The times., 1898-11-11


Spain.
Gen. Miles introduces his report with
the statement that ''the military opera
tions during the year have been extraor- |
dinary. unusual, and extensive" After |
referring to the transporting OF supplies
to the suffering KIondikers by military
expeditions at the beginning of the fiscal
year, the report says:
Beginning of the War.
''At the close OF the great Civil War
the Government had a million veterans in
arms well equipped for war for that
time. The great amount Of war material
then in the possession of the Government
was sold or gradually used UP by issue
either To the militia of the States or to
the regular forces that have been cngag-
ed in military operations on the frontier
for the last thirty years The supplies
and material that were not sold. but stOr-
ed, were gradually reduced to the mini
mum, and the war with Spain found this
country with a very small army-25.O00
men-with war material sufficient only to
equip that force and furnish IL with
small amount OF ammunition; but the
tentage transportation, and camp equip
age was insufficient for any important
military operations; in fact, quite an
amount of valuable transportation, in
cluding ambulances. had been disposed OF
within the last few years
Reference is made TO the demand upon
Spain by this country for the relirquin-
ishment of its authority and government
i'll the Island of Cuba. and the aDprop-i1
ton OF the $50 10000 national defense
fund by Congress. Also to the passage OF
the bills increasing the regular army TO
6g5g1 men. and the enlistment OF DO0
| immunes On April 9. Gen. Miles recon-
mended the equipment of 5000 volunteers.
and on April 10 an additional auxiliary
: force of 40 Og0 men for the protection OF
| the coasts and as reserve. This would
have given the United states an effective
4 force of ls2, ,5s1, which, with the % o0'
natives, Gen. Miles considered sufficient
/ He deemed it of the first importance 10
well equip such force rather tEan 10
partly equip a much larger NUMBER.
In his letter to Secretary Alger. dated
ApriI 9. Gen. Miles called attention to tbs
fart that under the Constitution there
| were approximately twelve millions Of
men between the ages of eighteen and
| fortv-fiye. who are liable to military ser
vice. In a later communication 10 the
! Secretary of War he suggested Chicka-
mauga Park for the mobilization OF the
! troops.
~ addressed a letter to the Secretary Of
War. under date OF April IS. 1898, for
warding a communication from Surgeon
| General Sternberg regarding the danger
of putting an army in CUBA during the
| sickly season, and at the same time urs-
ed the plan of harassing the Spanish
| forces and doing the enemy the largest
| amount of injury during the time neces-
| sary for our navy TO demonstrate its su-
! periority-the rainy or slckly season and
the time actually required to equip and
instruct the volunteer forces with the
least possible loss TO ourselves. In that
| letter / also asserted the belief | have
entertained from the first. that we could
secure the surrender of the Spanish army
in the Island of Cuba without any great
sacrifice of life
To emphasize the latter sentence, Gen
Miles placed it in italics.
The letter TO Secretary Alger states in
| part:
..In nv opinion it is extremely hazard
Gus, and l think it would be injudicious
| to put an army on that island at this sea-
son of the year, as it would undoubted-
ly be decimated by the deadly disease.
TO say nothing of having to cope with
some 5000 troops, the remnant of ga
900 that have become acclimated. and that
are equipped with lS3 guns. and still an
other element of extreme danger would
be to place an army there with the possI-
bility of our own navy not being able TO
keep the waters between our own terrific
ry and that island clear of hostile ships
or fleets'
Praise Worthily Bestowed
Gen. Miles gives deserved praise when
he says: "A short time before the com.
mencement of the war. there left Wash
ington from the Bureau of Military In
formation, two officers, Lieut. A s. Row.
an and Lieut.. II. H. Whitney. to attempt
the most difficult and dangerous enter
prise of ascertaining existing condition:
in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico
respectively. Their efforts were emf
nently successful. Both of these officer.
penetrated the enemy's country and OBJ
tanned most accurate and valuable in
formation regarding the position of tn
|. military and naval forces, the defenses
and the Typographical and climatic fea
lures of the country, all of which was o
; great value in subsequent military opera
tions
THE first expedition with arms an
, supplies for the Cubans was started fror
Key West under the direction of Col. F
H. Hall. Fourth Infantry (now briga
dier general, United States Volunteers,
1t landed on the coast, under charge G
Capt ]. ]. O'Connell. First United State
Infantry, Lieut.. W. NJ Crofton, First In
fantry, being the first officer to land o
| Cuban soil after the commencement G
hostilities.'
e Gen Miles tells of his telegraphic re
quest of June 5. to the Secretary of Wal
that he be allowed to go with the mi
I tary expedition (Shafter's) to Cuba, an
:, | the reply from the War Department in
timating that he would be expected
I organize and command the expedition I
3 Porto Rico. He refers to the lack {
s suitable transports and the delays an
confusion at Tampa when the Cuban e>
g pedition sailed on June Il
o After having been called to Washing
Y ton on important business by Secretar
e Alger on June Is, Gen. Miles prepared an
: ON June "a. submitted plan of campaig
: which was handed to Secretary Alser.
n Gen. Gnrcia's Cooperation.
: Gen Miles gives a copy of his reaue:
g IN the Cuban general, Garcia, that he a:
:, semble large portion of his men in tt
!, vicinity of the harbor of Santiago c
Y Cuba, to drive in and harass any SPANS
+ troops near that place and to prevei
re-enforcements going to the garrison
Santiago.
Skaters Sarcastic Shafts.
The following dispatch was also recei'
q ed from Gen. Shafter:
n Headquarters Fifth Army Corps.
IS Camp near San Juan River.
e "Via Haiti, Playa del Este. July 4. 1879.
q "Adjutant General, Washington:
s.If Samnson will force an entran,