The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-18
THE REVISED STATEMENT.
Eagan Eliminates Harsh Words, but
Manages to Score Miles.

amended statement filed by COmmissary
General Eagan yesterday. The commission
ers formally announced that General Eagan
had eliminated all Objectionable statements,
and therefore the document would be ac-.
cepted officially by the commission as evil
dence AS already stated the changes made
by General Eagan in the document are
mainly in the line of excelsior, yet the
phraseology has been also altered frequent
~. He refers to General Miles as 1.-The Sc
Nor major general, Nelson A. Miles, and,
while keeping strictly within the line of pro-
priety, in the judgment of the commission,
in a negative manner, at least, he resents
any assumption of General Miless superior
ity, and asserts that he is as good, as old
and as experienced a soldier as General
Miles. He also criticises the latters at
tack on the beef industry as infamous. 1t
is believed that so far as the commission is
concerned the incident is now closed
Gen. Eagan begins his new statement by
stating that he holds in his hands the Of
fetal copy of the statements made to your
commission by the senior major general of
the United States army, Nelson A. Miles"
He details the amazement and surprise he
experienced when informed that General
Miles had selected Major Black, "a volun-
teer officer, totally devoid of experience in
the subsistence department" as his staff
commissary, instead of Major Osgood, who
was first chosen for that post by General
Miles. He refers to "a very ordinary, COM
mon-place telegram" sent by General Miles
20 his adjutant general here, in Washington,
about June z, inquiring what subsistence
stores were at Tampa. General Eagan says
he made formal written reply to this, but
was amazed next morning to see in the
newspapers that General Miles had found
il necessary to send a serious reprimand to
Washington. Il have to state' says Gen.
Eagan, that no such reprimand was ever
received by me from General Miles, nor any
other general and that General Miles has no
authority in his commission or in his posi-
ton under the law or regulations to send
reprimands to me. Notwithstanding that
this imaginary reprimand was published in
the press" he continues General Miles
from that day to this has never in any shape
or form, although 1 have met him, taken
occasion to express any regret for the state
ments made in the papers about the repri-
mand nor alluded to it at ALL
NOT EMBALMED BEEF
General Eagan says he fitted out the ex-
petition to Porto Rico with ample subsist-
ence supplies and sent Sin one of the re-
frigerator ships, the Massachusetts,, 2Os 600
pounds of refrigerated beef-not embalmed
beef, nor treated by any chemical process
whatsoever but first-class refrigerated beef,
as good the country produces and in
every way sound, sweet and proper food"
After a discussion of General Miles's
statement as to shortness of funds in Porto
Rico, General Eagan again takes up the
beef question, and declares that it was good
beef and 'any officer, no matter what his
rank" failing to use proper supplies, does
so at his peril, land if he purchases and
substitutes for the good article an inferior
and unwholesome one, one that the whole
medical fraternity of the United States will
unite in saying is not wholesome, gives men
diarrhoea and dysentery, then he does so at
still greater peril BY General Mes's own
statement. he directed the purchase of ma
tive beef ashore, while this good refrig-
Grated beef, not embalmed, but pure, was
refused. 1t was not embalmed beef nor was
it treated with any chemicals whatsoever
for its preservation
Discussing General Miles's statement that
he wanted complete rations sent instead of
in bulk, General Eagan says he never saw
any such request and if he had he would
have regarded it 'as extraordinary, for there
is no such thing as sending complete rations
in large quantities otherwise than in bulk
If General Miles can explain to your COM
mission what the difference is he will do
more than 1 think he or any other man can
do, and l especially ask the commission to
note this as one of the things bearing on
the entire subject
Taking up General AIiles's testimony that
the food was one of the serious causes of
sickness among the soldiers, General Eagan
denies this and points out that General Miles
gives 1t as his judgment. Because he mere
ly expressed his judgment that way 1 can
not take further issue with that statement
than to dispute it."
General Eagan declares that Gen. Shafter
cabled his appreciation of the character of
refrigerated beef-not embalmed beef-that
arrived at Santiago one day after the port
was opened General Shafter," he says
has repeatedly in person expressed to me
his profound gratitude and appreciation of
the fine beef which he calls the finest he
ever ate this same refrigerated beef-not
embalmed beef-that is spoken of by General
Miles in his statement made to your com
mission.
You have before you reports of various
officers describing the character of the
superior and fine cattle that Porto Rico
low prices mentioned by General Miles
bulls, stays, runts deformed cattle, which
means old work oxen-a class and character
of beef that the subsistence department
never purchased in this country nor any
where else If it could do nc better, certainly
not II It could get good refrigerated beef
The statement of the character of the cattle
in Cuba or in the Island of Porto Rico needs
no further illustration by me-"
THE REFRIGERATED BEEF.
Upon the question of the refrigerated beef
General Eagan says: General Miles testi-
fed that S27 tons of this refrigerated beef
might be called 'embalmed beef This
statement means in effect charge of dis
honesty and corruption on the part of the
men who furnished it. That is what have
10 say in regard TO calling it embalmed
beef"
General Eagan says General Miles gives
Continued ON Third Pagc.)