New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-28
LUDLOW ANSWERS MILES.
WORK or ENGINEERS AT SANTIAGO
DEFENDED.
STATEMENT SENT TO THE WAR TNvEsTIGATiNG
COMMISSION BY THE MILITARY GOV
ERNoR OF HAVANA.

COMMISSION BY THE MILITARY GOV
ERNoR OF HAVANA.
Washington Jan. I.--There were no witnesses
before the War Investigating Commission today
but the Commission received and gave ont an affi-
davit from General Ludlow. now Military Governor
Of Havana. which the General had forwarded IN
place of personally appearing In Washington Inc
! pe-written statement principally In answer
to the statements Of General Miles before the Com
mission In reference TO the lack or preparation
made by the Engineer Corps. Of which General
Ludlow had been the chief officer in the hed
General Ludlow In his statement disclaimed all
Intention OF dsrespect toward General Miles be1ore
categorically contradcting the Iatters testimony
as reported In the papers.
General Ludlow explained that the press OF Work
In Havana had prevented his earlier attention 70
the matter. and then continued:
Having only newspaper clippings which were , sem
lion as 10 what General Miles really stated 10 the
Commission. and my time In Having mas pesn 20
,hEs statement Until now II these clippings lnd
cate correctly the nature Of General Nile , STATE
made 10 attach 10 me for any shortcomings that
with the en,barkaton and decentralization OF the
Santiago expedition. / beg leave. dscalmlns AZ
intention of disrespec to express surprise al the
had the honor at the time to be attached to
General Mess staff as chief engineer OF the Army
In the field. and such orders as received were
given by him. In the newspaper st9temen II
Miles to supply myself Win everything necessary .
for the Decentralization or the troops In cIes; tnat
that practically / had done no moro than furnish
useless 9t for Re Paoe although had
been sent to various places for the purpose OF col
the following statement OF he actual facts of the
case. and Of my responsibility and dutiss; for the
Information OF the Commission TO whlcn propose
to append my affidavit as To- their correctness a.
statements made to the Commission.
General Ludlow then explained that his first
orders were to prepare expedition to land at
Mariel, on the north Cuban coast, to oper-
ate against Havana. Only from six thou
sand to seven thousand men were 10 be
landed in a sheltered harbor. and he provided the
pontoon boats for landing-pier in smooth
water The transport Alamo equipped for
two companies Of engineers. and ahundantly sup
piled with the necessary tools, picks. shovels, etc.
When the plan of campaign was suddenly changed
TO the south coast the Alamo had been loaded for
another expedition and out OF reach. and the
problems to be faced I'm the unsheltered roadbed
al Sboney radically different from those al
MarieL Concerning General Miles's instructions
General Ludlow then goes on to say;
7 was merely ordered in writing To proceed 70
Tampa. accompany General Skaters expedition
was the only formal order / had from General
Miles or from any one else.
General Ludlow explains that on arriving At
Tampa he found General shafter had turned over
the whole matter or transportation ana ulsem-
barkation 10 Colonel Humphreys, Of the Quarter
masters Department. and General Ludlow there
upon confined himself to studying the problems OF
defence and roads around Santiago. He did. how
ever buy two large deck scows AT Tampa one Of
which was lost route and the other dd m
valuable service at Slboney. He also tried 10 get
steam launches TO aid in the landing. but II was
impossible. and he figured that with the assist
ance Of the Nays boats all the force could be
landed in day
There were orders and countermanding OF orders
at Tampa General Ludlow explains, and he ala
not know till "just prior to the sailing of the
Shafter expedition whether he was 10 go win II
or to Porto Rico At the last moment he received
a formal letter from General Miles announcing
that he ludlow was charged with the fun re-
sponshilitv Of the Shafter expeditions ransporta-
on and decentralization. that ne waS unIt ,
siriced IN his orders and expenditures ana
would held account for the success or iaIluIe
of tho expedition in these respects. General bud-
low thereilpon formally diselaimed this full meas
of responsibility expressing ms opinion nov"
ever. that the preparations were adequate
General Ludlow Incorporates I'm his statement, ,
report. of a rather warm controversy he had with
ington after the return from Moniauk. in which
General Miles had said that General Ludlow
lighting at Santiago was good bur his engineer
General Ludlow said that he had refuted this
statement at the time. pointing out that he had
done ali the engineering work that the Tune ana
rediton was not an engineering campaign, but
race between the physical endurance or the Army
and the cuban malaria, and that II me Army
had stopped build railroads and bridges. II
would have been On It's back before the surrender
instead of after -,
In conclusion General Ludlow requested that
publicity as was given TO the statement of Cen
eral Miles.