The evening times., 1898-08-22
Miles Foes At HOME
Story Alleging Plots Against
a Soldiers Reputation.
OFFICIAL INQUIRY ASKED
q Telegram From the President to
Reach Him-AllcEed bureau of
Defamation-Wkcre sampson Fig
Mred.

AhhduciPiAa- nus. hc Va
khis city today publishes the following
dispatch from Washington:
For the good of his country as well as
for the protection of his good name and
fair fame 1t will soon be necessary for
President Mckinley to direct an investi-
cation of the War Department and the
part played by that department in the
conduct Of the war.
By constitutional requirement Congress
will convene on Monday. December g.
Resolutions of inquiry will at once be in
troduced. II Is believed that not later
1nan Thursday. December s. resolutions
of inquiry viii be adopted. as the people
want to know the truth, and their rep
resentatives will compel the revelations
which are to be anticipated with dread
by certain officials of the War Depart
ment.
During the war the daily criticisms Of
the War Department were constantly
increased because the conditions grew
more grave and serious from day to day.
The fact could not be suppressed that our
sick and wounded soldiers were brought
home with worse surroundings and with
less dttentiOH IMAM WOulu nave DeeN CIV
en- TO good horses and cattle.
Since the close of the war the rumors.
charges. counter-charges. insinuations
and inuendoes have increased. and the
gossip of the corridors of the War De-
pOrtment grows apace. All of this gossip
has foundation. Sooner OF later it must
crystalline into disclosure and statement
of facts.
Upon the surface of affairs enough il
apparent to variant destructive criticism.
At the beginning Of the war Major Gen.
Miles began issuing orders for the dispo-
sal of troops. but his orders We're coun-
demanded. He requested Getails Of GER
tain officers and his requests were de-
MED. Very soon the senior major gen.
eral of the army found that instead of
being the leader of the armies of the Re-
public he was subjected to campaign
of defamation and assassination. and
that he must defend himself from as
sauits Of ambushed Apaches. instead of
leading our armies against the enemy.
There was marifestly a f.nreau of def
amatOn in the War Department. but II
had no definite official status. Newspa-
per men were given items of news by
certain officials. who added to their news
items sneers at the general commanding
our armies. They were told that Gen.
Miles was going TO war in bath tub;
that he was proud and se'f-conceited; A.;
that his vanity was disgusting; that he
was domlneering. dictatOrial. disagree
able and unpopular with the President:
that he would rather have his picture
taken and placed on exhibition than
serve his country.
That in the War Department there was
begun a campaign against Gen Miles.
before beginning 4 campaign against
Spain, is a matter which Investigation
will d sclose, and the investigators will
seek the cause and fountain head of that
campaign of assassination. Ii was a
campaign of treason to our country. AT
that time .he War Department should
have been bending its energies toward
the destruction of the Spanish arms in
stead of toward the senior major general
of the United States army.
1t should be said here. in passing, that
investigation may disclose that two OF
the leaders in this outrageous conspiracy
were men who had been court-martialed
during the civil war for cowardice in the
presence of the enemy. One of them had
sneaked away from an army post in Tex
in order to escape court-martial for
conduct unbecoming an officer and gen.
teman, and had later tried to swindle
the late Gen. Swain out of the sum OF
5000. These facts will be laid before the
Senate in executive session next winter.
Well. conditions became so bad that the
President ordered Gen. Miles to Tampa.
There he found the troops under COM
mand of Shafter badly encamped, in mis-
erable locations. He found the stores of
the quartermaster generals and commits
sary generals departments in a condition
of shameful and inexcusable disorder.
He also found the hospital corps in no
condition to attend to the sick and
wounded in campaign
Gen. Miles brought order out of this
dreadful condition. He reported to the
President, informed him that he was
placing the troops on board the trans
ports in an orderly manner, and request
ed permission to accompany the army.
He did not believe that it would be safe
to intrust the army to men who had
manifested such incompetency at Tampa.
Now. mark this, President Mckinley
telegraphed- Gen. Miles permission 10
command that army on the Santiago
campaign The telegram of the Presi-
dent of the United States was either lost
or suppressed, for it never reached Gen
Miles On the contrary. Gen. Miles re-
ceived an order directing him to return
to Washington for consultation. The
writer has been informed by a reliable
authority that after his return to Wash
ington Gen Miles secured copy of that
telegram at the White House and that
he now has 1t in his possession. II inves-
tigation shall demonstrate the truth OF
this bit of information no punishment
could be too severe for the party or par
ties who suppressed or lost that tele-
gram.
Gen. Skaters command was success
fully landed under the guns OF the neet.
The campaign against Santiago was car
ried on by the division and brigade COM
manders, the colonies and captains. Gen.
Skaters weight, 900 pounds of bone and
flesh. kept him sick in his cot. The SOL
djers fought their way to Santiago. and
on the third day of July, Shafter sent
telegram to the War Department. indi-
eating that he was beaten, and must re-
treat to await re-enforcements. In this
emergency Gen. Miles was again called
to the White House. There he showed
the President the official maps, which In
dicated that Skaters right wing was
likely to be destroyed, and his army roll
ed back in confusion. Then and there
President Mckinley directed him to issue
the orders necessary to save Shafter
army, with the understanding that he
should remain in command of the army
until the close of the war"
Gen. Miles went to the War Depart
ment and sent peremptory orders to Shat
ter which resulted in the dispositions of
troops which made tho army safe from
assault. He issued orders, showing to
Shafter that the enemy must be badly
crippled. He issued orders which result
ed in Skaters demand of the surrender
of Santiago, with the threat of its bonn
bardment.
On the following Thursday Gen. Miles
started for Santiago. He had been as
sured by the President that he should be
in command of the army, without inter-
ference from any ,OIrce When he reach
ed Santiago Cen. Shafter confronted him
laa adi di.,ta rrax,-