The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-09-08
MILES SAID IT
The General Admits the Sub
stantial Accuracy of Recent
Interviews.
Published Reports Contained a
Few Errors but Were I'm
important.
Further States He Made BE.
quests That We're Never
Replied To.
Wanted Wisconsin Boys to See
New York City but Was
Overruled.

States transport OLDHAM, having on
board Major General Nelson A. Miles
and his staff; Major Greenleaf, Cap
tain Whitney, the Second regiment OF
Wisconsin volunteers, consisting Of 30
officers and 800 men, and the hospital
corps from Porto Rico, arrived here
during the day. Mrs. Miles, son and
daughter, We're also on board the trans
port, which sailed from Ponce Sept. l.
The surgeon i'll charge reported all
well, and no sickness or deaths during
the voyage. The troops were in the
best of spirits. The big transport was
decorated profusely with palms and
draped with flags. From the fore
truck was flying the American ensign,
over large Spanish flag while long
strings of international code flags were
floating from each masthead to the
rails.
Interviews Were Accurate.
General Miles admitted to the Asso-
ciated Press reporter who interviewed
him while the, OLDHAM was lying off
Liberty island the substantial accuracy
of the statement attributed TO him by
the Kansas City Stars correspondent
at Ponce, Porto Rico.
"There are," General Miles said to
the newspaper men about him, "a few
minor inaccuracies in the published re-
ports, such as usually occur in such in.
terviews. don't care to point oat the
inaccuracies referred to at this time;
they are unimportant.
sit is true that I requested that my
troops in Porto Rico, on their return
home should be allowed to camp some
where near New York, prefe rably
Brooklyn Heights, Fort WadSworth or
Governors island. l also requested
of the war department that troops be
allowed to march through New York
city. /
Never Intended to Parade Myself,
as shall go to Washington in few
days and would not be here at the time
of the contemplated parade.
81 asked that the Wisconsin men
aboard the OLDHAM be permitted to
stay in this vicinity for day or two to
give them a chance to see the city. 1t
would do no harm to let these Western
boys get d glimpse OF New York.
Surely they merit it. Many of them,
think, have never seen the city and
perhaps will never have another op-
portunity to see it.
ITO my first request, namely, that
my troops be permitted to camp here
abouts, in the neighborhood of Brook
Ign Heights and that they be allowed
to parade, / have received no reply.
To my second request received re-
ply at Quarantine ordering the Wis
consin boys home forthwith. The men
will go from the transports, directly to
the cars.
81 shall stay in the city day or two
to transact some business aud will then
proceed to Washington.
Opposed "a Summer Campaign.
General Miles gave to the representa-
tives of the press typewriter docu-
ment treating of the prosecution of the
war with Spain. The paper is written
in the form Of an interview with the
general. Referring to the talk of a
rush for the fever-stricken city of Ha-
vana, it says:
"Owing to the fact that the season
suited for campaigning in Cuba had
been exhausted in debates and delay in
congress, and in necessary prepare
tions, General Miles was opposed to
rushing au ill.prepared, undlsciplined
and unequipped army in a movement
against the capital of Cuba, defended
by 100, 900 trained Spanish troops, and
in this position he stood practically
alone for several weeks. Havana, Ma
tanzas, Santiago and few other points
were drawn on his military map as
hotbeds of disease, destructive ito an
army, and places to be avoided, espe-
cially during the sickly season.