The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27
POPULARITY OF GEN. MILES.
Clerk Leroy, of Fort McHenry, Ex-
plains the Cause of the Sentiment.
From the baltimore SIM

Clerk Leroy, of Fort McHenry, Ex-
plains the Cause of the Sentiment
From the Baltimore Sun.
The secret of the extraordinary popular
ity of Maj Gen. Nelson A. Miles with
the rank and file of the regular army was
explained yesterday by Headquarters
Clerk w. II. Leroy of Fort McHenry.
Leroy is about 30 years of age and for
fifteen of these years he has been in the
regular army. having served in the in
fantry, cavalry and artillery. He served
under Gen Miles in the Northwest during
the Indian campaign of 1S9O-91, and has
had as much experience of active service
in the field as any man of his years in the
service
Men outside ow the service have no
idea of the extent of Gen. Miles popu-
larity with the men of the regular army"
said Leroy. He is idolized by the men
as their best friend among all the officers.
In my early years in the army / had no
particular reason to admire the general
was born in a Southern state; my father
was slave-oWner and then a Confederate
soldier, who lost his right leg while fight
ing against the union brigade in which
Gen. Miles served as a captain. When
the war was over our family had lost al
most everything. w men L was Old enough
/ went into the army.
Il had often heard of Gen Miles but
never saw him until the winter of 1890 in
the Dakotas. We were out fighting In
dams in the middle of winter. and the
boys of the Eighth Cavalry to which
then belonged, were suffering considerably
from the weather, having no proper win
ter clothing to protect them from the ex-
IRENE cold. one day l was doing guard
duty near Maj. Wells tent when a gen
eral officer whom L mad never seen before
rode up. 1t was bitterly cold and I
had nothing on but the ordinary blue me-
diumweight uniform like you see on me
now. We ought TO have had furs. but they
were not supplied in time and we had
scarcely any blankets equal to the eli
mate I saluted the general and he res
! turned it, asking as he eyed me. Have
you men no heavier winter clothing? You
fellows must be freezing out here al this
rate? l replied that we had nothing more
than what ne saw on me- and he at once
rode 10 the tent of the officer commanding.
AFTER he passed I learned that he was
Gen. Miles. on meeting the command
ing officer, the general asked him why
the men had no heavy clothing or proper
winter bedding We had TO leave most OF
the available stuff back at The last post
1870 miles to the rear responded the Of
ficer We have about ali the baggage we
can carry with us
What officers baggage nave you?'
asked Gen. Miles.
THE officer answered that each officer
! had The regular amount of baggage allow
! cd by The regulations and about 400 pounds
! each extra, which consisted of mess chests
The officers can do without mess
| chests better than the men can do With
out heavy clothing and warm bedding
! replied Gen. Miles, and he ordered The
officers mess chest to Toe sent back 10
| the other post and substituted for them
! plenty heavy horse blankets and an The
! heavy uniforms and clothing and warm
German boots that could be secured at the
| post The result was that in a few DAYS
we were ala comfortably clad and PREPARED
! to meet the worst weather. As we donned
the warm buds and our blood began TO
circulate better. many a soldier PRAYED Sill
! emily as well as he knew how for Cen
| Miles. In my own case L felt that he had
| saved my life
| after that I saw many other noticeable
| Instances of his humane and conslderate
| treatment of the boys. Others saw it, and
| Gen. Miles became the idol of the men who
served under him. Since then he has done
| much for the comfort of the private sol
| der, and IL is common talk in the army
! that IL was Gen. Miles who secured for
| the troops now down South the welcome
| canvas suits, which make life in the tor
/ rid climate worth living. If I could by
] any chance get near this Porto Rico ont
/ ht and l may yet, l would regard il as a
| high privilege, and you VIII find Thousands
| of others under blue coats who will be
| equally anxious to serve even TO the death
| the best friend OF the private soldier thlt
! ever wore uniform"
-s-oa-s--