The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-30

grapn anything OF Importance and the
condltlon OF your command
General Miles then reported tho con-
dltlon OF affairs to the Secretary of War
with whom he had been in conference.
IN one or his kilograms to Miles, Secre-
tary Alger says:
AS soon as Santiago falls, the troops
must ali be put in camp as comfortable as
they can be made and remain, l suppose.
until the fever has had it run.
miles old not agree with Secretary
Alger, Tor on July 2i, in "a letter the gem
erai commanding urged the return of the
army to the United States as soon as
possible. July II, after the surrender was
complete, General Shafter wired as fol-
lows to General NJ les:
Siboney, July II, s. DO p. I., received
July IS.
'' General Miles, on board YaIe:-
Letters and orders in reference to
movement OF camp received and will be
carried out. No one is more anxious to
get away from here than myself. Itsseems
from your orders given me that you re-
garded my forces as part of your COM
mand. Nothing would give me greater
pleasure than serving you General, and /
snail comply with all your requests and
directions; but ! was told by che Secre-
tary that you were not to superoede me
in command here. l will furnish the in
formation Ca He'd for, as to the condition
OF command, to Gilmore. Adjutant Gen.
eral, A. Fl. @.
(Signed)
'SHAFTER, Major General
General Miles very promptly replied as
follows:
" Playa del Esta, July is, 1895, Guam
tanamo, II. 80 a. m.
General Shafter:-Telegram re-
celved; have no desire and have carefully
avoided any appearance of superceding
you. Your command is part of the
United States army, which / have the
honor to command, having been duly as
sipned thereto anG directed by the Iresi-
dent to go wherever thought my
presence required and to give such general
directions as I thought best concerning
military matters, and especially directed
to go to Santiago for "A specific purpose
You will also notice that the orders of the
Secretary of War of July i3, left the mat
ter 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,
90 NELSON A. MILES,
Major General Commanding U.S.A.'
s'tieneral Miles then gave General
riedly for Porto Rioo In view of the
situation as revealed by the above tele-
grams, the following statement contained
in the New York Herald of recent date
Is quoted:
'f If my cablegram to Major General
Shafter, informing him that Major Gen
eral Miles was not sent to supercede him
in supreme command'of the troops in the
field at Santiago de Cuba, preventing the
storming of the city On the day of its
surrender, thus resulting in the saving of
lives which otherwise would have been
lost in the attack, then l am repaid for
sending it a Thousand fold.
''This statement Was made to me this
afternoon by Secretary Alger apropos OF
the article in the Herald OF yesterday.
setting forth the dcings of Major General
Miles during his brief stay in Cuba. The
Secretary told me he did not propose TO
enter into any controversy regarding the
Santiago campaign with anybody. The
results spoke for themselves and they
were g sufficient justification for the
policy which had been pursued by the
War Departments in the conduct of the
operations against. Santiago.
. My cablegrain to General Skafter,
he continued. was simply due to my de-
sire to assure him that ] intended to be
absolutely fair. Before his departure
from Washington, General Miles andsI
had talked the matter over and he started
for Cuba, knowing that he was not in
any way TO lHUefiefe Win bH6 OperaGlOnS
which were under the control of General
Shafter. That there could be 10 doubt,
whatey er, cabled to General Shefter in
forming him that General Miles had left
for Cuba with Instructions not to in any.
manner supercede him as commander of
troops in the field at Santiago de Cuba,
aud, as have said, if my message pre-
vented battle on the morning of the day
the city surrendered, then l am rep aid q
thousand fold