Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-18
GENERAL NELSON A. MILES.


partment during the year, and continues
as follows:
"AS In previous years the troops in the
Indian and Oklahoma territories have
been occupied during much of their time
In removing trcspassers from the public
lands, in preserving order in the newly
settled regions and in keeping the peace
between hostile factions of the semi-civi-
Ezed Indian tribes
Troops at Chicago.
I'm addition to removing and cxpclling
intruders in the Choctaw nation and from
the Usage and kawind reservations, the
troops stationed mt Forts Reno, Sill. and
Supply were called on for the purpose of
protecting United States mails. guarding
railroad bridges and supporting the
United States marshal in making arrests.
All OF these difficult duties have been per-
formed in n manner which shows good
Judgment and discretion on the part of
the officers and good state of discipline
and faithful service on the part of the
troops, and it is believed but for their
Intervention much bloodshcd would have
resulted. The troops having quickly and
efficiently accomplished the arduous du-
tics assigned to them, have been with
drawn from the field and returned to their
| respective stations
BY Order of the President.
The report says in detail that the COM
panics and troops of regulars were conccn-
trated in Chicago ''by the orders of the
president of the United States to execute
the orders and processes of the United
States court to prevent the Instructions
| OF the United States mails and generally
to enforce the faithful execution of the
laws of the United States'
| General Miles then continues in the fol-
lowing strain: '"rAe conduct of the troops
in restoring order and confidence where
mob violence and a reign of terror existed
in Chicago was marked by great forbear-
ance, fortitude and excellent discipline,
and their presence and action here very
greatly contributed to the maintenance of
| civil law, and, in my opinion, saved this
| country from n serious rebellion when one
| had been publicly declared to exist by one
most responsible for its existence"
Lamont Did Not Like 1t.
The above report was sent in some time
| ago, but it has just been made public
| When Secretary of War Lamont first read
it he did not like it. He accused Miles of
| referring to Cleveland rs the lone" who
declared rebellion to exist while being the
zone most responsible for its existence"
! between Miles and Lamont concerning
| the phrasing Of the report, the story goes
that Lamont's conclusion that Cleveland
was meant and criticised was not COM
batted by Miles, who confined himself to
| the statement that he had neither apology
nor explanation to offer, and that he
should i'll no wise rewrite or mo oderate his
language.
Miles Didn't See 1t So.
Lamont not only regarded the sentence
as unwarranted criticism of Cleveland,
but one wholly out of place in soldier,
whose duty, Lamont conceived it to he, to
| obey orders in silence and to neither enter
tain not state views calling in question
| the motives or conduct of his superior Of
| ficer, which in this case meant the
president. Miles, however, refused to see
his duty in this light. He urged that he
was not only a soldier, but a citizen, too,
concerned like all 1ncn in having good
government; that while he reported to the
war department he, in fact, reported to
the nation; and that as he held what he
said US pertinent and necessary, he should
insist on its retention in his report Thus
the affair ended so far rs correspondence
| xnuf