The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-28

tached TO General Miles staff, as chief
engineer Of the army In the held. and
such orders I received were given me by
him. In tht newspaper statements IL Is
represented that had been ordered by
General Miles TO supply myself win
everything necessary fox the disembar :
alton Of the troops in Cuba: that failed
to comply with these instructions. and
that practically had done no more than
furnish 3 number of small pontoon boats
that would bc entirely useless for tho
purpose, although | had been sent 10
various places for the purpose Of coll
lecting a proper equipment. J beg leave
TO make the following statement OF the
actual facts OF the case ard Of my re-
sponsibility and duties for the informa-
tion of the commission, To which pro-
pose TO append my affidavit as 10 their
correctness. as has been with one excep-
tion the custom with statements made
to the commission
General Ludlow then explains tina his
first order was to prepare an expedition
20 land at Mariel, on the north Cuban
coast. To operate against Havana Only
from 5000 to 7O00 men were 20 be landed
i'm a sheltered harbor. and lie provided
pier in smooth water. The transport
Alamo was equipped for two companies
OF engineers and abundantly supplied
with the necessary tools. picks, shovels,
etc.
When the plan OF campaign was sud
denly changed TO the south coast. the
Alamo had been loaded for another ex-
pedition and was out OF reach. Tho
an f..ls n
roadbed at Siboney were radically diff
ferent from those at Mariel. Concerns
ing General Miles Instructions, General
Ludlow then goes on 20 say:
~ was merely ordered In writing to
proceed tn Tampa. accompany General
Skaters expedition and render him all
the aid i'm my power. This was the only
formal order | had from General Miles
Or from anyone else"
There were orders ard sountermand-
ing of orders at Tampa and he did not
know till lust prior to the sailing OF the
Shafter expedition whether he was 10
20 with II or 90 Porto Rico. Al the last
moment he received "a formal letter from
General Miles announcing that he tI.ud-
low was charged with the full respon-
sibility Of the Shsftcr expeditions trans
portation and decentralization; that ne
was unrestricted in his orders and ex-
penditures" and would be- held TO account
for the success or failure OF he expedi-
ton i'm these respects. General Ludlow
thereupon formally disclaimed this full
measure of responsibility expressing
his opinion. however, that the prcpars-
tions were adequate.
General Ludlow Incorporates In hts
statement report OF n r. ther warm con-
troversy ne had with'Gsneral Miles at
the army headquarters In Washington
on the return from Mentlsuk. IN which
General Miles had said that General
Ludlow's "ighting At Santa 30 was good.
but his engineering was very bad,"
General Ludlow says that he refuted
this statement at the time. pointing out
that he had done oil the engineering
work that the time and circumstances
! permitted. hat the Santiago expedition
| was not an cngineeting campaign, but a
race between tho physical endurance of
the army and the Cuban malaria and
chat II the army had stoppeG TO build
railroads and bridges. u would have
been on its back before The sarrendcs In
stead of after"