Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
BOYNTON'S REPORT
The General on the Condition of Chat
tanooga Military Park.
LEFT BY TROOPS IN BAD SHAPE
Good Effect of Strict Observance
OF Sanitary Measures.
A FL E A LTHY LOCATION

Through Its chairman, General H. V.
Boynton, the Chickamauga and Chatta-
nooga National Military Park commission
has made its annual report to the Secretary
OF War The document is of interest main
ly because of the energetic defense of the
healthfulness of the park, based on the ex-
perience gained during the Spanish-Amei-
can war.
While the work of establishing the park
has been materially advanced during the
past year" says General Boynton, the
attention of the commission has been large
ly occupied at the same time with the work
rendered necessary by last years use of
the park by the army assembled there.
This work of restoration has also called for
the expenditure of a considerable portion
of our appropriation. The military. use of
the park has not resulted in any perma-
nent damage, and 1t Is a source of salts
faction to the commission to feel that both
in its long occupation and in its continu-
ing use for concentrating and storing the
surplus supplies from the abandoned camps
throughout the south the park has proved
and still is of great practical use to the
War Department. AT the same time it has
been the means Of saving large sums in
rent by making possible the early aban-
donment of other camps.
The extensive storehouses and repair
shops, the wagon sheds. abundant stabling
supplied with water, with railroad side
trackage sufficient for all the requirements
of a great post, constitute a plant which
will be available as long as the quarter
masters department finds use for it, with
out in any way interfering with the inter
ests of the park.
Left in n Filthy Condition.
The park was left in a most filthy and
deplorable condition by the outgoing troops,
so far as untitled sinks in many camps and
uuburned refuse Of various kinds could de-
file it. The orders of Gen Breckenridge to
I'LL sinks, burn refuse and clean all camps
on leaving, and for inspectors to see that
these orders were executed, were as per-
feet as language could make them, but very
little attention was paid to their enforce
ment, as shown by the fact that 3175 most
hlthy sinks Were left untitled, and the park
in nearly all quarters was heavily Uttered
with the wreck of the camps. If the orders
in regard to this matter had been enforced
the government would have been saved
over S10,oOO subsequently expended in clean
ing up reSimental camps, and the park
force an immense amount of most disagree
able work which did not fall within the
sphere of their duties.
The sanitary conditions which prevailed
among the troops that remained, the large
force OF qua"termaster and commssarv en-
ploSes. the permanent park force, and the
large temporary force engaged in the res
toration of the park were such as deserve
attention in view of the wild charges with
which the country was filed that Chicka-
manga Park was pest hole and unsuited
for camp.
AT the time the camp was abandoned. it
is true, there was much Sickness and that
a condition approXimating panic prevailed
with many officers and surgeons There
were large numbers of fever patients in the
hospitals. Seven battalions of troops-four
colored, under Col, E, L, Higgins of the
Sth L. s. Volunteer Infantry, and three
white, under Col. L. D. Tyson of the 9Th
t. S. Volunteer Infantry-were left AT the
camp
Effect of Sanitary Measures
The strictest sanitary measures were at
once adopted by these officers and were
also vigorously enforced, both as to the
camp sinks, the cooking of food, the eat
ing of trash and the drinking of slop. The
result was that, Notwithstanding they were
encamped n the same sections of the park
where the departing troops had been, not a
case of fever developed in either OF these
forces nor did a death incident to camp
disease occur. Indeed, in the Sth United
States Volunteers not death occurred
from any cause from the organization Of
the regiment in June until its muster out
in January The general health of the 9th
Urited States Volunteers was of the same
favorable character, and due, without
doubt, in both instances, TO knowledge and
Increasing watchfulneSS Of the regular Off
GERS In command.
THE same conditions obtained even In
the temporary force engaged for three
months in filing sinks, cleaning up hos
pital sites and hauling camp refuse from
the grounds occupied by the troops. The
large quartermaster and commissary forces,
under those careful and most efficient Off
GERS Capt. d. E. Mccarthy, assistant quar-
termaster, and Maj. ]. NJ. Arrasmith, act
ing commissary of subsistence, also con-
tinued exempt from fever 1t is respect
fully submitted that these facts fix the re-
sponsibility for unusual sickness among
the troops at Camp Thomas elsewhere than
on the assumed unhealthfulness of Chicka-
manga Park
Five states have been very active during
the past year through their battlefield COM
missions in prosecuting their work on the
field, namely, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky and New York, and the report
sets out in detail what has been accom-
plished by these commissions. Attention
is called to the generosity exhibited by the
citizens of Tennessee and Georgia in donat-
ing lands to the parks for roads. Much land,
worth as high as 5000 an acre, has been
contributed e "a