The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-08
GEN. MILES ON THE WAR
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have surrendered on the same terms is not now and perhaps may never be known.
 LOOKED AFTER TROOPS HEALTH.
 "The fact that they had agreed to surrender was satisfactory to General Miles, and he immediately left the field, telegraphed the fact to Washington and magnanimously yielded to General Shafter the honor of receiving the sur render, specifically giving him and his army credit for their tenacity and gall lantry. He proceeded at once to con- cern himself about matters of far great CT importance, and these were the health, almost the life of that com mand, and the occupation of the terri tory of Porto Rico. Up to that time, and not indeed, for long after that time, had he learned of the dispatch to General Shafter, published at the head of an article in the New York Herald on August 14, which, if it meant any, thing, was in direct violation of the verbal and written orders of the preSi- dent
 "On his way returning to Siboney General Miles made a thorough inspec- tion of the condition of the troops, the location of their camps, and especially of their hospital camps, and ascertain ed their condition, as well as the almost impossible condition of the roads and the inadequate appliances for furnish ing proper supplies. He ordered a regiment to the yellow fever hospital to police the grounds and nurse the sick He gave general directions for the improvement of the sanitary condition of that entire command, and reported it's condition to the authorities at Washington, stating in that report, that he had directed the troops to be moved up to the high lands on fresh
 grounds, grounds free from infection, where it might be possible to eradicate the germs of disease, and that In case this eradication of disease did not re-
 sult then that the troops should be moved immediately as far north as the New England coast, in order to save them from destruction. He also re- l quested, July IS, that troops for the
 Porto Rico expedition be sent from the southern states, especially from Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
 DEPARTURE FOR PORTO RICO. "As soon as suitable escort could
 be obtained from the navy, General
 Miles left the coast of Cuba with 3,400 men, to seize and occupy the island of l Porto Rico.
 The place of landing had been so thoroughly advertised in communica- l tions sent over the French cable and in
 the newspapers of our own country, | and telegraphed to Madrid and from l there to San Juan, that not having re- l ceived the necessary appliances with
 which to disembark he decided aftre
 leaving the Windward Passage to
 change his course and land on the
 south side of Porto Rico where the | Spaniards were the least prepared and
 the least expecting to receive him, and
 where he knew that the disembarkation
 of troops and supplies could be most easily effected From the time of that l disembarkation during the following nineteen days of campaign he kept the l Spaniards guessing what the next move Woud be. When they withdrew along | the line of the great military road be- 1 tween Ponce and San Juan they de-
 stroyed the bridges, obstructed the roads, and fortified strong positions in 1 the mountain passage, and then were
 surprised to find that one column of his
 army was sweeping around the west
 end of the island, capturing the princi- l palities and towns, while another had
 passed over the mountains on trail
 which the Spaniards had supposed inn
 passable, and therefore had not fortified
 or guarded it, and the first they knew
 of the march of the American army was | the appearance of strong brigade
 within twenty miles of the northern
 coast at the terminus of the railroad i connecting San Juan with Arecibo. The | island of Porto Rico was fairly won by | the right of conquest, and became a | part of the United States. The senti- ment of the people was in no sense out l ragged by the invaders, but on the con- trary was successfully propitiated A | people who have endured the severity
 of Spanish rule for four centuries hail
 with joy the protection of the great re- public. One of the richest sections of country over which our flag now floats has been added and will be of lasting | value to our nation, politically, com mercially and from a military or strat- egic point of view. The possession of
 
 that island has also rendered any fur
 ther resistance of the Spanish forces in Cuba hopeless,and General Miles firmly believes that by fair and just treat
 ment the people of Cuba can be as cas- ily controlled either as friendly ally | and neighbor or to become a part of
 our own country as the people of Porto Rico. General Miles remained in Porto Rico as long as he deemed his presence | necessary for carrying out the instruc- tions of the president, and now re-
 turns to the United States bringing
 with him nearly 5000 who are no longer required, there being some 12,000 still remaining, amply sufficient for all pur- poses. He returns at once to Wash ington where he believes he can be most useful as he considers the most important need of the hour now to be
 the immediate reduction of war ex- | penses, and the return of as large a portion of those in the military service as possible to their former occupations | where they are most needed''