The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-24
Conduct Unbecomlng an Officer and to the
Prejudice Of Military Discipline.
The Nature Of Eagan's Plea to the
Charges Not Yet Determined
Upon-A Strong Legal Contest
Looked for In the Proceedings
Which Are to Begin at Wash
ington This Week.

CudISeS dLu SPECIFICATIONS upon WHICH
Commissary General Eagan is to be
tried this week have been given to
the press. The charges and specifica-
tons are as follows:
Charge conduct unbecoming an Of
ficer and a gentleman. Specification:
In that Brigadier General Charles p.
Eagan, Commissary General of Subsist-
ence, U. S. A., did, while testifying as
witness before the commission APP
pointed by the President to investigate
the conduct of the War Department in
the war with Spain, submit and read as
a part of his testimony certain writ
ten statement in which he did make use
Of and thereby publish, the following
disgraceful, grossly insulting and I'M
gentlemanly language with reference to
Major General Nelson A Miles, COM
handing the army. namely:
IF, and when General Miles charges
that it (mearing timed fresh beef was
furnished as a pretense Of experiment.
he lies in his throat, he lies in his
heart, he lies in every hair Of his head
and every pore of his body; he lies
wilfully. deliberately, intentionally and
maliciOusly.
I'm denouncing General Miles as a
liar when he makes this statement, I
wish to make it as emphatic and as
coarse as the statement itself I wish
to force the lie back into his throat
covered with the contents of camp
latrine''
This at Washington, D. c., January
II, 1899.
Charge 2Conduct to the prejudice
Of good order and military discipline.
Specifications: In that Brigadier GEN
General of Subsistence, U. S. A., did,
while testifying as witness before the
commission appointed by the President
to investigate the conduct of the War
Department in the war with Spain,
submit and read, as a part of his tes-
tlmony, certain written statements in
which he did make use of, and thereby
publish the following grossly abusive
and unmilitary language with reference
to the Major General commanding the
army, namely:
"If, and when General Miles charges
that it (meaning timed fresh beef was
furnished as spretense of experiment
he lies in his throat, he lies in his
heart, he lies in every hair of his head
and every pore of his body; he lies
wilfully, deliberately, Intentionally and
maliciously If his statement is true
that this was furnished under 'pretense
of an experiment. then / should be
drummed out of the army and incar-
cerated in State Prison. If this state
ment is false, as I assert it to be, then
he should be drummed out of the serv-
ice and incarcerated in prison with
other libelers.
His statement is scandalouS libel,
rejecting upon the honor of every offi-
Ger in the department who has con-
tracted for or purchased this meat, and
especially and particularly on the Com
missary General-myself. 1 wish to
make it as emphatic and as coarse as
the statement itself. I wish to force
the lie back into his throat, covered
with the contents of a camp latrine.
II wish to brand it as falsehood of
whole cloth, without particle of truth
to sustain it, and unless he can prove
his statement he should be denounced
by every honest man, barred from the
clubs. barred from the society of decent
PEOPLE. and so ostracized that the street
hootblacks would not condescend to
speak to him, for he has fouled his
own nest, he has aspersed the honor of
brother officer without particle OF
evidence or fact to sustain in any de-
gree his scar dalous, libelous malicious
lfaIsehood, viz: That this beef or any
thing whatever was furnished the army
under 'pretense of experiment.
This at Washington, D. c., January
10. 1899.
The precise nature of General Eagan's
plea to these charges and specifications
has not yet been determined upon. So
far as the charges are concerned It Is
understood that General Eagan will not
plead guilty to either of them. A
strong legal contest is looked for in
the proceedings before the court-mar-
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