The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-09-08
GEN. MILES,
STATEMENT
Commander of the Forces
Reviews the Late War.
He ADMITS PREVIOUS STATEMENTS.
Reported Interviews With Him
Were Substantially Correct,
HIS WORK AT SANTIAGO DE CUBA.

He Was Formally Authorized to Accept the
Surrender of General Toral's Forces, But
This He Generously Declined to Do,
Leaving All of the Honor to His Next in
Rank, General Shafter"-His Request
That Wisconsin Soldiers Be Allowed to
Visit New York Was Snubbed.
New York, Sept. s.-The United
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
yesterday. Mrs. Miles, son and
daughter were also on board the trans
port, which sailed from Ponce on Sept.
L. The surgeon In charge reported all
well on board and no sickness or deaths
during the voyage.
General Miles admitted to a reporter
who interviewed him the substantial
accuracy of the statements attributed
to him by the Kansas City Stars cor
respondent at Ponce, Porto Rico.
There are" General Miles said, "a
few minor inaccuracies in the publish
ed reports, such as usually occur in
| such interviews, but they are unim-
| portant.
1t is true that l requested that my
troops in Porto Rico, on their return
! home, should be allowed to camp some-
where New York preferably Brook
| lyn Heights, Fort WadswOrth or Gov
ernor's Island and | also requested of
the war department that the troops be
allowed to march through New York
city. l never intended to parade my
self as l shall go to Washington in a
| few days, and would not be here at
the time of the contemplated parade.
Il asked that the Wisconsin regi-
ment aboard the Obdam be permitted
to stay in this vicinity for day or two
to give them chance to see the city.
1t would do no harm to let those west
ern boys get a glimpse of New York,
Surely they merit 1t. Many of them, I
think, have never seen the city, and
perhaps will never have another op-
portunity to see It.
ITO my first request have received
no reply. To my second request l re-
ceived a reply ordering the Wisconsin
boys home forthwith"
A long statement emanating from
General Miles was given to the re-
! porters on board of the Obdam. II is
in the form Of letter, in which Cen
eral Miles is mentioned in the third
| person, and is in substance as followsi
In the first place, let me say that
the war has closed after being con-
| Quoted largely as General Miles stated
| publicly at the beginning of the war
that 1t would be. The statement was
! publicly made, and a general order was
! issued by him, as commander Of the
American army, in which the plan that
he has striven to pursue was fore
shadowed, namely, seeking to accom-
plish results with the least possible loss
of life. In an interview I'm the latter
part OF May he said: The United
States government is too strong, too
great and too powerful TO commit any
foolish act In connection with the pro-
posed invasion of Cuba No officer
is At to command troops who. from any
motives whatever. would needlessly
risk the life OF a single soldier, either
| from disease or the bullets OF the
enemy l have never sacrificed the
lives OF men under my command. and
do not propose to subject them to any
unnecessary risks in the present cam
paign.'
The statement then gives General
! Miles order to the army, issued at an
early date, and proceeds:
THE principles thus enunciated have
been zealously observed from the first.
Owing to the fact that the season for
campaigning in Cuba had been ex-
| hausted in debates and delay in con-
gress, and in necessary preparations,
General Miles was opposed TO rushing
an i'll prepared. undisciplined and un-
equipped army in a movement against
the capital of Cuba, defended by lO0,-
900 trained Spanish troops, and in this
position he stood practically alone for
several weeks, Havana, Matanzas
Santiago and few other points were
down on his military map as hotbsds
of disease, destructive to an army ana
places to be avoided, especially During
the sickly season.
when finally called upon to submit
plan of campaign General Miles did
so, and put 1t in writing. In substance
he took the stand. first, that every eff
fort should be made to equip the Gu
bans and thereby enable them to har-
rass the Spanish forces. The cry Of
'on TO Havana should be encouraged,
but when the transports, loaded with
troops, were out of sight of land they
should sail as straight as steam power
could bear them to the gate of the An
titles and the key of the whole position,
Porto Rico; then, having seized and oo-
cupied that island, a movement to
Cuba was to follow by means of a
strong cavalry force, which was to be
organized and equipped by August or
September. He contemplated that 20
600 cavalry thrown to the center of
/ Cuba cutting the Spanish forces In two
/ and moving west TO Havana, by the
time the rainy season was over, and IL
would be possible 20 vancouver an
army, We could move against that city
a we'll organized, we'll equipped and
we'll disciplined army and complete the
capture of the Spanish forces.
"The enclosure of CerVeras fleet In
the harbor Of Santiago changed the
conditions and made II necessary tC
move a military force to that point
General Miles, while at Tampa organic.
CONTINUED ON Second Page.