The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-30
SOLDIERS BEST FRIEND.
Why General Miles Is So Popular
With the Rank and File,

The secret of the extraordinary pop
ularity of Major General Nelson A.
Miles with the rank and file of !he
regular army was explained yesterday
by Headquarters Clerk w. II. lie Roy,
of Fort McHenry. lie Roy is about 30
years of age and for fifteen of these
years he has been in the regular army,
having served in the infantry, cavalry
and artillery. He served under Gener-
al Miles in the Northwest during the
Indian compaign of 1S90-91, and has
had as much experience of active SER
vice in the field as any man of his
years in the service.
Men outside of the service have no
idea of the extent of General Miles
popularity with the men of the regu-
lar army" said lie Roy. He is idol
lied 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. l was
born in a southern state; my farher
was a slave owner and then a con-
federate soldier, who lost his right
leg while fighting against the Union
brigade in which General Miles served
as q captain. When the war was over
our family had lost almost everything.
When / was old enough l went into
the army.
II had often heard of General Miles,
but never saw him until the winter of
1890 in the Dakotas. We were out
fighting Indians in the middle of WIN
| ter, and the boys of the Eighth cav
airy, to which / then belonged, were
suffering considerably from the wealth
er, having no proper winter clothing
| to protect them from the extreme cold.
| One day I was doing guard duty near
| Major Wells tent when a general Of
| ficer whom l had never seen before
| rode up. 1t was bitterly cold and l
| had nothing on but the ordinary blue
medium weight 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 blan-
| kets equal to the climate. | saluted
| the general and he returned it, asking,
| as he eyed me, Have you men no
| heavier winter clothing? You fellows
| must be freezing out here at this rate.
| replied that we had nothing more
than what he saw on me, and he al
| once rode to the tent of the officer
| commanding.
after he passed / learned that he
was General Miles. On meeting the
commanding officer, the general asked
him why the men had no heavy cloth
ing or proper winter bedding. We
had to leave most of the available
stuff back at the last post l30 miles
to the rear responded the officer. we
have about all the baggage we 'ar
carry with U.S..
"'What officers baggage have you?
asked General Miles.
THE officer answered that each of
ficer had the regular amount of bag
gage allowed by the regulations anC
about 400 pounds each extra, which
consisted of mess chests.
1.-The officers can do without mes!
chests better than the men can dC
without heavy clothing and warn
bedding replied General Miles, anC
he ordered the officers mess chests t
be sent back to the other post and sub
stituted for them plenty heavy hors
blankets and all the heavy uniform
and clothing and warm German boot
that could be secured at the post. TIL
were all comfortably clad and pre-
pared to meet the worst weather. A
we donned the warm duds and on
blood began to circulate better, man
a soldier prayed silently as well as h
knew how for General Miles. In m
own case l felt that he had saved IN
life.
After that / saw many other no
table instances of his humane an
considerate treatment of the boy:
Others say it, and General Miles he
came the idol of the men who serve
under him. Since then he has don
much for the comfort of the privat
soldier, and it is common talk in III
army that it was General Miles VIII
i secured for the troops now down sout
$ the welcome canvas suits, which max
4 life in the torrid climate worth livinj
> If could by any chance get near tn
Puerto Rico outfit, and l may yet,
, would regard it as a high priVileS
, and you will find thousands of Other
under blue coats who will be equal
anxious to serve even to the death II
, | best friend of the private soldier tht
/. | ever wore a uniform. Baltimore Su
t GRANDMoTHER's MINCE PIE