El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-10

General Miles went Down the List
and Took Up the Generals Serial
tin,-He Recommended Shnfter EN-
phnticaIIy. and on This the Order
WINS Made.
When congress undertakes the usual
investigation of the conduct of the war,
one of the surprises will be the story of
the selection of General William r.
Shafter to command the Santiago expe-
dition. Common report has it hat the
choice was Secretary Alger's. General
Shafter is a Michigan man. He has
been called "Alger's pet" since the
campaign in Cuba. So much has beer
said in the newspapers that there is
quite general belief that General Shat
ter was chosen because Of his relation
chip fae a Michigan man with Secretary
Alger. In his annual report, recently
made public, Secretary Alger said that
General Shafter was named upon the
recommendation Of General Miles. He
entered, however, into non of the in
teresting details. That the seoretary's
assertion has made any change in the
popular impression Of the reason for
General Skaters appointment there is
doubt. The public still thinks that the
command was bestowed upon him be-
cause he was from the state of Secre-
tary Alger. Personal and local infu-
ences are supposed to have governed in
the matter of this appointment.
Whether General Shafter was the best
officer to lead the expedition has no
place in this connection. The question
of his qualifications does not enter into
consideration. AS a revelation Of the
inner history of the war n as IN il
lustration of the extent of popular mis-
information on a most notable event Of
the war the story is we'll worth the tell
ing. 1t is believed to be in accord with
the facts, as congressional inquiry will
develop them.
Until he became a member of the
cabinet General Alger had met General
(then Colonel) Shafter but twice in his
life. Both occasions were in California.
Once, when he was commander in chief
of the Grand Army of the Republic,
General Alger visited the slope, Colonel
Shafter, then at a military post in the
vicinity, made a call of ceremony upon
General Alger at his hotel. Subsequent
ly General Alger returned the courtesy
by calling upon Colonel Shafter at his
headquarters. These were the only two
meetings between them up to the time
that General became Secretary Alger.
They were of such a commonplace kind
that the fact of Colonel Skaters iden-
tity as a Michigan man was not men,
toned, and General Alger was in total
ignorance of Colonel Skaters relations
to his state. The acquaintance was of
purely casual character.
In the ordinary course Colonel Shafter
was promoted to be brigadier general.
He came on to Washington after his
confirmation to get his new commission
and 70 receive his new assignment. Sec
rotary Alger went with General Miles
to present GsneIsl Shafter 10 the presi-
dent As they came out General Shafter
in an Incidental way mentioned that he
was a Michigan a and hat was the
first tine tie . ct became known to Sec
retary Alger.
The truth IS that General Skaters
service for many years had been in the
west. He had almost lost his identity
as q Michigan man except through rela-
tives and q few acquaintance at his
old home. He was not a man to exer-
else any pull through influential friends.
All of his advancement had come
through waiting for his turn. He was
utterly unknown to the secretary, save
for the two meetings in California,
which were only called to mind when
General Shafter was recommended for
this command by General Miles. The
in which that recommendation
and the acceptance of it came about is
another interesting side light on the
truth Of history of the late war.
When the sudden decision had been
reached to send from Tampa b expedi-
ton to Santiago, a council was called
at the White House to select a com
mander. 1t will be remembered that
the Santiago expedition was made neces-
sary by the bottling of Cervera's fleet
in Santiago harbor. Troops had been
concentrated at Tampa. Supplies had
been gathered there in great quantities.
The administration was studying the
situation with q view to some kind of
military operations either in Cuba or
Porto Rico. The inclination was to take
Porto Rico first But, unexpectedly,
Cervera, after appearing off Martinique
and failing to find the expected golfers
of Trinidad, crossed the Caribbean and
entered Santiago bay. Sampson and
Schley closed i'll and made the blockade.
Sampson, having examined b position
carefully, sent word that 1T would be
necessary to nave a land force to CO
operate in order to force the surrender
or capture of the fleet. Orders were is
sued hurriedly fpr the preparation of
an expedition of 20, 600 men to start
from Tampa to act with the fleet in
rpapofra roo-a,nopt aoainSt Sanfiaon
And then the council convened in the
warroom at the White House. The pres
ident, Secretary Alger, General Miles,