The record-union., 1899-03-12
Lievt col0nd Sharpe, Before the
War Department Court,
Gives fsJ Daaasias testimony Regarding
Handing Of The Beef.
fresh Meats Were Carried to the
Soldiers at Camp Thomas in
Wagons Which Had Been Used
for Carrying Garbage and
Other Filth, and Even Without
the Precaution of First Being
Cleansed.

the Precaution of First Being
Cleansed.
CHICAGO, March 11-Lieutenant-
Colonel H B. Sharpe testified at the
beef inquiry to-day that wagons which
had not been cleaned after being used
for the transportation of manure, and
wagons in which garbage had been car
ried. the bottoms of which We're covered
with slime in which maggots were
crawling were used to carry fresh meat
to the soldiers at Camp Thomas, Chick
amauga, last summer. Lieutenant Col
onel Sharpe was stationed at Chicka-
magta from April 23d to July 10th of
last Year. and was later Chief Commits
SslIy with General Brooke in Porto RICO
The blame for this condition of things,
said Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe, lies on
the shoulders of the Commissaries, who
sent their wagons for their meat with
out having properly cleaned them ac
cording 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 in good condition, but
after it had been carried in wagons in
course, impossible for the troops to use
it.
Six witnesses were examined at the
first sitting of the court to-day the
evidence given by Lieutenant Colonel
Sharpe being the most important of the
day.
The court will reconvene Monday.
There are a. number of witnesses
yet to be examined at Chicago, but it
is understood that the list will have
been exhausted by Monday or Tuesday
at the latest.
From the best information obtainabe
the court viii confine its inquiries
while in this city to these points:
First-The kind of beef used in pre-
pairing roast beef.
Second-The process of canning, the
purpose being to determine whether if
the nutriment is extracted from the
meat.
Third-The disposition of condemned
animals.
Fourth-The explanation of contracts
from the packers.
1t is believed the court will be able to
cover these phases by Monday or Tues
day as the witnesses are to be confined
with perhaps two or three exceptions to
the packers and their employees.
Major Jesse Lee, who is looking after
the interests of General Miles, occupied
a chair with the board of inquisitors,
The first witness called was Major Fred
A. Smith. Chief Commfssary of the De-
partment of the Great Lakes. It was
the duty of Major Smith to purchase all
the supplies used by the soldiers both
while in camp in the various parts of
oil
in Cuba and Porto Rico
Major Smith was on General Shat
ter's staff during the entire Cuban cam
paign. He said: Il never heard of any
complaints being received at headquar-
tiers on the subject of rations. I had in
charge the unloading of the beef that
was brought to Cuba on the transports
Mississippi and Port Victor. I saw it
every day and it made very favorable
impression upon me-: I thought the beef
of excellent quality and had no reason
to change my mind during all the time
I continued to issue it. In point of pre-
servation its condition was good. It
was as good as / ever saw. There were
no complaints received while I was
there
Colonel Davis asked: WAS any of the
meat tainted or had decomposition set
in?"
mo, SIR was the reply. There were
no requests made to exchange meat. II
was received with pleasure by those TO
whom it was issued. and I heard no
unfavorable comments on it whatever.
There We're never any complaints re-
ceived with respect to the canned roast
beef so far as my knowledge goes. I
saw it used frequently and l ate it my
self on shipboard and on shore. Not
even any unofficial complaints reached
me I arrived in New York on August
18th and was ordered to Chicago as
Chief Commissary of the Department of
the Lakes"
Major Lee continued: $50 far as you
know, the canned rcast beef or boiled
beef was entirely satisfactory to the
troops?"
az did not state that in my testi-
monv. I said so far as I knew no Off
cial complaints or written complaints
We're made"
was it practicable to have furnished
refrigerated beef, fresh, to the troops
in their operations before the sur
render?''
Eyes, sir
WAS any effort made to furnish II
Not 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 10
the negligence of the Division Comrnls-
saries themselves. He had frequently
seen wagons standing about an hour
or two after issue without being UNI
loaded.
DO you wish the court to infer that
the 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 1t was due to the condi-
tions and the difficulty of transporta-
ton
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 10
carry out that provision of the con-
tract p
mo, sir. I"
"Do you believe It was possible