The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-02
Such the Condition at Chickamauga,
Declares Major Glennan.
TONGUES HANGING OUT
TROOPS UNABLE TO QUENCH
THIRST FOR WEEKS.
War Investigation Commission viii
Complete This Glass of Work To-
day-Spaniards May Not Evacuate
Cuba on Date Fixed, But Sover-
eighty Then Begins.

Lexington, KY, Nov. before the
war investigation commission today
Chief Commissary Marshall of Camp
Hamilton denied the statements made
by Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell of the
First Territorials last night. He said
every requisition had been honored
from the territorials.
DR.. Edgar A. Mearns, surgeon in
charge of Gibbs general hospital, Lex
ington, was asked regarding the sani-
tary condition of Camp Thomas, where
he was brigade surgeon. He read a
report on the condition of the sites
there which showed they were dis
ease breeders. He thought the men
| detailed from the regiments to the di-
vision hospital were incompetent. DR.
Mearns condemned the water supply
at Camp Thomas because there was
/. typhoid fever there The order to boi
drinking water was generally obeyed
when boilers could be procured. ( DR.
.Mearns was asked what recommenda-
ton he would make. He said men in
charge should be given what they ask
for, as has been done here. With com
petent men in charge there should be
no waste and nothing could be asked
for that was not needed.
Major J. D. Glennan. who was cap
tain and assistant surgeon in the reg
ular army, and was made major and
brigade surgeon of volunteers, June 4
was called Major Glennan was al
Chickamauga, and Tampa with the
Sixth cavalry. He later returned tc
Chickamauga as brigade surgeon, Third
division, First corps. He said that he
found a much larger amount of sick
ness among volunteers than he had
] 7, I
| sinks left open and not dug deer
enough to make the camp healthful;
that the water supply was affected by
this.
Major Glennan stated that he knew
of certain regiments where the sick
were kept for weeks because the divis-
ion hospital had no room for them. He
further said that he believed the water
in every well in Chickamauga park
, contained the colon bacillus, which in
dictated contamination by sewage.
mo matter how many chemical an6
meteorological examinations showed
that the water was not contaminated, ]
should still maintain that it was not
fit for use" declared Major Glennan.
Lieutenant Colonel James Parer
Twelfth New York, said that when the
troops arrived at Chickan1auga the
men had to sleep on the wet ground
with only one blanket and no change
| Of clothing. He said that the First
South Carolina regiment did not re-
ceive their rifles for a month after
| their arrival at the park. the men be-
ing compelled to do guard duty without
guns. The Twenty-first Kansas also
had to do guard duty for two weeks.
INSUFFICIENT WATER.
''The volunteers first arrived al
Chiclkamauga," said Colonel Parker
their tongues were literally hanging
out for water. For three weeks they
could not get water enough to uuench
their thirst
The night session began at S o'clock
Lieutenant Frank Strange, quarter
master of the Third Kentucky. being
the first witness called. He was al
! Chickamauga Park from June ! unit
the 18th of July, when he took sicB
and left, He testified that while al
| Chickamauga his regiment was badly
| equipped. His regiment was unable tC
| procure quartermaSter'S supplies. con
sisting of clothing, tentage, etc, be-
cause the supplies were not on hand
| but in small quantities. They had Sc
many regiments to equip that wher
/ they had supplies on hand they were
distributed among all the regiments
Often the quartermaster did not have
equipment from lack of knowledge as
to what was required. Then, when the
regimental quartermasters went to the
depot, they were made to wait for sew.
eral hours.
Tomorrow General Sanger, Major
| Griffith, acting chief surgeon of the
! First corps, and Major Slocum will be
called before them, when the commits.
sion will have completed this work.