Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-13
EAGAN ENRAGED.
Charges Gen. Miles With De-
Iiberate, Malicious Falsehood
In Saying Beef Was Sent to Cuba
Under Pretence Of Experiment.
lntimates that Miles Should Be CourtmartiaIed
and Imprisoned.

General Charles p. Egan, today, reap
peared before the war investigation
commission, to4answer the charges Of
Gen. Nelson Az Miles, concerning the
commissary supplies furnished the
army during the recent war. Gen.
Egan's statement to the commission
furnished the sensation of the war
commissions history and was regard
ed by old officers as one of the most
remarkable attacks ever made in the
history of the service. The statement
was bitter personal attack upon Gen.
Miles, so entirely unqualified both as to
scope and language that the war com
mission on hearing its conclusion, Or
dered brief executive session, after
which the doors were re-opened. the
witness was recalled and business was
resumed in the usual way.
The subject in controversy was Gen.
Miles already famous ''embalmed
beef" testimony and the letters and
documents supporting it. Gen. Miles
had charged that the canned and re-
frigerated meats sent to the army in
Cuba and Porto Rico were unfit for use.
that they were preserved by use of
chemicals and that they had been
bought and sent to the army under
pretence OF an experiment"
This reflection on both the ability and
honesty of the commissary department
had angered Gen. Egan and caused him
to require to be recalled to reply to
Miles charges. The statements con-
cerning the commanding general were
not the result of a sudden outburst OF
passion was clearly shown by the fact
that Gen. Egan read his remarks from
a carefully prepared typewriter copy.
Not the least remarkable phase of
Egan's statement was the language at
which it was couched. There was
scarcely phrase that would not have
been characterized as sensational in
ordinary official utterance.
Gen. Egan, after the hearing was
over. refused to say whether he had
any further move in prospect in forcing
an issue between himself and Gen.
Miles, Il have said all intend to say
for the present." he replied, land il
any one wants to bring the matter to
a courtmartial l am ready for that
too, as have already stated before
the commission"
AS soon as the nature of Gen.
lIdkdH > StdtSIIleHl DcCtiIIlc huON IL
tention was directed to army head
quarters to ascertain what move
would be made by Gen. Miles. The
latter through Col. Michler. his chief
aide, beyond saying he had stood for
the soldiers, declined to make any
statement, saying that now was not
the time for talk and that before TAX
ing any action it would be only proper
and necessary to wait until he mad
had an opportunity to receive through
the regular channels and to consider
the testimony furnished by Cen
Eagan. He would not talk about "a
co1lrtmartial.
Altogether the intimation conveyed:
was that Gen. Miles would act with
deliberation if he decided to take any
action at all: and that there was
faint suggestion that he might decide
to altogether ignore the statement. OF
course a decision to that effect on the
part of Gen. Miles would terminate the
incident, but should he decide to take
notice officially of the attack the next
step would be for him to prefer charS-
es with the President against the COM
unissary general. These might be bas-
ed on several technical grounds, for IN
stance, as conduct tenGing to the de-
struction of good order and discipline.
1t would be for the President to pass
upon the demand for a courtmartial
courses, i. e.: Refuse it. grant it, or.
and he might adopt one of three
instead, order a court of inquiry. In
this latter case the body would have
power to go into the question of Verac-
ity which has been raised and in TACT
the conduct of both generals would be
practically under examination.
w. e. Miles,in charge of Armour &
Cos. Kansas City plant, appeared 70
the packing house. His testimony a
to the quality of the canned meats an'
methods of packing and inspection
was practically the same as that of th
other meat men.
Gen. Charles p. Eagan, commissar.
general of subsistence, was then re
called to answer regarding the charge
of General Miles that "embalmed" an
processed beef was furnished tn
troops in the field. Gen. Eagan ha
prepared a typewriter statement GOV
ering his side of the case, and was a!
lowed to read it.
W ~ eAAN ioN
that General Miles had refused to b
sworn and commented upon the fac
that he was the only one of the 81
witnesses who had so refused. Gei
Eagan said he himself preferred to b
sworn.
Gen. Eagan began by calling after
tion to Gen. Miles appointment OF Ma
ior John d. Black, a civilian as h
chief of staff, and said that this wa
largely responsible for the trouble thu
followed. He said that Major Blac
had been furnished $4,000 before star
ing for Porto Rico and that he had al
parently not known enough to provio
himself a checkbook and had not le
his signature with the secretary of IL
treasury, nor made any other prep;
ration for awaiting himself of the funt
at his command.
There were experienced disbursir
officers in the island who had in IL
aggregate over 100000 in their posse
sion. and yet Gen. Miles had complain
ed that there We're no paymasters
the island so that the soldiers had
money with which to buy food f
themselves. Gen. Miles had then cal
ed on the department to put $50
more in the hands of Major Black al
this Gen. Eagan declined to do, putin