The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-09
Former Governor Lets Out On
the Fellow Huidekoper.
GIVES UP HIS BAD RECORD.
Deplorable Conditions at Chickan au'
ga Were Due to This Assassin
of the State Militia.

Minneapolis, Feb. John Lind, form
er governor of the state of Minnesota
and former congressman from the fifth
district, is ready with an answer to
Frederick L. Huidekoper of Washington,
who, in a recent article in The North
American Review, charges the United
States militia with cowardice and gem
eral incompetence. Extracts from Mr.
Huidekoper's article were published last
night.
Mr.. Huidekoper won considerable I'M
pleasant notoriety during the Spanish
war, when he was surgeon in charge of
the military camp at Chickamauga and
responsible for the sanitation. Mr.. Lind
was quartermaster of the Fourteenth
Minnesota regiment in camp at Chicka-
manga, and therefore speaks from, per-
sonal acquaintance and observation.
Speaking of Mr.. Huidekoper's attack
on the militia, Mr.. Lind said:
Il regret to state that / have met
the cat doctor Huidekoper. l am also
surprised to learn that he is writing
for supposedly reliable and respectable
publication on the subject of the Pre-
paredness of the United States for War;
and that he is said to be an expert
on military matters. Knowing him as
! do, | can but doubt the value of
his work and opinion, but will admit
that were he to prepare a treatise on
e
hon. it would be not only authentic
but might become classic on the SUBJ
ject.
Il have heard and supposed it is true
that Mr.. Huidekoper at some time at
tended and was graduated from a col
lege of medicine where students were
trained to administer to the wants of
human beings. His practice, however,
was largely along the lines of veterinary
medicine, his speciality being the care
and treatment of the ills of cats and
pet dogs in New York City.
Il met this man in camp at Chicka-
manga He was in charge and was re-
sponsible for the sanitation of that
camp. He was too busy with other
things to pay much attention to his
duty, and the sickness and death that
lurked in and about that camp because
of the negligence of the most common
sanitary rules is disgrace to the war
record of the United States. The men
and officers could not be blamed as
they had no previous training, and the
camp was supposed to be in charge of
Mr.. Huidekoper, who was responsible for
its sanitation.
'The waters of Chickamauga creek
were piped through the camp for the use
of the men, presumably by the order of
Mr.. Huidekoper. Chickamauga is the
Indian word for death, and it was death
to the men who drank that water dur
ing the months of July and August. 1t
teemed with malaria and other dis
eases and reaped rich harvest. I do
not know that Mr.. Huidekoper ever ex
posed himself. 1t is a positive fact that
the hospital drains and latrines and the
camp latrines were never properly COW
cred or cared for. Someone was too
busy to attend to his duty.
History has demonstrated that the
citizens soldiery of the United States
will stand against the world. There may
be things that are not as they should
be and mistakes may have been made,
but in my mind, it is not in the province
of all persons to pretend to be judges
and to make public their opinions. A
sick or dead soldier can do little for
his country. Sanitary provisions are no
less important than discipline in the
management of a campaign or in case
of war, but / have not learned that Mr..
Huidekoper has treated this in his ar
ticle''
Other military men who have seen SER
vice were angry and Mr.. Huidekoper,
were he to come to Minneapolis, would
find his reception too warm for his peace
and nreSence of mind