The age-herald., 1898-11-11

l directed to go to Santiago for a specific | purpose. You will also notce that the or der of the secretary of war; of July 13, left the matter to my discretion. I should re- gret that any event would cause either | yourself or any part of your command to | cease to be part of mine.
 'Very truly yours, ., (Signed) NELSON A. MILES, Major General Commanding, U S. A" Then follows some telegrams instructing | General Shafter to remove his soldiers to high grounds and notifying Secretary Alger | that in his (Miles) opinion if this move ment into the mountains did not check the fever then the only way to save a large portion of the command would be to ship
 them to a point on the New England coast
 to be chosen by the surgeon general The history of the Santiago campaign practically ends at this point and the re-
 port treats next of Porto Rico General Miles on July IA had .cabled to Secretary Alger that it was important to go direct to Port Farjado, Cape San Juan. He was anxious to proceed as rapidly as possible and after some delay authority was grant, ed and he started. The story of the slIc-
 cessful campaign is well known and the
 reports, add little to the general knowledge
 except to clear up the change of destination
 of the first expedition which was so pug zlng at the time.
 General Miles write Sthat he had been anxiouslyl looking for several days before starting for the arrival of tugs launches and lighters that had been ordered but none arrived He still hoped to meet them Tn the wfndward passage en route to Porto Rico. He knew that~hs cablegrams had passed over foreign cables and regarded it as necessary to deceive the enemy as to his destination. Therefore, in the ab- sence of his landing launches and lighters, he considered the advisability of finding safe harbor and capturing the necessary appliances from the enemy. He conferred
 by letter and signal with Captain Higgin- son. in command of the naval convoy, and decided to land at Guanica, as the enemy had doubtless become aware of the orig inal destination and then to move to Ponce. Captain Higginson accepted the change of plans, his vessel was sent off Cape San Juan to give word of the change of base to the approaching endorsements.
 The Gloucester's Good Work The little Gloucester went ahead and forced the entrance into Guanica, and soon l the entire expedition was landed in Forto | Rico and began it's successful campaign. A detailed account is given Of the various skirmishes, battles and captures on the island, and the proclamations are quoted whereby General Miles appealed success fully to the disaffected element among the inhabitants to give their allegiance to the new order of things.
 Of this nineteen-day campaign General Miles says: "The success of the enterprise was large ly due to the skill and good generalsh1p Of the officers in conmind fl the different divisions and brigadas. Strategy accoLh- pished what might have occasioned serious loss to achieve in another way The loss of the enemy in killed, wounded and cap tured was nearly ten times our own men, which was only three killed and forty wounded. Thus the island of Porto RICO became a part of the United States. He mentioned by name specially the ofil- cers of his staff and the general officers engaged, and recommends small lSt or officers for promotion.
 Generalizing the whole result, General Mics says:
 Tt is gratifying to record that during the war not single defeat has been met and that not a prisoner, color, gun or rifle has been captured by the enemy. In this respect the war has been most remarkable and perhaps unparalleled. "Under all circumstances and in spite of many most trying difficulties the troops have maintained the fortitude of the Amer1- can character and the honor of their arms" General Miles closes his report with some earnest recommendations for the improve ment of the military service. He trusts the experience of the last two months wil be valuable to the people and to the govern- ment. The value of coast defenses, he says, has been proven, and the system should be completed without delay. He favors the adoption of standard of strength for the army to meet the country's growth, and says that it should have one soldier for each thousand population, yielding force of 92, ,655. While this force is already pro- vided for, unfortunately, the authorizing act requires the army to be reduced to it's former inadequate basis on the termination of the war
 General Miles, in conclusion, recommends the authorization of force of a native troops in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip pines, to be officered by United States army officers, and not exceeding two soldiers for one thousand population of the islands and all of these increases. he urges, should be
 made at once, as they are of vital import ance.