The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-19
The Detail for Court
Martial Of Eagan.
MERRITT AT HEAD
1t Will Convene in Wash
ington January, 25.

Washington, Jan. 1S-The detail for
the court martial which is to try Com
missary General Charles P. Eagan, on
charges growing out of his statement
before the war investigation commits
sion, last week, in which he severely
attacked Gen. Miles, was made public
at the war department tonight.
The court is made up of 10 army off
GERS, of whom Maj Gen. Wesley Mer-
rift is at the head, and a judge ad-
vocate, and it is to meet in this city
on Wednesday, the 25th instant, or as
soon thereafter as practicable, this
qualification being necessary because a
number of 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,
a number Of whom, however, during
the war accepted volunteer rank and
still hold those commissions. Maj. Gen.
Butler is the only one who is not con-
neAted with the regular army.
Adjt. Gen. Corbin returned early in
the evening on his trip to New York,
where he went to witness the depar-
ture of the transport Grant for Manila,
and came to the war department about
half past s o'clock. He then signed
the formal order promulgating the de-
tail for the court, which is as follows:
War Department.
"Adjutant Generals Office.
Washington, Jan. IS, 1899
THE following order is published for
the information and guidance of all
concerned:
War Department.
Washington, Jan. IS, 1899
BY direction of the president, a gen.
eral court martial is appointed to meet
in this city, at 10 o'clock a. m. We'd
nesday, the 25th day of January, 1899,
or as soon thereafter as practicable, for
the trial of Brig. Gen. Charles P.
Eagan, commissary general Of sub
sistence, United States army and such
other persons as may be brought be-
fore it. Detail for the court: Maj.
Gen. Wesley Merritt, United States
army; Maj. Gen. James F. Wade,
United States volunteers; Maj Gen.
Matthew G. Butler, United States vol
unteers; Mai Gen. Samuel B. M.
Young. United States volunteers;
Brig. Gen. Royal T. Frank, United
States volunteers; Brig. Gen. Alexah-
der c. M. Pennington United States
volunteers Brig. Gen. George M. Ran
dali, United States volunteers; Brig.
Gen. Jacob Kline, United States vol
unteers; Brig. Gen. Richard Comba,
United States volunteers; Col. Peter C.
Haynes, corps of engineers; Col George
L. Gillespie, corps of engineers; Col.
Charles r. Suter, corps of engineers;
Col. Francis L. Guenther, Fourth ar
tillery; Lieut.. Col George B. Davis,
deputy judge advocate general, Judge
advocate of the court. The court is
empowered to proceed with the bust
ness before it with any number of
members not less than the minimum
prescribed by law. Upon the final ad-
Journment of the court, the members
will return to their proper stations.
"(Signed) r. A. Alger,
Secretary of War
THE journeys required by the mem
bers of the court in complying with
this order are necessary for public
service.
BY order of the secretary OF war,
"(Signed) III. c. Corbin,
"Adjutant General"
The officers of the court are now To-
Gated as follows: Gen. Merritt, at New
York; Gems. Wade and Butler, at Wash
tngton; Gen. Young, at Augusta;
Gen. Frank, at Admission, Ala; Gen.
Bennington, at Atlanta; Gen. Randall,
at Greenville, S. c.; Gen. Kline, at Ath-
Ala; Col. Haynes, at Baltimore Col.
Gillespie, at New York; Col. Suter, at
Boston; Col Guenther, at the Washing
ton barracks, and Lieut.. Col Davis at
West Point
Gen. Corbin stated that the order for
appointment of court martial would be
delivered to Gen. Eagan either tonight
or tomorrow morning. This is expected
will be done by an employee or officer
nf the a6I11flrf cnnopa1tc, off Jfe.,
ceipt and acknowledgment by the COM
missary general win be tantamount to
the relief of that officer from his pres
ent duties, and he will turn over its af-
fairs either to some one designated to
act by the secretary of war or to the
officer next in charge in the depart
ment.
Lieut.. Col. George B. Davis. of the
commissary department, is now on duty
with Gen. Eagan, and it may be that he
will be detailed to take charge of the
Office.
If the course indicated by an officer
of the adjutant generals office today is
followed. the probability is that Gen.
Eagan will not be placed under actual
arrest and deprived of any of his lib
critics pending and during the trial, but
Will be subject only to constructive and
technical arrest during that time. In
the case of officers of high rank, this
is occasionally but not often done, and
this course does not in any way in
validate the trial or findings of the
court Gen Eagan will be expected to
remain away from his office and make
himself inconspicuous until his appear
ance before the court to answer the
charges when he will be placed under
constructive arrest to remain so dur
ing its proceedings. This is believed to
be sufficiently carrying out the intent
OF the law for all practical purposes.
and may be allowed in the case of an
officer of the general rank who has
borne q good reputation. Were the de-
PENDANT younger officer of an obstre-
perous character and in the field with
his regiment the usual course of plac-
ing him under arrest and depriviug him
of his sword would no doubt be fol-
lowed.
While the above is believed to be a
general outline OF Secretary Ayers
idea of what should be done, yet no
positive statement to that effect has
been made. Adiutant General Corbin
refused tonight to make any statement
regarding the form of the charges and
specifications to be brought against
Gen. 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 likely that
the judge advocate general of the army
has already given some attention to
this feature Of the proceedings