Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-06-23
PROUD OF HIS ARMY.
Gen. Miles Arrives In Washington
and Takes Counsel.
HE RESPONDS TO THE INTERVIEWER.
Some of the Difficulties Encountered In
Raising and Putting an Army In the
Field-UnavoidabIe Deiay-Fin-
est Army In the World

Miles, general-in-chlef or the army,
accompanied by Col. Maus, Maj Davis
and Col. Greenleaf, of his staff, arrived
in Washington yesterday, after hav-
ing directed the departure of the first
army of invasion to Cuba 1t had been
his intention to remain In the field, di-
recting the succeeding expeditions
which will follow rapidly from this
time forward all of them, 1t can be
stated, part of well-matured often
sive campaign.
Gen. Miles looked hale and hearty
despite the three weeks of incessant
work of bringing order out Of chaos
in the hurriedly concentrated army,
comprising regulars and volunteers
many unarmed, unequipped with thou
sands of tons of stores assembled by
inadequate railway facilities; hundreds
of packtrains, droves OF horses and
mules and the vast minutia of o war
movement beyond the sea.
The general continues to wear his
citizens dress, while all the officers
about him are in fatigue uniforms, and
save for the pith helmet such as is
worn In the East Indian service, he
shows no evidence Of coming from the
field.
He conferred with Secretary Alger
for half an hour before the cabinet
meeting, and then had long talk with
Gen. Luddington, quartermaster-gen-
eral on the condition of quartermas-
ters' supplies. He came in response to
q telegraphic summons from the secre-
tary of war, who desires to go over GER
tain phases of the campaign with him.
Speaking in general way of his
observations, Gen. Miles said; Having
spent .some time with the troops, dur
ing trying period of hurried prepara-
tions, / am free to say that they are o
splendid body of men, of whom the
country may well be proud. As to the
regulars, they are the finest corps
in the world, without any excep-
ton, In physical development, eff
cheney, experience, discipline, marks
nlanship, equipment and all that goes to
make up frst-class soldiers. OF course
the volunteer army is not as we'll
equipped. Some of the states sent
men into the field in very good condi-
tion, notably Massachusetts and New
out arms, equipment on clothing.
They were not soldiers at all, only en-
ployed men. 1t takes time to make
soldiers Of this material. There
must be uniforms, arms, ammunition,
camp equippage, tentage, transporta-
tion and hospital supplies Then, in
addition, they have to have ordnance,
artillery, siege trains, entrenching
tools, horse equipments, engineer ap-
pliances Of all kinds; balloon appli-
ances, etc. After that comes the great
question of moving an army across the
sea, with all the dangers and vicissi-
tudes of an ocean voyage. The work,
with its infinite detail, has been car
ried out, am glad to say, with fair
degree of success, and the command of
Is, 900 men under Gen. Shafter moved
away with an outburst of patriotic en-
thusiasm which overcame the trials
they had passed through"
Gen. Miles attention was directed to
the reports coming from Tampa of
great confusion and delay in preparing
the expedition and getting 1t off for
Cuba.
"Yes," said he, "there were causes
contributing to this delay. In the first
place, the post office service at these
points of army concentration Is very
deficient. They have the same facili-
ties, and no more, as the local towns
have when normal conditions exist.
When &c, 900 to 60, 900 men are added to
the population of the small towns, and
all Of the men are sending and re-
ceiving letters from their friends and
relatives at home, besides the large
amount Of official business carried on,
the local post office facilities are en-
tirely inadequate. That has been one
of the troubles at Tampa, Chicka-
mauga and other places, and as q re-
suit the official communication to and
from the war department, on which de-
pend the regularity Of move
ment of many kinds of stores
has been seriously delayed. Then,
in gathering the munitions of
war for an army 1t was necessary to
have the service of a great number OF
trains, loaded with stores, crowding
the meager railway lines far beyond
their usual capacity. However, all
this is getting Strengthened out and
nearly all of it has been overcome.
''The troops at Tampa are In very
good health, both those who went for.
ward with Gen. Shafter and those
still remaining. The sick list is
less than one per cent, which ID
an exceptionally good record. The
spirit of the men also is of the best and
this was shown in most marked man.
ner when the transports started for
Cuba last Tuesday. They were all
anxious to go and there were Wild
scenes of enthusiasm and cheering al
the men marched aboard and the ships
got under way. Whenever O band
played the national air every head was
uncovered. The men seemed to realize
the Importance of their enterprise, as
well as the patriotic responsibility II
involved.
There have been very many splen
die acts of heroism, even in the briei
time the troops have been employed,
continued Gen. Miles. "Lieut. Rowan
now heutenant-colonel, and Lieut..
Wilcox, now captain, In making their
journey to eastern Cuba and to Porte
Rico, gave splendid illustrations of the
courage, fortitude and resources of the
American soldier.
Three expeditions, which carried
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