Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-10-30
THE CHICAGO TIMES WAR CORRESPONDENT
 HAS THIS TO SAY.

NIT. flnertN, or the NblCdBo 4lihesS who accompanied the troops to the front in this campaign and who has been on campaigns with Gen. Crook, Gen. Mac Kenzie and other distinguished and sue cessful Indian fighters, in a communlca- tion to his paper gives some opinions which must be read with interest both in military and civil circles in this Ter ritory. Mr. Finnity is an old cam paigner, Is absolutely fearless III his criticisms, and his opinions are based upon bis personal observations and are entitled to consideration. We reproduce for the benefit of our readers the closing of the correspondence:
 ~One other point, and I drop the sub feet. I don't believe brevet gained Tn the civil war should entitle an officer who has no knowledge of Indian affairs and who has never distinguished him. self as an Indian campaigner, to override, or command, in the field an officer who knows Indian habits and who has proved his ability to deal with the savages in their peculiar mode of warfare. There is too much humbug about alleged "rank," and too little common sense in our army. Rank, like tactics, IS excel lent for dress parade, but not worth a continental, with the usual reservations, where real work IS performed don't know anything more
 DEnORALIznSG TO SOLDIERS
 And more paralyzing to military move ments in the wilderness than a general officer experienced only in grand war 1 fare with a top hOavy ond aInDIIrOu5 | staff. The greatest curse that can befal ! any officer of rank is to be completely "ln | the hands of his staff" He might just as well, for all useful purposes, be in the hands of the enemy. The general should always run the staf and not the staff the general. It is demoraliZing to see an aid playing general and the latter filling the roll of highly ornamental sergeant major. It Is further, not inspiring to observe another aid subiecting himself to the pumping process, by local news paper interviewer, for the purpose of explaining the mysteries-the wonderful J mysteries-of this campaign, as conduct ed by the general under the direction of the staff. I should not take the trouble of noticing this politicO- military person. age if in an interview he did not person. ally mention the correspondent of the l Chicago Times in connection with su- perintendent Wards officious interfer- ence with journalistic telegrams over | the military wire. In that interview, as published in the Arizona Star, of Tue son, under date of October ', Captain Eagan is represented as using the fol- lowing language:
 Among the orders existing in this telegraph department long prior to the present Indian trouble, IS one, the lan- i euage of which l cannot exactly recall, but the substance of winch IS, that i'm | proper, scurrilous and ignorant criti- | cisms of military movements, actions, etc, shall not be transmitted over its wires. It was, doubtless under this or der that the dispatch of the Chicago Times correspondent (using my name) was refused etc.
 The language of the order, according to my memory, says nothing of the kind. It says that no criticism Of the commanding officer, or of any other offi- cer concerned in the campaign, shall be allowed to go over the wires. There fore Captain Pagan was
 eRATUIToUsLY IMPERTISEST,
 As we'll as incorrect in connecting my name with the language he chose to em- ploy. The superintendent cut of my dispatch because l stated truthfully that people in Fort Thomas wanted to know why two troops of the FirEt Cavalry were kept at Camp Grant, and why three companies of artillery intended to be used as infantry, were still playing sol dier in San Francisco harbor. These troops were subsequently, brought into active service, showing the justice of .iie question. They might as wei nave been in earlier. Superintendent Ward is a man of narrow understanding-an ex- celleat subordinate but an iron-bOund Russian as chief Of d department. l don't think, however, that he would have ! been allowed to follow out his un-Amer- ican programme if Gen. Crook or Gen. | Mackenzie had been in command of Ar izona. He is one Of the detailed officers Of the army that would be useful enough with his troops. but who is utterly out of place where he is. He ought to have been born in St. Petersburg. He might ! the Muscovite gendarmerie.
 In reference to Capt. Eagan-of whom I never heard, although l am not a stranger in the army" outside the de- | partment of Arizona-I wish to say that as I had the honor of accompanying some of the most distinguished officers of the American army on several Indian campaigns, I can afford to treat his strictures upon my conduct with con- tempt I do not fear that anything he can say will in the least initiate against me with them, or with any person who knows me. It Is not my habit to indulge in scurrility." That IS favOrite word | with persons who are most likely tO be scurrilOus themselves. As for " "impro- priety ' in my criticisms, suppose that that has to be gauged according to Capt. Eagan's idea of what Is correct
 UNsTNrRD PRAISE OR STUPID SILENCE. | In regard to "ignorsnce of military matters, am told that Capt. Pagan en- tered from civil life, and can mt, there fore, be looked upon as a competent military uthority-accordlng, at least, | to West Point opinion. Perhaps-let me urge it in all modesty-I, having seen considerable Indian service, may ! be quite as capable of forming a com nonsense, if not a technical, judgment of campaign as Capt. Eagan himself | He must not expect all men to see | through bis spectacles, and l would sug l gest that he does not show the best pos sible taste in dilating himself so much | in the newspapers, to the almost com plets overshadowment of the general, who at least ought to command him. II | he has any military duties to attend to, ! he should attend strictly to his business | and not rush into print in such reck- | less fashion. It does not become army officers to figure i'll newspaper wars. | They have even less glory to hope for in a contest with journalists than with ! Indians, winch means a great deal This country Is not yet prepared to accept editors who wear shoulder-knots and carry swords If ever 1t should come to ! that, goodbye to the republic! A sol dier is Q most useful and honorable per son, as rule, in his proper sphere, but outside of 1t he Is generally as danger Ous as dynamite.
 This reminds me that Gen. MacKen- zie, as commander of the forces in the field, is n his proper sphere, but it would be much better if the government would form the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico into one department and place them under his command.
 J. F. F."
 Another Big Mining Suit.
 ITombsione Nugget, Oct 26l
 Yesterday the papers were served upon the Head Center Consolidated Mining