The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-06

lnitlalINe OF cOUrtmartial should De
taken by the Washington authorities
and not by himself. He also said. in
reply TO a question from Captain How
ell, that he had encountered no OBJ
Stacles in securing such supplies as he
had lnade requisitiOn for. He had
heard OF but one instance in which a
surgeon had become intoxicated. The
man was relieved from duty, but there
was no courtmartial, as it was impOs-
eihle to secure testimony bearing on
the case.
EVERYBODY PRAISED.
General Dodge asked the witness for
= general expression Of his opinion as
TO the conduct Of the various bureaus
of the war department Replying, he
praised the work Of al the supply de-
partments, saying they were actuated
by zeal and characterized DS intelli-
Rence. He had found the medical de-
partment, from General Sternberg
down, TO be efficient and anxious to
promote the best interests of his de-
partment. The same was also true OF
the ordnance, commissary and other
departments.
General Wheeler spoke Of the NOR
tally among the Spanish soldiers, say
ing that il was quite equal TO that
among the American troops.
GEN. BOYNTON TESTIFTES.
B.
IN the afternoon. Since the Sth of July
he had been on duty at Camp Thomas.
Recently his special duty had been that
Of looking after the water Supply of
that camp, and still more recently and
at present he was in command of the
camp, which was entirely within the
limits of Chickauauga park. He
thought $1,000 the largest number of
troops that had ever been quartered
III the camp at one time. General BOyn-
ton, in his capacity as a member of
the park commission. had been familiar
with the park for nine years, and said
to General Beaver that il had always
been considered one OF the most healthy
spots in the country. There had never
been death in the park for years, and
never case of typhoid fever, though
600 men had been employed at one time
on the roads. out of 2,30U men en-
pioyed on contract, there We're only
seven deaths, and none of them was
due 10 typhoid. He had examined the
statistics for the census year of 1880
and had found that in the counties in
which the park is situated there had
been only y cases of typhoid fever. The
park is $50 to 700 feet above the sea
level. and free from swamps.
PURITY OF WATER.
General Boynton described at length
the water supply of the park, stating
that several tests of water from the
springs and Chickamauga had proved
its purity.
General Boynton said that while
there was plenty of water and of good
quality for the camp, considerable
water had been brought in recently in
barrels from springs four or I'VE miles
outside. This was done because of the
suspicion Of some Of the surgeons con-
corning the water in the camp. When
the men began TO get sick the men in
sisted upon going away from the camp
for the water. and this was done, not
Withstanding t. analysis showed the
water TO be pure. He said there were
no sinks nearer the wells than 200 feet.
1t was impossible for the water to be
contaminated from the sinks. The
wells We're cemented and there was no
possibility Of pollution from the sur
face.
In response to a query from Captain
Howell, he said that the only typhoid
fever in the camp was brought from the
outside.
The volunteers We're located in the
wooded portion of the park but the
wood was only sufficient for shade. 1t
was not a dense forest and could easily
be penetrated by the sunshine. Cen
eral Boynton asserted that the camp
was not crowded. The sinks were from
80 to 80 feet from the tents. but in some
instances the kitchens were not farther
than % feet from the sinks. Much of
the kitchen offal was burned, but in
other cases the offal was dumped into |
kitchen sinks and then at times it was |
hauled off and dumped in the woods, |
contrary TO orders. Still men were OBJ
durale about such matters, and it was |
L difficult matter to properly police so |
extensive a camp.
OUTBREAK OF TYPHOID.
Typhoid fever in the camp did not |
excite serious attention until July, |
when the cases averaged about two |
Del. thousand. It afterwards increased |
until there was about 400 cases among /
The $4,000 men. lie said ne had given |
special attention 10 the hospital OF the (
Second division of the Third corps, as
it had received the special attention of
the able and influential sensational
press. He had found that out Of 2,462 !
cases of illness in this hospital, there
had oeen only 2T6 cases Of typhoid. The
fever in all cases had been Of mild
character. At one time, after measles
broke out in the camp, the hospitals
were crowded. though he did not think
such had been the case at any other
time. Practically all the sickness was
among volunteers. The regulars were
not sick
Asked. if each regiment had a sutler,
-SensraT Boynton replied, ''They hal
,otnkthing worse than a sutler; each
me had a canteen." He said that 342
.arloads of beer had been sold in the
amp. Captain Howell asked about
whisky sales, and General BOynton re
,lied that it had been found difficult
o entirely cut out the very sharp
from Captain howells
itate. It was also a fact that Chatta-
looga was a splendid town, but the
;aloons were open day and night. while
N Ssr they were CLOSED on the
outside and open Oh the inside.
sufficient medicines We're sent to At
anita from Camp Thomas to supply so
cCiments for q campaign. There was
10 Jack Of rations, and the rations were
III good The variety was equal to
hat supplied by a family grocery.
Zach man had a loaf Of bread daily.
Fresh meats were supplied. Some
lines some Of the meat was spoiled,
,ut as a rule it was good lie be- ]
ieYed that there was more food left ,
yer every day than the army of the
cumberland had for its entire Chatta-
lOoEe campaign. I
NO army was ever so well supplied 7
yith food. and if the men did not know
low TO cooE IL, certainly Secretary Al
-er nor President Mckinley nor any
me in Washington can be held respOn-
ib,e." said the general. with some en-
,hasis.
General Boynton spoke in especial
Of the Young Mems
hristian association tents. which, he
aid. were the best things in the serv- q
ne on the other hand, he condemned c