The record-union., 1899-02-13

there had not been a Qenc1ency OF one
dollar reported on the part of a volur-
teer staff officer, and that. he wished
to make it matter Of record that in
the distribution of many millions of
dollars during the var there was yet
to be made the first charge Of defalca-
ton against an army officer, regular
or volunteer.
There have been very few complaints
against this department. The records
show that it has been prompt in its
work. and has added greatly to the eff
cheney of the army"
INSPECTOR GENERAL
OF the Inspector Generals depart
ment, Brigadier General Breckenridge.
Inspector General, U. S. A.. in cnarse,
the report says:
1.-The commission finds that the In
spector Generals department was not
as efficient as it ought to have been.
There seems to have been question as
to authority by which inspections were
+ to be ordered. On at least one Occa-
sion, May 17th, the Secretary of War
instructed the Major General command
ing the army to inspect certain camps,
viz: Those at Chickamauga, Atlanta,
New Orleans. Mobile, Tampa. Miami
and Key West The Major General did
not act upon such instructions, stating
it to be his place to order inspections.
Further, the commission finds that
although several of the officers of this
department were assigned to command
of troops in the field, still competent
officers were left in charge of the de-
partment in Washington to perform
such duties as were assigned to them
The organization was ample, and the
inspectors made reports to the COM
manding officers to whom they had
been assigned. These reports were
often not acted upon, and were not for
warded to the War Department.
QUARTEH,MASTERG GENERAL
OF the Ouartermaster Generals De-
partment, u S. A., Brigadier Genera
NJ. 1. Ludingten, Quartermaster Cen
eral, U. S. A., in charge, it says:
Ion March /, 1898, with the possibil-
ity of war with Spain, the Quarter
masters Department found itself
charged with various, numerous and
important duties, it's appropriation
small, and facing the probability OF
large army being soon organized for
field service.
1.-The department up to March l, 1873,
found itself confronted with Sections
3679. 1882 and 37O9 of the Revised Stat
utes. which prohibit any Government
department from expending any money
in excess of appropriations; that pur-
chases shall not exceed the necessities
of the current year, and that all pro-
posals shall be advertised.
1T will thus be observed that the
declaration of war threw upon
the Ouartermaster's Department an
amount of labor and responsibility for
which 1t was neither physically ncr
financially prepared.
"1 Clothing, camp and garrison
equipage.
1.-The department has reported that on
April /, 1898, it was amply provldcd
with all necessary clothing and equip
age. supplies for three months for the
army as then organized. 1t appears
that within a few weeks it became
necessary to provide for clothing ana
eouipping an army of more than ZoO,-
600 men.
$50 soon as funds were available; so
soon as war was inevitable; so soon
as the law permitted, the Quartermas-
ter's Department undertook this enof-
NOUS work That the Quartermaster
General threw the energy of his depart
ment into this work, when funds We're
available was evident, and that MS
officers labored faithfully in their ef-
forts to aid him is plain to those VINO
have carefully studied their work.
I'm spite Of every effort there were
occasions where troops suffered from
poor tentage or lack of tentage and
absence of straw for bedding, where
clothing was scarce and troops suffered
discomfort for lack of shoes, shirts and
other articles of apparel. This was no.
Aced even as late as October in the
camps at Admission, Huntsville ana
Lexington, while at Huntsville, Ala,
and Fort Monroe, Va, in spite OF cool
nights, there was lack of stoves IN
the hospitals, and at Huntsville the
supply of wood was short. With some
of the troops sent from San Francisco
to Manila the deficiency in shoes OF
proper size continued even up to Au-
gust 31st.
cat Santiago the deficiency at the
front appears to have been caused
rather from lack of transportation from
the coast than from the lack Of cloth
ing and tentage, a supply of which was
on the transports.
Great complaint was made of lack
of transportation facilities at Camp
Montauk Point, N. Y.
Many complaints were received In
reference to unnecessary delays ana
lack of promptness on the part OF the
Quartermaster's Department in NOV
ing regiments and in the care Of sick
and onvalescents.
Great complaint was made Of the
railroad congestion at Tampa and the
absolute lack of ability to bring order
out of chaos at that place during the
early part of the period of it's occu-
pancy by the troops. The Major Cen
eral commanding has stated that sup
plies for 10000 men for ninety days
were ordered there and the confusion
ON the railroad when he reached Tampa
was very great, 1000 cars being side
tracked. some of them as far back as
Columbia, s. c.
1T is stated that in the hurry and
rush attending the commencement of
this work the contents of cars were
unknown at Tampa; that bills of lading
were not forwarded, and that it seemed
impossible for time to determine
where absolutely necessary articles
were located.
Colonel Bird of the Quartermaster's
Department testifies that this was cor
rected later on when the contents of
cars were clearly marked on them and
bills of lading promptly forwarded
THE condition of the railroad con-
gestion during the early portion Of the
time Tampa was occupied by the troops
Soor,,od I1nra ra lleled showing, a n almost