Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-12
AULT OF REGIMENTAL COMNISSARlES

Lieutenant Colonel sharpe Gives Tcs-
timony at the Inquiry ut Chit
cngo that Stirs Up
officials.
CHICAGO, March 11.-Lieutenant Colonel
| II. b. Sharpe testified at the beef Inquiry
today that wagons which had not been
cleaned after being used for the transpor-
tation of manure ana wagons in which gar
bage had been carried, the bottoms Of which
were covered with slime in which maggots
we're crawling, were used to carry fresh
meat to the soldiers at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga, last summer
Lieutenant Colonel sharpe was stationed
! at Chickamauga from April % TO July 20 of
last year and was later CHIEF commissary
| with General Brooke in Porto Rico
The blame for this condition of things,
said Lieutenant Colonel sharpe rested on
the shoulders of the regmental commits
saries, who sent the wagons for the meat
without having them properly cleaned ac-
| cordng to orders. AS soon as he learned
of the matter he ordered the wagons cleaned
Immediately. The meat issued to the troops,
the witness said, was Of good quality and
carried in wagons in the condition de-
scribed 1t was, of course, impossible for the
troops to use it.
Six witnesses were examined al the first
sitting of the court today the evidence
given by Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe Icing
the most important of the day. The court
will reconveue Monday morning There are
a number of witnesses yet to lie examined
in Chicago, but it Is expected the list will
have been exhausted by Monday night or
Tuesday at the latest
Meat is Fresh aud sweet.
The first witness called was Major Fred
A. Smith, chief commissary of the Depart
ment of the Great Lakes 1t was the duty
of Major Smith to purchase all the supplies
used by the soldiers, both while in camp in
the various parts of this country, and also
the supplies used in Cuba and Porto Rico.
Colonel Davis asked WAS any of the
meat tainted, or had decomposition set in?"
tNo, sir was the reply. There were no
requests made to exchange meat. 1t was
received with pleasure by those to whom 1t
was issued, and I have heard no unfavorable
comments on it whatever. There were never
any complaints received with respect to the
canned roast beef, so far my knowledge
goes. l saw it used frequently, and l ate
it myself on shipboard and on shore. Not
even any unofficial complaints reached me-.
1 arrived in New York August IA and was
ordered to Chicago as chief commissary OF
the Department of the Lakes.
Major Lee asked 80 far as you know
the canned roast beef or boiled beef was
entirely satisfactory to the troops?"
II did not state that in my testimony; !
said that so far as l knew no official COM
plants on written complaints were made
WAS it practicable to have furnished re-
frigerated beef fresh to the troops In their
operations before the surrender"
yes sir"
"Was any effort made to furnish it?"
mot to my knowledge"
In answer to questions from Major Lee
the witness said he had heard that some of
the meat was not in first-class condition
when it reached the camps, but always
thought that was due to the negligence of
the division commissaries themselves. He
had frequently seen wagons standing about
for hour or two after issue without be-
ing unlOaded.
do you wish the court to infer that the
unsatisfactory condition of the meat was
due to the neglect of these officers, or to
the conditions under which they had got
the beef out there?'
II presume it was the conditions and the
difficulty of transportation"
''If under the terms of the contract that
beef was to last seventy-two hours were
there any facilities in these camps around
Santiago to enable the troops to carry out
that provision of the contract?'
"No, sir"
"Do you believe 1t was a possible thing
for that beef to last forty eight or seventy
two hours?"
"No, sir; do not"
General Davis asked: did you pass
through the camsp while the troops were
engaged at Santiago?'
Il did"
"Did you see canned roast beef in canp?"
81 did"
Did you hear any complaints about the
quality of this canned roast bref?"
II did not"
Major Lee cross examined the witness as
to the method of handling the refrigerated
beef in Cuba from the time it left the
transports until it reached the troops in
the field. The witness was then dismissed
sharpe is Called.
Lieutenant Colonel II. B. Sharpe was then
called. He was in Camp Thomas from
April % until General Brooke was ordered
to Porto Rico, about July 20, when he was
ulutItu " accompany MN us Gultl COlll~
mssary OF the First troop.
He was questioned as to the terms Of
the contract with contractors who furnished
the beef, as to the quantity to be deiv-
cred or ready in stock and also as TO the
manner of handling the supplies by the
brigade commssary
"The orders required said he, that the
wagons in whloh the refrigerated beef was
carried should be very clean and with fresh
hay or straw spread on the bottom. When
wagon arrived that was not in a suitable
condition to carry the beef it was either
sent back or cleaned and put in proper
shape.
There was complaint about the beef on
some occasions, but 1t was because the reg
mental commlssaries sent for it in wagons
that were unfit for use. On one occasion,
when there was complaint that the beef was
moldy, dlscolOred and full of maggots we
Investigated and found that the condition
had been caused by the fearful state of the
wagon The men could not eat the beef,
so of course they had to do without
Il remember another instance where the
wagon in which the meat was carried was
hlthy from manure that had been previously
loaded in it. Both these wagons were i'm
mediately ordered TO be thoroughly cleansed.
In neither of these cases that have cited