon in the Federal army
during the civil war; and has been in the
service ever since, and he has therefore
had plenty of experience, but yet he has
not distinguished himself as an executive
officer. Doubtless he could have written
book telling how It all should have been
done, and the book would have been val
liable. but as a manager Of affairs he
didn't succeed.
Surgeon General Sternberg once had an
experience with officers Of the Confede-
ra - army, which exasperated the latter
very much. It was shortly after the bat
tie of Bull Run. where Sternberg was
captured, with many other Federal pri-
soners. There was, al that time, no
agreement between the two armies for
treating surgeons as non-combatants, but
the Doctor was paroled for ten days, |
and was set to work caring for several
hundred Federal wounded. who were also
prisoners His services were absolutely |
necessary. the Confederates not having !
enough surgeons to care for their own
wounded
At the end Of the ten days Sternberg !
abandoned the men under his charge and |
made his way through the lines TO Wash !
ington. Our headquarters officers prompt |
". but mistakenly. sent word to Wash |
ington that he had broken his parole. !
Upon this charge he was called to account /
by the war Department. but was able to |
dlsprove the accusation.
Had the charge been what It should |
have been-that he had left several hun |
bred Federal wounded who were in dire |
need of his professional help-he might |
not have escaped so easily.
The matter was much talked about in |
our camp, and was, Of course, discussed |
among the Federal prisoners. who were /
thus unceremoniously deprived Of the SER
vices OF their surgeon, but 1t finally drop |
ped out Of the public mind 1t was, how /
ever, recalled when DR.. Sternberg visited |
Richmond at a time when there was
great gathering OF physicians and sur
geons here from all parts Of tho country
We observe that his capture and escape
are mentioned in some Of the biographies
that have been published OF late, but the
fact is not dwet upon, as it should be,
that he left his wounded comrades when
they sorely needed his services and when
it was wel-ngh impossible for the Con-
federates to supply his place.