The evening times., 1899-07-19
SOLDIERS cRrr1c1sE OTIS.
Volunteers Comment UnfayOrabIy
Upon Their Commanding General.


Volunteers Comment UnfayOrabIy
Upon Their Commanding General.
San Francisco. July 19.-Interviews with
| soldiers OF the Oregon Regiment. which
| recently returned from the Philippines, af-
ter many months of active service in the
| field show an almost unanimous sentiment
| in the rank and file that General Otis has
! bungled the campaign and is incompetent
| to command. The opinion of the men is
expressed in the following statements
| Corporal William Hurder, Company H: 81
perhaps voice the sentiments OF the entire vol
unteer force in the Philippines directly under
| the charge Of General Otis. Although my rank
| is corporal of Company II, of the Oregon Reg
| ment, most of my time was occupied in the ca
pacity OF stenographer to General Otis. My
| opinion OF the man as hard worker in the
clerical line comedies with the other men Of my
| regiment General Otis is not fit and never was
mt to command and direct the work of the army
| in the war against Aguinaldo and the Filipinos.
/ 1t seems TO me he is trying to prolong the
war in every way possible. We have had many
| opportunities to make headway against the na
| tivess but nothing done, owing TO the re-
! fIsal of General Otis to allow his TO i'm
| prove their opportunities. Repeatedly we have
cornered the Fipnos iii such way that in my
| opinion IT would have been an utter impossi-
bllty for them 10 escape These advantages
| have always been neglected, account of coun
/ ter orders by our superior. Otis, as all the
/ boys call him, merits the name fifty applied to
hm-'The Old Woman He seems to be earn
est, but his seeming is not acting, and in CON
sequence the United States Government should
place a more capable in his position. II
| the right man could be secured-such men as
| l.awton or Miles, for instance-the war IN the
Philippines would be extremely short II has
| been rumored among the boys at Manila that
the war Is being prolonged, with their lives
and health at stake, simply TO keep the officers
in good positions. Whether this is true false
/ am not in position to voice the sentiments
of Others, but far as j am concerned, ! firmly
believe that this is the reason why Filipnos are
allowed 10 continue the war. ] am in favor OF
any man but Otis"
| Private Plumb Company F. 81 don't know
whether / at liberty TO express myself on
subject of this kind not but whether i am
| or not i intend TO take the chances. l am sure
no officer will punish me by giving me discharge
papers of a dshonorabe character for declaring
what is true, and don't think he could, il he
| wanted to. Ny impression of Otis is that he is
| pre- eminently unfit TO command the forces in
| the islands. He has manifested his incompetent
| cy since the first engagement he ever directed
| To show how things done in with
! the Filipinos, we have taken towns as often as
three times in the course of few days. In
stead of destroying town crippling the pos
| sibiiity OF its being peoped again and gar
risoned by mob of Filipinos, we simply drove
/ them to the outskirts of the place, leaving
| their homes and possessions and Notifications
| in good state of preservation, they could
| take advantage Of them when they returned to
J give us as Inucn trouble as possible i thlnk
man of ability, who is able to cope with the
situation in the islands, should be sent there to
succeed General Otis, who is nothing but an
old woman. instead of a military general"
| John Grieve, Company G: II have been in
more than one battle against the Fiiipinos under
the command Of General Otis, and il is my
| firm belief that he knows nothing of the stu
| pendous undertaking that has been entrusted to
him. He makes better clerk than general
and in consideration of his past duties to the
Government think the best thing that could
possibly be done would be 10 return him 10 his
| clerical work.
Private Baufeld, Company F: although /
wouldn't like my sentiments on subject of
! this kind to interfere with my discharge, still
| i will take the chance OF stating that, in my
! opinion, the Government has not selected the
| right man to do the work against the Filipinos"
Corporal Smith, Company f.: Il am still in
the army, and cannot express my opinion OF
! General Otis without taking chances of court
martial. When mustered out the boys
| will have lot 10 tell which will interest the
American public. The boys in Manila would
like to General Miles in command
| Private ]. y. Lindsay, Company C: ''The SOL
diers in Manila refer to Otis as Grandma, and
| j think they about correct
Private r. B. McMurray, Company @: ''Miles,
Lawton, Wheaton. or Funston would he an i'm
provement Otis He is too Slow
| Private T. Mckinsey, Company B: "Otis lacks
push. Whenever we had the natives on the
| halt was ordered, and they were allowed 10
get away
Private E. V. Parsley, Company B: every
soldier in the Philippines would prefer another
| general to Otis Miles is the man they want
down there
Private r. H. Misenenheimer Company G:
! otis is an old grandmother. In half a dozen
| instances had the enemy coTnered. and were
ordered TO cease firing. The natives were per-
mitted to march away through little
| which seemed TO have been opened for them.
Our colonel was held back by orders from above.
As the campaign is now conducted. il will take
100000 men ten years TO subdue the FilipinOs.
A. tl,n - Na, D,tou ~
ton TO restore the town TO the enemy after we
| had taken ii. Otis said peace negotiations were
pending. and in few days, when nothing re-
| suited, we had 10 retake the town"
| Private Frank Casio. Company ID: ''0tis is an
| incompetent old woman, and unless
| ergetic general is placed in command the Fill
pinos will never be pscified."
| Sergeant 7. J.. Gamble, Company f.: ''0tis Is
not fighter. The general opinion in the army
at Manila is that Miles should be placed in
| command"
Private A. F. Doughty. Company f: 'sIf an
other commander had been in charge the ISL
and campaign would have been over by this
time. Otis viii not accomplish anything in ten
| years"
Private c. f. Doughty. Company II: Eve
want general in Manila. Otis won't do. He
| is too slow
Private r. Babb, Company C: General King
was taken away and Lawton was held back when
the enemy coralled, and we could have dis
armed half their army. better general than
Otis is needed 70 direct the war;
Private B. F. Fromader Company X: 'If
| General Wheeler is only given command in Ma
| Mia the boys will take heart. There is no en-
ergy in the present policy. When soldiers
took town were ordered out, and had TO
fight our way back to Manila
Private L. r. Crary, Company H: "There is
too much sympathy for the Filipinos at head
quarters 1t looks to me if Otis did not
want to end the war;
Corporal Jack Warren, Company L. special
scout during the entire campaign: Il rode ahead
| OF the army all the ground covered by our
brigade, and my judgment is that the Filipinos
were not followed up fast enough Washington
or Otis held the men back. At Baliuag we
could have captured the enemy's supply train
and also have captured thousands of natives
but halt was ordered. We stood still. and
without firing a shot, the enemy get away
with their supplies"
Private r. S. fremont, Company II: "orders
| 10 hold back were more numerous than com.
mands 10 advance. My humble opinion is that
| General Miles ought 70 he sent to Manila He's