The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-19
MERRITT IS At THE HEAD
OF the Court-Martial That Will
Try Eagan.
THIRTEEN ARMY OFFICERS
The Court Will Meet On the 25th or
Soon After : Secretary Alger
Has Issued the Neces-
sary Order.

Washington, Jan. 1S-The detail for
the court martial, which is to try Com
mlssary General Eagan gal on charges
growing out of his statements before
the war investigation commission last
week, in which he attacked General
Miles, was made public at the war de-
partment tonight. The court martial
is made up of 10 army officers, of whom
Major General Wesley Merritt is at the
mead, and a judge advocate, and it is
to meet in this city on the 25th inst,
or as soon thereafter as practical this
qualification being necessary, because
number of the members are at distant
points and will require some DAYS to
adjust their affairs and reach this city.
All the officers composing the court,
save one. are from the regular army,
number of whom however. during
the war accepted volunteer rank and
still hold those commissions. Major
General Butler is the only one who In
not connected with the regular army.
Ad1utant General Corbin returned ear
ly in the evening from his trip to New
York. where he went to witness the
departure of the transport Grant for
Manila, and came to the war depart
ment about half past 8 o'clock, He
then signed the formal order promul-
eating the detail for the court which
is as follows
war department., adjutant generals
ONCE, Washington, d. C., Jan. IS, 1899.
The following order is published for the
information and guidance of all CON
cerned:
War department., WASHINGTON, d. G..
jan is, 1899. By direction of the pres
ident, a general court martial is APP
pointed to meet in this city at 10 a. m.
Wednesday, the 25th day of January,
lS99 or as soon thereafter as practical
BILE, for the trial of Brigadier General
Charles P. Eagan, commissary general
of subsistence, u. S. A., and such 9th
er persons as may be brought before 1t.
Detail for the court: Major General
Wesley Merritt, U. S. A.; Major Cen
eral James f. Wade, u S. ": Major
General Matthew Butler, U. S. "; Ma
jor General Samuel B. NJ. Young, u. S.
v; Brigadiar General Royal T. Frank.
U. S. "; Brgadier General Alexander
Now. Pennington. U. s. A.; Brigader
General George M. Randall u S. v;
Brigadier General Jacob Kline, U. s.
VI: Brigadier General Richard Combs,
u. S. v; Colonel Peter Hafnes, corps
of engineers; Colonel George l.. Giles
pie, corps of engineers; Colonel Charles
R.Suter, corps of engineers; Colonel
Francis T. Guenther, 4th artillery;
Lieutenant Colonel D. B. Davis dep,-
ty judge advocate general, judge advo-
cate of the court. The court is en-
powered to proceed with the business
before it and with any number of men,
bers not less than the minimum pre-
scribed by law. Upon the final adj
journment of the court, the members
will return to their proper stations.
r. A. ALGER, Secretary of War.
The journeys required of the mem
bers of the court in complying with
this order are necessary to public serv-
ice. By order of the secretary of war
H. c. CORBIN, Adjutant General
The adjutant general tonight refused
to make any statement regarding the
form of charges and specifications to
be brought against General Eagan or to
say when they would be published.
In view of the early meeting of the
court, this must be done very soon and,
indeed, it is altogether likely that the
judge advocate general of the army has
already given attention to this feature
of the proceedings. General Eagan,
after the issuance of the formal order
for the court martial tonight, declin-
ed to make any statement as to his
case, but said in response to a question
that he had not received formal notice
of the appointment of the court.