The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-13

pIcSlUcIL mas uIStu TIE IOllOW inS
named gentlemen, among others, to &C
cept place on the committee requested
by Secretary AIger to investigate the
conduct Of the war: General John NJ.
Schofield, General John B. Gordon,
General Granfield NJ. Dodge, President
d. g. Gilman, General Charles F. Man
derson, Hon. Robert T. Lincoln, Hon.
Daniel S. Lamont, w. w. Kean, Col
OneI James r. Sexton.
1t would have been difficult for the
praesident to lave selected nine men
more favorably known to the Ameri-
can people and yet equipped perfectly
for the work they will be called upon
to perform. Lieutenant General SchO-
field was General Miles predecessor as
commanding general of the United
States army and has held the unlimit-
ed confidence of all the presidents of
the United States since Grant with re-
gard to political adherence. His ex-
perience in the civil war as a corps
commander eminently fits him to pass
judgement upon the operations in the
field just concluded.
General Gordon has had about the
III tA pei ICIICC III LIlc COlllCLlcl L L
my as General Schofield on the north
ern side and, in addition, he has rep
resented his state, Georgia, for two
terms in the United States senate and
retired in the face of a popular de-
mand for his reelection.
General Granfield NJ. Dodge is we'll
known as a man of large business in
terests in New York, but even better
among soldiers whom he led to success
in the civil war. He also commanded
an army corps and has never lost his
interest in military affairs since en-
tering civil life.
ID. G. Gilman is one of the best known
educators in the United States, at
present holding the hOnOred post of
president of Johns Hopkins university
in Baltimore. He was selected by
President Cleveland as a member of
the commission appointed to settle the
Venezuelan boundary controversy.
Charles f. Henderson, Of Nebraska,
was senator from that state for two
D terms and also served with distinction
in the war as a division commander.
His utilization with the veteran ele-
ment will give weight to any cOnClu-
siors he may reach. He is at present
in Washington.
Hon. Robert T. Lincoln, is so we'll
known as to need no Introduction to
the public and the same is almost
equally true of Daniel S. Lamont, sec
rotary OF war uHueI the second CleNe-
land administration.
DR.. w. w. Keen is a citizen of Phil
adelphia and enjoys the reputation of
being one of the most scientific and
ablest opticians in that city. In his
selection the president supplies the
technical talent necessary to ensure a
sound inquiry into the conduct of the
medical department of the army.
Colonel James T. Sexton has best
been made known to the American
people by his recent election to the post
of commander-in-chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
The message which President Nc
Kinley addressed to each of these was
as follows:
will you end the country a great
service by accepting appointment as a
member of the committee to examine
into the conduct of the commissary,
Quartermaster and medical bureaus of
the war department during the war
\ and into the extent, causes and treat
: ment of sickness in the field and in the
camps?
1T is my desire that the full and ex-
act truth shall be ascertained and
made known. I cannot to strongly i'm
press upOn you my earnest wish that
this committee shall be of such high
character as will command the COM
plete confidence of the country, and I
trust you will consent to serve"
NAVAL OFFICERS PROMOTED.
Among the naval orders issued today
We're the following promotions:
Captain HigginsOn, of the Massachu-
sets, to be commodore from August
10th: Assistant Naval Constructor r.
P. Hobson to be full naval constructor.
to date from June 23rd. the delay in
making the last promotion being caus-
ed by the impossibility of having an
earlier examination.
SKATER WITH THE PRESIDENT
General Shafter had nearly an hours
conference with the president today
He came over to the White house from
the war department with Colonel Mi
ley, of his staff, and Adjutant Genera
Corbin. The general went over the
Santiago campaign with the president
going into details as far as possible ir
the time at the presidents disposal
On leaving the White house the gen
eral said he had about completed his
report and would have it ready for de-
livery to the secretary of war by mex
Monday morning. He would ther
leave to take command at Camp Wi
koff. The general did not seem t.
7 credit the repOrt that later on he would
be put in command of the department
of California. He expressed himself a.
strongly in favor of a rigid investiga
ton of the conduct of the Santiago
campaign.
General Raglan, of the commissar!
department. also called at the Whit
house and had a talk with the presi
dent. Later on, the general said tina
he had insisted upon a most s%earchin:
investigation of the commissary de
partment and felt sure that when tn,
truth became known, it would be seel
that many published reports concern
ing the food supplied to the army wer'
absolutely without any foundation.
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PEACE
COMMISSION.
tt is believed at the state depart
ment that some of the data being pre-
pared in Madrid for the guidance o
Z the Spanish members of the peac
commission in the presentation of thei
case has been enormously assumed t