Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-17
GEN. MILES RETURNS
Says the Troops Are Splendid Body
of Men.
REGULARS TEE FINEST IN TEE WORLD
Explains the Cause of Confusion at
Tampa.
INSTRUCTIONS TO GARCIA

Major General Miles. commanding the
army, accompanied by Col. Maus, Major
Davis Col. Michier and DR.. Greenleaf of
his staff, arrived in Washington at $50
this morning after having directed the de-
parture of the first army of invasion to
| Cuba. 1t had been his intention to remain
in the field, directing the succeeding expe-
| ditions which will follow rapidly from this
time forward, all of them being part of a
| we'll matured offensive campaign. General
| Miles looked hale and hearty despite the
| three weeks incessant work of bringing
| order out of chaos in the hurriedly concen-
| trated army, comprising regulars and vol
unteers, many unarmed,, unequipped, with
thousands of tons of stores assembled by
| inadequate railway facilities, hundreds of
| pack trains, droves of horses and mules
| and that vast minutia of a war movement
| beyond seas.
The general continues to wear his citi-
| Zens dress, while all the officers about
| him are in fatigue uniforms, and save for
the pth helmet canvas hat, such as is
| worn in the British Indian service he
| SHOWS no evidence of coming from the
field. He conferred with Secretary Alger
for half an hour before the cabinet meet
ing, and then had a long talk with Gen.
| Luddingron, quartermastcr general. on the
| condition Of quartermasters' supplies He
| came here in response to summons from
| the Secretary of War, and had confer
| ence with him later in the day in regard to
certain phases of the campaign
| Speaking in a general way Of his obser-
| vations, Gen. Miles said:
A Fine Body of Men,
| Having spent some time with the troops
during trying period of hurried prepare.
| tons, l am glad to say that they are a
| splendid body OF men. which the country
may well be proud of. AS to the regulars
| they are the finest corps in the world, with
out any exception. physical development
efficiency, experience, dicipline marksman-
snip, equipment and all that goes to make
| up first-class soldiers. OF course the VOL
unteer army is not so well equipped. Some
OF the states sent men into the field in very
good condition. notably Massachusetts and
New York. Others sent their quotas with
out arms, equipment or clothing.
| Ihey were not soldiers at all; only en-
pioSed men. 1t takes time to make SOL
diers of this material There must be uni
forms, arms, ammunition equipment, camp
| equipage. tentage, transportation and hos
| pltal supplies. Then in addition they had
to have ordnance, artillery, siege trains.
| lntrenching tools, horse equipments. engi-
ntering appliances of all KINDS, balloon
| appliances. &c. After that comes the yraat
| question OF moving army across the
sea, with all the dangers and vicissitudes
OF an ocean voyage. This work with its
Hhhl'e detail. has been carried out l am
glad to say, with fair degree of success.
| and the command of IL, 600 men under Gen
Shafter moved away with an outburst Of
patriotic enthusiasm which overcame the
trials they had passed through
The Confusion at Tampa.
General Miles attention was directed to
the reports coming from Tampa of great
confusion and delay i'll preparing the ex-
petition and getting it off to Cuba
Yes, said he. there were causes con-
TlputlhS to TINS delay. In the first place
| the post once service at these points of
army concentration is very deficient They
| nave the same facilities and no more as
local towns have when normal conditions
| exist. But when 20.o00 to $1,000 men are
added to the population of the small towns
and all of the men are sending and receiy-
| ing letters from their friends and relatives
| at home, besides the large amount of Off
clal business carried on, the local post office
| facilities are entirely inadequate
| mat has been one of the troubles at
| lampa, ChickamaEga and other places
ana, as result, the official communica tions
| 10 ana from the War Department, on which
depend the regularity OF movement of many
kinds of stores, have been seriously de-
layed. Then in gathering the munitions of
war for an army il was necessary to have
| the service of great number of trains
| loaded With stores, crowding the meager
| railroad lines far beyond their usual
| capacity However, all this is getting
Slaughtered out now, and already most of
| 1t has been overcome.
| Health of Troops Good.
| The troops at Tampa are in very good
| health, both those VINO went forward with
| Gen. Shafter and those still remaining
The sick list is less than 1 per cent, which
Is an exceptionally good record. The spirit
| OF the men. also, is of the best, and this
was shown in most marked manner when
| the transports started for Cuba last Tues
! day. They were all anxious to go. and
| there were wild scenes of enthusiasm and
| cheers as the men marched aboard and the
| ships got under way. Whenever a band
| played a national air, every head was un-
| covered. The men seemed to realize the
importance Of their enterprise as well as
the patriotic responsibility it involved.
Acts of Heroism.
There have been many very splendid
| acts of heroism, even in the brief time the
| troops have been employed" continued
| General Mics. Lieutenant Rowan. now
| lieutenant colonel, and Lieutenant Wilcox,
row captain, in making their journeys to
| eastern Cuba and to Porto Rico gave splen-
| did illustration of the courage, fortitude
| and resources of the American soldier.
The expeditions which carried arms to the
Cubans have developed the finest kind of
| courage. Captain Connell and Lieutenant
Crawford, who participated in these expe-
ditions were with the CIbans during a
| sharp engagement with the enemy. Captain
| Dorst's several expeditions have been of
Great service to the government, his last
| one in particular bringing important re-
suits. He started from Key West, but in
stead Of going direct to Cuba, he went
| north and east until near Nassau, then
| turned south and landed on the Cuban coast
| at place called Banes. 1t has been held
| by the CubanS and is good hal with