The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-30
False Statements Regarding
His Arizona Campaign
Refuted.
WHY HE RELIEVED CROOKS.
He Won His Stars With His Sword.
Colonel Kimball Sends a
Statement.


John NJ. Schofeld. In view of various
contradictory rumors concerning the new
commander, the following facts regarding
his career were furnished by an officer who
knows him intimately:
"When General Miles was fighting Ger
pnimo and his murderous Apaches in the
hot sun-blistered ravines of Arizona he
was carrying on far more desperate war
fare with a fac ton lowering around the
War Department at Washington Even
here Ill the Division of the Pacific the
brave volunteer officer had his foes whose
arm and enmity were longer snd stronger
than those of the tireless savage skulking
among the desert cacti of the New Next
can mesa.
General Crook, against whose skill and
bravery no line may be written, had been
chasing Geronimo, Natchez and the other
Warlike Indians without success. 1t has been
said that this was because he refused to
grant anything but an unconditional sur
render, and SO the Apache tacticians kept
up the fight. What utter nonsense. Crook
failed because his methods were inefficient
against q foe more willy, crafty, better
armed than any hostile Indians he had
ever fought with, and over a country
wilder, rougher and more lnaccessl BILE than
any locality he had ever operated upon.
He hammered away in an unsuccessful
campaign of four years and completely
wore himself out. Then he telegraphed to
Washington that he was discouraged and
disheartened.
"The departm ent was evidently IN the
same frame of mind, for in few hours he
was notified that General Miles would re-
1ieve him, and that officer somewhere in
the Northwest was directed to proceed I'M
mediatelv TO Arizona.
General Miles obeyed the order and
.11- I'd a
solicited and Crook s friends never forgave
him. The new department commander
was soon pressing the Apache chiefs hard
and Geronimo was trying to make terms.
All answers to his offers were an absolute
and unconditional surrender. The
shoulder-strap enemies OF General Miles
have stated that he held out inducements
to Geronimo, making promises Of mild
treatment if they would surrender.
siThat was not Miles way, and moreover
the Apaches were completely starved out
and utterly unable to continue the war,
and no one knew that better than the man
who had routed them from every hiding
place. Nothing but overwhelming defeat
could rid the Arizona. settlers OF the blood
thirsty red devils that could not be con-
trolled by treaty or beef.
For want of better terms Geronimo sur
rendered Internationally five months after
Miles superseded Crook, and the disposal
Ll6 DIlSOQeIS w dS du opportunity 1OI Lie
origin of the reports OF disobedlence OF
orders and deceiying the President as to
the real condition of affairs. This was in
September, 1886, and there is no doubt
that Cleveland would have cited to court
martial the officer guilty OF such fragrant
violation of military law as this.
at is charged that the President in
tended to turn the captives over to the
civil authorities of Arizona, to be tried for
their crimes, but Miles offer to spare their
lives defeated those intentions. The Gov
eminent had no such intention and soon
after the surrender orders were telegraphed
to Miles to send the captives then at Fort
Bowie to Fort Marion, Fla. There were
no other directions-only the plainly
worded order contained in few lines.
The prisoners were loaded on cars and
sent TO their place of exile, and they were
heard of no more.
''Not so the traducers of General Miles.
They denied that orders were ever issued
directing the removal of the captives to
Florida. Then they, or somebody, made
the remarkable statement that President
Cleveland, unable to learn from Miles just
on what terms the Indians surrendered,
had to send to Florida and ask the prison
ers themselves. A loose state of affairs in
the machinery of the military department,
truly. The assertion is too ridiculous for
serious denial.
1T has also been stated that Miles mar
rage to niece of John Sherman was the
means of advancing him over the heads of
older and ADLER officers, etc. He was full
maior-general when he first met his wife,
and could not have had her political in
huence in moving up the grades.
"This is the record OF General Miles: A
volunteer captain in 1861, ieutenant-colo-
mel in 1862, brigadier-general III 1864 and
major general in 1866. All these promo
tons took place on the field of battle and the
man who had never been educated at Gov
eminent expense at West Point won his
stars with his sword.
Lieutenant J. A. Dupray, the news
paper officer whom Miles has been &C
cused of keeping on his staff for journal
lstic purposes, was young man OF excep-
tional ability, stenographer who was APP
pointed in the army in 1880 and assigned
to duty as aid to General Hancock at Coy
ernor's Island. Afterward at Aancock's
earnest request Miles placed Dupray upon
his staff. The young officer was finally
sent TO Washington City for special duty
in the War Department.
f'Miles is also reported to have disobeyed
General Sheridan S orders to hold Geronimo
at Fort Bowie. No such order was ever
received, nor did General Miles ever state
that he did not consider General Sheridan's
order not binding, as has been reported.
Another false and ridiculous charge is
that General Miles, finding himself unable
to capture the Apaches, sent out Lieuten-
ant Gatewood and two friendly Indians,
who brought about the surrender of the
hostiles. This was after Geronimo had
been penned up and literally starved out
IN five months vigorous campaign.
$50 the malicious attempt to cast
obloquy upon the brave, broad-minded
soldier who was not at West Point, runs
on down the scale from falsehood to false
hood. He is charged with acts which
would have procured himself a general
courtmartial long ago-acts SO fragrant
that his superior officers might be held
amenable to charges Of willful neglect of
duty in not Furnishing him if he is guilty.
''But all this will not retard his promo
tion to the chief of the army. San Fran
cisco and the Preside will gain a warm
friend in General Miles. He always held
that this point was the most important on
the Pacific slope and should be the rendez-
vous for all the forces of this seaboard.
For their accommodation more quarters
will be built, and system of extensive i'm
provement inaugurated. General Miles is
as much a progressive man as he is true
soldier, and at the head of the National
forces will bring them up to the highest
state of efficiency"
EHTT D---ATDr~