The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-08
MILES TALKING
TELLS HIS TROUBLES TO REPORT
ERS ON REACHING NEW YORK.
Received No Answer from Secretary
AIger to His Request for His
Troops TO Parade.
MAKES A PUBLIC STATEMENT
PUBLISHED INTERVIEWS.
Claims 1t Is Not His Desire at This
Time to Criticise the Com
duet of SuperiOrs.
STORY OF CUBAN CAMPAIGN
H-
HE FIRST ARGUED IN FAVOR OF THE
ASSAULT ON HAVANA.
--H--
Makes Public Dispatches to Show that
He Was Always in Command
of the Army.
Claims 1t Is Not His Desire at This
Time to Criticise the Con-
duet of SuperiOrs.
STORY OF CUBAN CAMPAIGN
HE FIRST ARGUED IN FAVOR OF THE
ASSAULT ON HAVANA.
Makes Public Dispatches to Show that
He Was Always In Command
of the Army.

NEW YORK, Sept. THE United States
transport OLDHAM, having on board Gen.
Nelson A. Miles and staff. Major Green
leaf, Captain Whitney, the Second Regi-
ment of Wisconsin Volunteers. consisting
of thirty officers and eight hundred men,
and the hospital corps from Porto Rico
arrived here to-day. Mrs. Miles, son and
daughter, were also on board the trans
port, which sailed from Ponce on Sept. L
The surgeon in charge reported all well on
board and no sickness or deaths during the
voyage. The troops were in the best OF
spirits. The big transport was decorated
profusey with Palms and draped with
flags. From the fore truck was flying the
American ensign over large Spanish flag,
while long strings of international code
flags were floating from each masthead to
the rails. General Miles admitted to the
Associated Press reporter, who interviewed
him while the Obdam was lying off Liberty
island, the substantial accuracy OF the
statements attributed to him by the KAN
sas City Stars correspondent at Ponce
Porto Rico.
There are" General Miles said to the
newspaper men about him, "a few minor in
accuracies in the published reports, such as
usually occur in such interviews. 1 do not
care to point out the inaccuracies referred
to at this time; they are unimportant. 1t
is true that requested that my troops in
Porto Rico on their return home should be
allowed to camp somewhere near New
York, preferably Brooklyn Heights, Fort
Wadsworth or Governors island And also
requested Of the War Department that the
troops be allowed to march through New
York city. never intended to parade my
self. as 1 shall go to Washington in a few
days and would not be here at the time Of
the contemplated parade.
II asked that the Wisconsin men aboard
the Obdam be permitted to stay in this
vicinity for a day or two to give them a
chance to see the city. 1t would do no harm
to let these Western boys get a glimpse
of New York. Surely they merit it, Many
Of them, think, have never seen the city
and perhaps will never have another oppor-
tunity to see it.
ITO my first request namely, that my
troops be permitted to camp hereabouts, in
the neighborhcod Of Brooklyn Heights, and
that they be allowed to parade, 1 have re-
ceived no reply. To my second request l re-
ceived a reply at quarantine this morning
ordering the Wisconsin boys home forth
with. The men will go from the transports
directly to the cars. 1 shall stay in the city
a day or two to transact some business and
will then proceed to Washington. General
Wilson's division will reach New York in a
day or two. 1 think. They Will come on the
transports Mississippi Manitoba, Alamo
and Concho. The last Will carry General
Wilson and his headquarters"
The nine companies of the Second Wiscon-
sin Volunteers, which reached port to-day
on board the transport OLDHAM, were landed
at 12:30 p. m. at the Erie Railroad yards
in Weehawken, where a special train was
waiting to take them westward. General
Miles said that he did not desire to criti-
else the conduct of any officer engaged in
the late war. He expressed the opinion that
there has been too much criticism, COM
plant and condemnation published already,
an1 that the public had lost sight of the
success and glories Of the war. He did not
care to enter into any general discussion of
the events of the war beyond the written
statement, which he had prepared during
his voyage on the Obdam, and which he
had given out for publication. He will go
to Washington tomorrow morning.
General Miles declared that the health Of
the troops still in Porto Rico is good He
said that he considered the island a most
charming country but that he is greatly
pleased to return to the United States.