Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-10-27
COL. BRYAN EXCUSED
The Inquiry Board Will Examine
His Lieutenant Colonel Instead.
PROFESSIONAL NURSES are HEARD.
Absence Of Bed Clothing supplied by the
Red Cross soclsty-A Veteran Says
the RatIOna Were Not a. Good
% In the Civil War.

JackSOnvllle, Fla. Oct. 2l.-Gen. j.
Wilson and Capt Howell, constituting
the subcommittee appointed to visit
and report upon the conditions OF the
camp at Fernandina, made their re-
port to the full commission yesterday.
They declared they found it suitable
in every respect for the purpose in.
tended. The war investigation COM
mission heard several Of the profes.
sional female nurses at the forenoon
session, including Miss Copeland, chief
nurse at the Third division hospital;
Miss Robbins, head nurse at the First
division hospital; Miss Hubbard, head
nurse at the Second division hospital,
and Misses Walker and Waters, ward
nurses
Col. W. j. Bryan was the next wit
ness called. He asked to be excused
from testifying, requesting that his
lieutenant colonel be examined in his
stead. You will, no doubt, under.
stand my reasons for the request" he
said. Il think the request very proper
and reasonable" responded Gov.
Beaver, and as the entire commission
assented to this concession, Col. Bryan
was excused, with the request to send
up his lieutenant colonel.
W. T. Durbin, Of the One Hundred
and Sixty-6rst Indiana, said there
were few complaints from his men and
that they were generally trivial. He
spoke especially Of the grounds Of the
third division hospital Replying to q
question he said he thought it had
been very difficult to get medical men
Of sufficient administrative ability to
manage such institutions as the divi-
sion hospitals Before the female
nurses were secured the nurses we're
men Of the hospital corps and were not
capable. They were not intelligent as
class and, while some of them were
dog9edly faithful, they failed to meet
the requirements. They did not, for
instance, seem to regard it as Of conse.
quence If flies were crawling in and
out OF sick mans mouth with i'm
punity and he had seen as many as six
cases Of this kind at one time. The
witnesses said the principal reasons
for failure Of the physicians to make
acquisitions on the government for
supplies was found in the fear Of their
making demands that would not be
sanctioned.
Col. Letcher Hardeman, Of the Sixth
Missouri, also complained that the
grounds Of the Third division hospital
had not been we'll kept
DR.. Alexander Kent, pastor of the
Episcopal church at Washington and
field agent at Jacksonville for the Red
Cross, was questioned concerning the
operations OF the Red Cross at this
point He said he had been received
very cordially by the army surgeons,
and he had co.operated with them. He
had noticed the absence of sheets and
pillows at the Second division hospi.
tai in its early history. This was in
midsummer, and many men lay un-
covered on account Of the short supply
of blankets. He supplied the def
cheney. There was also at that time
shortage Of tents and food suitable
to typhoid fever patients. He had un.
dertaken to supply the deficiency, and
had distributed two carloads Of the
necessary delicacies. ut seemed" he
said, "as If the hospital was arranged
upon q smaller scale than was de-
manded, and as consequence there
was a constant demand upon the Red
Cress to supply the deficiency" The
witness said the principal reasons for
failure Of the physicians to make re.
QUESTIONS on the government for sup
plies was found in the fear of their
making demands that would not be
sanctioned. He said that the contri-
buttons of his society were generally
solicited and not volunteered by him.
Lieut. Col. Vifquain, a veteran of
the civil war and graduate Of the
school Of Brussels, of the
Third Nebraska, said the regiment
was excellently equipped, except that
the tentage was poor. He also said
the quality Of the clothing was bad.
The pork had also been wormy at
times, and the beef tainted, but these
had been exchanged. He thought the
better than in the civil war,
but the rations were not so good as
then. He also thought the camp en-.
tirely too much crowded. Other wit
nesses were examined at the afternoon
session among whom were James R.
Pouris, company coInmissary SER
geant OF the sixth Missouri, and Fri.
vste James T. James, of the Sixth Mis-
souri,. All expressed themselves as
satisfied with their treatment The
officers said the rations
were abundant, but that occasionally
the fresh meats were tainted owing to
the heat The privates found no fault,
all saying they had enough to eat, and
that generally the food was good.
Miss Copeland chief nurse at Third
division hospital, spoke in commenda-
ton Of the conduct Of the hospitals
and she said the nurses xara we'll