The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-09-15
MILES TELLS HIS Side.
The General Returns From Porto Rico
and Repeats His Charges.
HURLS DEFIANCE AT ALGER.

| Advised at the Outbreak of HostiIfties
| Were Not Followed Out in Cuba
Rciterates Assertion That the War De-
| partment Garbled His Dispatches.
New YORK CRY (SpeciaD. General Nell
| son A. Miles, who conducted the military
campaign in Porto Rico, arrived here We'd
! nesdav on the United States transport OBJ
dam.
I With General Miles were his wife. son
daughter and staff; General Charles R.
Greenleaf, Chief Surgeon Of the troops in
the field. and the officers and men Of the
Second Wisconsin Volunteers, numbering
$50 men, including the hospital corps.
The United States transport Chester,
| which carried General Schwan and staff.
General Hams and staff and the Fourth
| PENNSYLVANIA Volunteer Infantry, consist
ing OF fortv-one officers and 1150 men. ar
rived two days before. The troops were in
good health on both ships. and consequent
ly there was no delay in debarking.
When General Miles landed he gave out n
prepared statement in the third person
| singular, written by himself, as to his work
IN Cuba and Porto Rico.
sWhile Mt Porto Rico and during the
VOYAGE returning on the OLDHAM, on which
steamer were General Miles and staff. 1
learned the following facts concerning the
Cuban and Porto Rlcan expeditions. In
the first place, let me saw that the war has
closed after being conducted largely as
General Miles stated publicly at the be-
gir-ing OF the war that it would be. The
st:s- ment was publicly made, and general
oruer was issued by him. as commander OF
the american Army, in which the plan that
he had striven to pursue was foreshadowed
| namely. seeking to accomplish results
| with the least possible loss Of life.
| "Owing to tho fact that the season suit
| ed for campaigning in Cuba Had been ex-
hausted in debates and delay in Congress
| and in necessary preparations, General
Miles was opposed to rushing an ill-pre-
pared, undisciplined, and unequipped army
in the movement against the capital OF
| Cuba. defended by 120 900 trained Spanish
| troops, and in this position he stood prac-
ti:ally alone for several weeks. Havana,
| MatanZas. Santiago, and n few other
points were down on his military map as
| hotbeds of disease destructive to an army,
and places to be avoided during the sickly
| season.
| "When finally called upon to submit a
| plan Of campaign. he did so, and put it in
writing. In substance, he took the stand,
| first, that every effort should be made to
| equip the Cubans, and thereby enable them
to harass the Spanish forces. The cry Of
| 'On to Havana should be encouraged, but
when the transports loaded with troops
were out Of sight OF land they should sail
| as straight rs steam power could bear
them to the gate OF the Antilles and the key
| OF the whole postion-Porto Rico; then.
having seized and occupied that island, a
movement to Cuba was to follow by means
OF a strong cavalry force, which was to be
organized and equipped by August or Sep
tember."
| The statement then touches upon the at
| tack on Santiago. Briefly. General Shafter
had teiegraphed that he had greater op-
position than he expected. and that his
losses were larger than ut first estimated.
| General Miles. who was then at Tampa, i'm
meiiately replied that he would go ut once
with reinforcements, which were sent to
Santiago. Under verbal instruction from
| the President the General went to Santiago
to do whatever was best for the Govern
ment in his opinion. When he arrived
| there negotiations were commenced for the
surrender of the city. After some delay
General Toral, the Spanish Comman-
DER made proposition OF surren-
der. General Miles was given
|
| surrender OF Santiago upon certain condi-
tions, or to make an assault for the de-
| struction or capture Of the Spanish army.
However matters were hastened by Gen.
eral Toral Offering to surrender uncondi-
tional'y which was accepted.
"The fact that the Spaniards had agreed
to surrender was satisfactory to General
Miles, and he Immediately left the field,
| telegraphed the fact to Washington, and
magnGnimOusly yielded to General Shafter
the honor OF receiving the surrender,
specifically giving him and his army credit
! for their tenacity and gallantry. He pro-
! ceeded at once to concern himself about
matters OF far greater Importance, and
these were the health, almost the life, OF
! that command: and the occupation CT the
the territory Of Porto Rico.
up to that time, and, indeed, not for
long after that time, had he General
Milesl learned of the dispatch to General
| Shafter, published at the head OF an article
in the New York Herald OF August IA,
which, if it meant anything, was direct
violation OF the verbal and written orders
of the President. [This dispatch was the
one from Secretary Alger, informing Gen
eral ST after that he was not to be super
sedcd by General Miles. y
Following Is an epitome Of the charges
made by General Miles in the interview
! published in the Kansas City Star on
August "a, which interview he said, was
| substantially correct. Here are the charges:
While Miles was conducting the surren-
/ der negotiations ut Santiago Adjutant-
General Corbin sent q secret despatch to
Shafter saying Miles did not go to super
sede him.
| Dispatches to and from Santiago were
very much mutilated and garbled in Wash
! ington when given out to the public. Words
| and sentences were left out which changed
the meaning and significance Of the mes
sages. Several very important ones which
| would have thrown clearer light upon
the situation were entirely suppressed.
| Secretary Alger claimed that he origin
! ated the idea of moving the Cuban army
| back to the States. On July 81 General
Miles sent cablegram TO Mr.. Alger, q
| copy of which he has. II the suggestions
it contained had been acted upon at that
time much Of the sickness and mortality
| which afflicted the Cuban army would have
| been avoided. This cabiegram was sup
pressed by Secretary Alger and no atten-
| tion paid to its contents.
Steam lighters and tugs which were to
meet General Miles's troops at Fajardo, on
the north coast OF Porto Rico, to facilitate
the landing, never arrived.
Miles's plans for the invasion OF Porto
| Rico were given out in Washington to the
minutest detail and were soon in the pos
session OF the enemy forcing him on his