The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20
The Heated Controversy Between These
Officers Still Unsettled.
EAGAN CHANGES HIS TESTIMONY
He Files the Expurgated Copy with the Commission..The General in
Conference with Secretary Alger-Three Courses Open to the
President Commissioners to the Phiippines-Good News
From Manna-Sampson's New Squadron-.Cubans
of Santiago Rejoicing Over Promise of
Autonomous Government.
Autonomous Government.

Washington, January 16.-Following
is the text of the letter by General Ea-
gan to the war commission today with
an amended statement in reply to the
charges made by General Miles con-
corning the beef furnished the army:
Washington, January 16, 1899.
"To the Commission Appointed by he
President to Investigate the Conduct
of the War Department in the War
with Spain:
Gentlemen: I have the honor to
hand you herewith my testimony
which is now re-submitted and re-
vised, in accordance with the views
expressed by you in Jul letter TO me
of January 18th. The Objectionable fea-
lures and what is considered irrelevant
matter by you, in which opinion I en-
tirely agree, are eliminated. In his
connection / desire to state that there
was never a thought or intention on
my part Of any disrespect whatsoever
to your commission, but in explanation
and in extenuation of the language
used by me heretofore, l beg to in
vite the attention of the commission
to the fact that 1 have been accused
practically of feeding the soldiers with
poisoned beef which made them sick
"embalmed beef" so-called; that / have
furnished meat to the army under the
"pretense Of experiment." which charge
in effect is corruption n worse, be-
cauSe 1t j~eopardiZeS the lives Of SOL
dierS sent to the front in tropical eli
mates and who were dependent on such
foe as was sent them; that these
statements have gone to the whole
country uncontradicted; that they
have been published and l have been
pilloried in the press Of the country
as a man who had fed the army on
poisoned meat and c~orruptly so; that
for about three weeks time l a
kept silent, for the reason that I was
debarred, after talking with the hon
orable secretary of war from prepar-
ing charges because Of the immunity
granted by the. president to witnesses
before your commission, notwithstahd-
ing the gravity Of the accusations;
that it is unreasonable to believe that
such monstrous charges could have
any other effect than to work upon an
honorable man in such a way as to
goad him to a species of desperation
and that it vas but natural, when the
proper opportunity was given him to
meet and refute the charges, hat he
should characterize them in harsh Ian
and in terms that are deemed
improper, no matter what the provo
cation. / therefore withdraw the Ian
guage and matter so Objectionable n
re-submit to you now my sworn state
ment with the abiding faith hat your
commission, having all the facts be-
fore you, will decide the points at issue
justly. Very respectfully,
"CHARLES P, @
t.Commissary General of Subsistence"
The~revised statement is about 30
per cent. shorter than that which was
ordered withdrawn because of it's viO-
lent and abusive character. The COM
mission after it's receipt went into Sc
cret session to read the document n
decide in it's present form if it had
been expurgnated sufficiently to permit
it to be made a part of the commits
sion's records.
THE EAGAN-MILES MATTER
STILL OPEN.
In answer to a direct question Sec
rotary Alger at the close of the Off
cial day said that the war department
had taken no action in the case Of
Commissary General Eagan, but when
the inquiry was pursued he declined to
say one word as to his intentions in
the matter. 1t was apparent, during
the day that this matter was receiv-
ing attention, and in fact the commits
sary general spent some time with the
secretary. Three distinct lines of ac-
ton were talked of as within the line
of probability. The first was a strong
letter of reprimand to be addressed by
the president himself to General Eagan
stating hat but for the immunity he
had promised all witnesses before the
commission, he would AVE court-mar-
tailed him. The second line was an
actual court-martial, while the third
was a court of inquiry. The purpose
of the latter would be, it was said, to
place upon a military tribunal the re-
sponsibility for deciding whether or
not General Eagan should be tried by
a c~ourt-martial. OF course, the court
of inquiry might go a long way into
the matters which led up to the at
tack contained in General Eagan's
statement, possibly involving a deter
mination as to the correctness of the
charges touching the character of the
army beef preferred by General Miles,
though this would appear to be ap-
pointing a second tribunal to investi-
gate the methods and results of the
first already engaged on that work.
SIMPSONS SQUADRON.
The navy department has designated
the following warships to form the
squadron Of evolution which is to go
south under direct command of Adj
miral Sampson: Flagship, New York;
BROOKLYN. Indiana, Texas, Chicago.
Newark, Machias. They will be ac-
companied by the following named
Golfers and supply ships: Marcellus,
Lebanon n Supply. The ships are
ordered to be at Havana prior to Feb
ruary list next. The Brooklyn arrived
at Havana today with Assistant Sec
rotary Allen aboard.
GOOD NEWS FROM MANILA.
General Otis was heard from again
today from Manila and the contents of
his cablegrasn were so r~eassuring as to
the situation there, and at Iloilo, that
n officials here nave come to accept
without question the correctness of his
statement that the critical stage is
past, and that be has cotnrol of the
situation.
COMMISSIONERS TO THE PHILIP
! PINES.
The commission which the president
is about to appoint to proceed to the
Philippines will not be subject to the