The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-22

Knoxville, Tenn, Sept. 21.-Tne sec
retaTy of war, VINO today inspected
Camp Poland and reviewed the enlisted
men encamped, made a speech to the
commanding officers at General Nc
sBee's headquarters during the morn
ing, in which he fixed the blame for
the sickness in the camps throughout
the country on the commanding Off
GERS. Secretary Alger was given a
hearty reception by the citizens of
Knoxville and by the commanding Off
GERS of the camp On his arrival. He
went from tho depot direct to the camp
and shortly afterwards, accompanied
by his staff and the officers Of the
camp, all on horseback, the secretary
rode over the drill field and inspected
the troops. He then reviewed the grand
parade arranged in his honor. He next
visited the hospitals and regimental
quarters and made a thorough inspec=
tion of the conditions of the camp and
men.
General Alger congratulated General
Mckee on the splendid condition of the
camp and of the troops. He expressed
satisfaction at the location of the
camp and the showing made by the
men.
After the review General AIger asked
the commanding officers to assemble
at General McKee's headquarters, and
at the latter's tent the secretary was
surrounded by the officers and the
Knoxville citizens committee. He re-
moved his hat. ana in a delicate and
carefully wOrded speech said:
7 came here to visit this camp for
the purpose of acQuainting myself of
the condition and to see for myself
just how the troops are faring and to
hear from the officers any recommenda-
ton which they think may benefit the
camp.
4 want TO hear what the command
eTs have TO say about division hospitals
ana regimental hospitals more espec-
tally. There has been a great deal of
talk about the conditions Of the camp
hospitals.
" want to say that had the war de-
partment been acquainted with the
conditions said to have existed at
Chickamausa the troops there would
have been moved long before they
were. We received only good reports
at Washington from the commanding
officers, and 1t was supposed that the
outside reports were exaggerated.
The commanders of camps are re-
sponsible for the condition of their
camps and if the men are not well
cared for and if the hospital and san
itary conditions are bad, the command
ing officers must answer for it.
THE war department has been and
is ready to supply the demands of the
troops for medicines and sustenance,
and there is no reason why conditions
other than the best possible, should
exist.
LUDINGTON ACCUSED.
Lexington, KY, Sept. PA promi-
nent gentleman close to the national
administration as well as to the Off
GERS here at Camp Hamilton says the
tour of inspection of the southern
camps by Secretary Alger. quartermas-
ter General Ludington and Surgeon
General SteTnberg will develop numer-
Gus charges from regimental and gen
eral field officers against both the med
1cal and the quartermasterS depart
ments. and especially against some
commlssaries. The talking was begun
here today by General Waites against
the QuarteTmaSrerS, and other officers
viii add testimony before the tour is
over. Secretary Alger stated that all
of this information and all other evil
dence that he could secure would be
presented to the investigation commit
tee at Washington.
At the conference last night of Sec
retary Alger with General Brecken-
ridge, the commander of Camp Hamil-
ton and other officers, General Sanger
said that while the division hos9ital
might be a good thing, hat as now |
conducted it had been a disgrace to the |
service: that it had deprived the regi-
ments Of their surgeons and caused |
hardships on the sick, who should have |
had better attention at the proper time. |
Surgeon General Sternberg, in reply, |
insisted that all acquisitions should be |
honored in Washington, and that any |
medical men falling to do their duty |
should be reported.
General WaiteS told Secretary Alger |
that the failure of some uuartermas- |
ters to furnish supplies was criminal. |
While in ChickamauSa he frequently |
made requests which were not honor
ed.
An imperative order had been sent
to have all water boiled. He had made /
a requisition on Quartermaster General
Lee for water boilers. No attention
was paid TO his requisition, and he re-
peatedly urged Quartermaster General
Lee to send the boilers, and telling him
how the men were contracting typhoid
fever, he net with a reply which read:
The war department does not furnish
boilers
General Waites then purchased the
boilers himself, but the seeds of ty-
ph0id had been sown, and the daily re-
pert showed the list of deaths and of
cases in the hospitals.
Pointing at Quartermaster Luding-
ton, General Waites said: These men
cannot say it was somebody else's
fault. 1t was the fault of Quartermaster
Lee, and it was the fault of Quarter
master Ludington, who is standing
right there"
Ludington made no reply to Waites.
as Sternberg had done to Sanger.
DENIAL FROM WASHINGTON.
Washington, D. c., Sept 21-The
quartermaster's department of the
army states that the claim made by
certain officers that boilers were not
furnished for boiling water at Chick
is not true. On the same date
that Chief Quartermaster Lee tele-
graphed for the boilers. 1000 were sent,
and little later 500 more. 1t is also
stated that the. soldiers would not drink
the boiled water. because it had a fat