The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-12-07
TELLS OF THE WAR.
Secretary Alger Reports on the
Work of His Department.
History Of the Campaign Related
Without Criticism-Credit of VIC
tory Belongs to No One Man
Wants Army of 100000 Men.

| of Secretary Alger is a practically complete
| official history of the Spanish American
| war. The secretary has given to the public
not only all the official dispatches that
passed directly between his own office and
| commanding officers in the field and camp,
| but has supplemented these with short ex-
| planatory notes setting forth the reasons
| for various movements, and then, to COM
! plete the record of events, he has included
| in the body of his report the report of Gen.
| Miles, of all the generals who participated
| in the campaign in Cuba, Porto Rico or the
| Philippines, and finally the reports of all
Of the bureau officers of the war depart
ment. Nowhere is there shown disposi-
| ton to criticise, the official dispatches be-
ing allowed to tell their own story, and
generally the secretary finds much to
praise and cause for sincere congratulation
in the results obtained.
Had Big Force of Surgeons.
The report proper begins with what may
be described as chronological history of
the war, consisting of a number of short
paragraphs, beginning with the declar:. ton
of war on April Il, and setting forth the
date upon which any event of Importance
occurred, but making no comment what
ever upon the facts The only exception to
this rule is in a reference to the caSualtic
at Santiago. Some criticism having Eeen
made that there was lack of surgeons
present, the report states that there V ere
14O surgeons in attendance, and that of
1.431 wounded only 13 died of their wounds.
Surrender of Santiago.
Touching the surrender al Santiago the
report shows that Shafter demanded the
surrender on the Sd, and renewed this de-
mand on the 4th. On the morning of the
18th, another demand was made. On the
evening of that day Gen. Miles arrived, and
on the 18th and 14th of July, he, with Gen.
Shafter met the Spanish commander I'M
der rag of truce to discuss the surren-
der. On the afternoon of the 18th, Gen.
Miles left Gen. Skaters headquaIter
and soon thereafter went aboard ship pre-
paratory to sailing for Porto Rico July II,
Toral surrendered $4,000 men upon our
terms and the American flag was hoisted
by order of Gen. Shafter.
A Great Achievement.
The secretary, coming down in his his
tory to the middle of August, when an or
Ger was issued and is now in execution to
muster out 100 coo volunteers, says: THUS
an army of about 250,OO0 volunteers and
recruits for the regulars was called into
existence from civil life, and, including the
regular army the total force was PATTI
men. 1t was organized, armed, and
equipped (no supplies being on hand other
than those for the regulars, save Spring
field muskets), and $4,000 men of this force
were transported by land and sea to bat
where they won their victories without a
single defeat, and all within the period of
113 days from the declaration of war to the
signing of the protocol.
Credit BELONGS to No One Man.
'"This great achievement can be cred1teo
to no Individual; it belongs to the nation.
1t was accomplished through the intelll-
gence and patriotism of all who served,
from the commander in chief to the private
in the ranks, 1t also speaks volumes for
the prompt, patriotic and intelligent assist
ance of the people VINO FURNISHED IN SO
short a period, the supplies necessary TO
prepare this great army for the neld. 10
the heroic men who served in distant lanos
the country will ever offer true meed Oh
praise, but the mighty army in camp,
ready and eager to take the field, should
also be given equal credit. 1t was their
presence, ready at an hours notice for any
emergency, that overawed the enemy and
proved to him that further resistance
would be in vain.
Death Rate of the Army.
1.-THE deaths in the army from May to
October /, including killed, died of wounds
and of disease, were 2,9lO, the smallest
death rate recorded of an army in history,
a remarkable fact when it is considered
that over $4,000 of our troops, born ana
reared in the temperate zone, were cam
paignng in tropical climates, subject to
rain and heat almost unprecedented.
Wants Army of 100000 Men.
Under the head of increase in the perma-
nent establishment the secretary says: In
view of the needs of military force in the
islands occupied by the United States, it
| is earnestly recommended that the regu-
| lar army be permanently increased to
| 100, 900 men and the requisite officers; that
| a portion of this army be recruited from
| the inhabitants of those islands, to be mus
| tered into the service of the United States,
| commanded by officers of our army, dis
cretion however, to be given to the pres
| ident to make appointments of officers
! from the force so recruited
! Another suggestion is that there should
be employed in the United States service
a constobulary force for the cities of Cuba,
| Porto IIco and the Philippines who have
! had the experience and can speak the IAN
! guage of the islands.
| Estimates.
The statement of expenditures and esti-
mates presents some formidable figures.
The expenditures for the fiscal var ended
| June 80 last were $62 $50, 7S4, and the esti-
mates for the next fiscal year, beginning
July, l. 1889, are $195,25O,377. OF this great
estimate the sum of $55, 4SO, 900 is charged to
pay of the army. The estimate of extraor-
binary appropriations required for the six
months ending June 30, 1899, is $60, 1T $50,
| and the estimate for that period, combined
| with those for the next fiscal year. reaches
a total of $255, Az. 917.
At this point the secretary includes in
his report the reports of Gen. Miles and all
the other generals who participated in ac-
| tive operations.
Our Dead in Cuba.
The graves of the soldiers at Santiago,
in Porto Rico and the Philippines have
been marked, and their remains will be
brought home as soon as the plans arc
completed.
The entire report of tho secretary OF
war forms one of the most voluminous
documents of the kind ever issued from the
war department.
Gov. Tanner Indicted.