The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-02

and the condition of your command
daily. General Miles then reported
the condition OF affairs to the secretary
Of war, with whom he had been in
conference. In one OF his kilograms
to Miles, Secretary Alger says: aE
LAS soon as Santiago falls the
troops must all be put in camp as COM
Portable as they can be made and re-
main, l suppose, until the fever has
had its run.
miles did not agree with Secretary
Alger, for on July 21st, in a letter, the
general commanding urged the return
Of the army to the United States as
Dor Is possible. July 18th. after the
surrender was complete, General Shat
ter wired as follows to General Miles:
'Siboney, July 18th. 1898, S:4S p.
m.-Received July 5, IS9S-General
Miles. on board Yale: Letters and
orders in reference to movement of
camp received and will be carried out
None is more anxious 60 get away
from here than myself. I. seems
from yorr orders given me that you
regard my forces as part of your COM
maRd. Nothing will give me greater
pA|oSA1 "a y III yoot oCiACl A.
and | shall comply with ali your re-
quests and directions, but | was told
by the secretary that you were % to
supersede me in command here. l
will furnish the information called for
as to condition Of command to Gill
more, adjutant eneral, A. H. @.
.5 p. "'SHAFTER..
Il. u.. Major General
General Miles very promptly re-
piled as follows:
Il" Playa del Este, July 2Sth, 1898,
(GuantanamO) 11:30 a. m.
General Shafter:-Telegram raceiv
ed; have no desire and have carefully
avoided my appearance of ~superseding
you. Your command is a part Of the
United States army which l have the
honor to command, having been duly
assigned thereto and directed by the
president to go wherever | thought
my presence required and give such
general directions as | thought best
concerning military matters, and es-
peeially directed to go to Santiago for
a specific purpose. You will also no.
tice hat the orders of the secretary
of war of July 18th left the matter to
my discretion. l should regret that
any event should cause either yourself
or any part of your command to cease
to be a part of mine. -
" Very truly yours, 5E .i@
NELSON A. MILES,
"'Major General Commanding Unit
ed States Army.
General Miles then gave General
Shafter final instructions and left hur-
riedly for Porto Rico. In view of the
egrams the following statement con
tanned in the New York Herald of re-
cent date, is quoted; ,.a. ....-
eff my cablegram to Major General
Shafter, informing him that Major
General Miles was not sent to super
sede him, in supreme command of the
troops in the field at Santiago de Cuba
prevented the storming Of the city on
the day of the surrender and this re-
suited in saving of lives which other
wise would have been lost in the at
tack, then I am repaid for sending it
a thousand fold '@"---..
This statement was made to me
this afternoon by Secretary Alger
apropos5 of the publication in The
Herald Of yesterday, setting forth the
doings Of Major General Miles during
his brief stay in Cuba. The secretary
told me he did not propose to enter
into i41anyicontrOveTsy- regarding the
Santiago campaign with anybody.
The results spoke for themselves and
they were a sufficient justification for
the policy which had, been, pursued by
the war department in the conduct. of
che operations against Santiago. 80.
My leablesfam to General IShaftef,
he caonfinued was simply due to my
desire to assure him that ! Intended
to be absolutely fair-Before his de-
parture> from Washington, General
Miles and | had talked the matter over
and he started for Cuba knowing, that
he was not in any. way to interfere
! with the operations which were under
the control Of General Shafter. That
there could be no doubt whatever /
cabled to General Shafter Informing
him that general had left for Cuba
with instructions not to in any manner
! surersede him as commander of troops
In the field at Santiago, de Cuba and,
as l nave said, if my message prevent
ed q battle on the morning Of the day
the city surrendered, then [ am repaid
o. 49, - - - "a