The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-18
CUBAN INSURGENTS ARMED
WORK OF LIEUTS. ROWAN AND WILL
cox AND CAPT. DORsT COMMENDED.
Communication Established with
alton Near Santiago Assured.

WASHINGTON, June 17-Major General
Miles, general-in-chief of the army, accom-
panied by Colonel Maus, Major Davis and
Colonel Greenleaf, of his staff, arrived in
Washington to-day after having directed
the departure of the first army of invasion
to Cuba 1t has beer his intention to re-
main in the field, directing the succeeding
expeditions which will follow rapidly from
this time forward, all of them, it can be
stated. a part of a well-matured offensive
campaign. General Miles looked hale and
hearty, despite the three weeks incessant
work of bringing order out of chaos in
hurried concentrated army, comprising reg
ulars and volunteers, many unarmed, un-
equipped. with thousands of tons of stores
assembled by inadequate railway facilities
hundreds of pack trains, droves of horses
and mules and the vast minutae of a war
movement beyond the The general con-
tinues to wear his citizens dress, while all
the officers about him in fatigue uni
FORMS and save for the pith helmet, such
as is worn in the East Indian service he
shows no evidence of coming from the field
ne COHlGTISQ WIFI O6CTeldTy Anger LOT ndlI
an hour before the Cabinet meeting and
then had a long talk with General Lud-
dington, quartermaster general, on the con-
dition of quartermaster supplies. He came
in response to a telegraphic summons from
the secretary of war, who desires to go
over certain phases of the campaign with
him.
Speaking in a general way of his observa-
tions General Miles said: Having spent
some time with the troops during trying
period of hurried preparations, 1 am glad
to say that they are a splendid body of
men, which the country may we'll be proud
of. AS to the regulars, they are the finest
corps in the world, without any exception
in physical development, efficiency, expert
ence, discipline, craftsmanship, equipment
and all that goes to make up first-class SOL
diers.
THE VOLUNTEER ARMY.
"Of course the volunteer army is not as
well equipped. Some of the States sent men
into the field in very good condition not
ably Massachusetts and New York Others
sent their quotas without arms equipment
or clothing. They were not soldiers at all;
only employed men. 1t takes time to make
soldiers of this material There must be
uniforms, arms, ammunition equipment
camp equipage, tentage transportation and
hospital supplies. Then, in addition they
have to have ordnance, artillery, siege
trains, intrenching tools, horse equipments
engineering appliances of all kinds, balloon
appliances etc. After that comes the great
question of moving an army across the sea,
with all the dangers and vicisstudes of an
ocean voyage. This work, with it's infinite
details, has been carried out, 1 am glad to
say, with fair degree of success, and the
command of $1,000 men under General Shaf-
ter moved away with an outburst of pa
triotic enthusiasm which overcame the
trials they had passed through"
General Miles's attention was directed to
the reports coming from Tampa of great
CONFUSION and delay in preparing the ex-
petition and getting it off for Cuba
Yes said he, there were causes con-
tributing to this delay. In the first place,
the postof1ce service at these points of army
concentration is very deficient. They have
the same facilities, and no more, as the To-
cal towns have when normal conditions ex-
ist. But when twenty thousand to fifty
thousand men are added to the population
of the small towns. and all OF the men are
sending and receiving letters from their
friends and relatives at home, besides the
large amount of official business carried on,
the local postof1ce facilities are entirely in
adequate. That has been one of the troubles
at Tampa, Chickamauga and other places,
and, as result, the official communication,
to and from the War Department, on which
depends the regularity of movements of
many kinds of stores has been seriously de-
layed. Then, in gathering the munitions cf
war for an army it was necessary to have
the service of a great number of trains
loaded with stores. crowding the meagre
railroad lines far beyond their usual ca
pacity. However, all this is getting straight
ened out now and already most of it has
been overcome.
SPIRIT OF THE TROOPS.
1.-The troops at Tampa are in very good
health, both those who went forward with
General Shafter and those still remaining.
The sick list is less than per cent, which
is an exceptionally good record. The spirit
Of the men also is of the best and this was
shown in most marked manner when the
transports started for Cuba last Tuesday.
They were all anxious to go. and there was
wild scenes of enthusiasm and cheering as
the men marched aboard and the ships got
under way. Whenever a band played the
national air every head was uncovered
The men seemed to realize the Importance of
their enterprise well the patriotic re-
sponsibility it involved.
There have been many very splendid acts
of heroism. even in the brief time the troops
have been employed. continued General
Miles Lieutenant Rowan, now Lieutenant
colonel and Lieutenant Wilcox, noM cap
tain, in making their journey to eastern
Cuba and to Porto Rico gave splendid il
lustration of the courage fortitude and re-
sources of the American soldier. Three ex-