Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-08


Political pull whatever, ho miSh hsxe
been major general; be certainly
would have been made brigadIer gem
eral. Because he had no political lack
ing, but depended solely upon his mag
nificent record, he was entirely ignored
by the President, and was Obliged to
serve under the command of men who
had political influence, and who could
help Mckinley to the denomination
which he SO avariciously covets.
~
Although | am a regular army officer
have great respect for the gallant vol
unteers. Every true soldier appreci-
ates courage, valor and heroism. Ev-
cry efficient army officer appreciates the
promotion of Fred Funston to be brig
adler general, but the President could
not have avoided giving him that pro-
motion after the generals in the field
recommended it in recognition of his
gallantry. But the President has al
ready robbed himself of all credit for
the advancement of Funston. He has
ordered Fred Grant to Manila, and
when Grant arrives there he Will be
superior to Funston. who has earned
his star by patriotic services in battle.
Fred Grant was made brigadier gen
eral a year ago because of his political
pull, and therefore he outranks General
Funston. Grant never commanded any
troops in action: not even company.
You can imagine how Fred Funston
will feel when he is obliged to receive
orders from a politician who has no
military merit.
1.-The colonel of the Eleventh infantry
now knows how poor Egbert felt, for
his humiliation is even greater than
Egbert's was. Lieutenant Colonel Geo..
w. Davis, of the Eleventh infantry, is a
brigadier general of volunteers, and is
going to Porto Rico as military COVER
nor of the island, and in that capacity
he will have command over the colonel
of his own regiment General Davis
gets this reward for his services as
Judge Advocate of the Military Court
of Inquiry, which has found, in spite Of
all evidence. that the rich contractors
were patriots, that the soldiers who
were poisoned by embalmed beef were
unpatriotic, and that Major General
Miles is monster because he dared to
defend the common soldiers from the
while sympathizing with poor Egg
bert for the injustice to which he was
subjected, we must not overlook the
fact that gross, grave and damnable
injustice has been done to Major Gen.
eral Miles ever since the war with
Spain began. President Mckinley
would not permit him to command the
army and would not even seek his mil
itary advice. On the contrary, the
President made Colonel Corbin brig
adler general, sought his military ad-
vice over the head of Major General
Miles and tried to make Corbin ma
jor general, and place him in command
of the army, although Corbin had never
planned a campaign and never COM
manded even a regiment in battle. Ma
jor General Miles was ignored by the
President, insulted by the Secretary Of
War, and sneered at by Corbin when
he sought to go to war in command of
our army of invasion. He was publicly
accused of trying to rob Shafter of mil
itary renown, when Shafter had no re-
nown at that time, and at present has
only, notoriety. General Miles suffered
more keenly than Egbert suffered be-
cause of the injustice of the admins
tration But he has one bright spot
in his memory of the late war, and
that is that on Sunday, July 8, 1898,
when the conspirators found that Shat
ter was defeated, the President was
compelled to turn in terror to General
Miles and beg him to save the army
which had been sent to disaster at San
tiago under the command of man who
had never even commanded a brigade
in action, and who had never planned a
campaign in his life. General Miles
saved the army, and captured Santiago.
You have probably heard that General
Miles was further Inundated by hav-
ing secret telegram reasonably sent
to Shafter that the commanding general
should not command him, but | pre-
sumo that you have not heard that
while Miles was speeding to Charleston
for the patriotic purpose of saving our
army, another secret telegram was
REASONABLY sent to the commander of
the Yale, directing him to sail at once
for Cuba. Fortunately this telegram
fell into the hands of an officer who was
not allied to the conspirators, and he
held the Yale four hours until the gen.
eral arrived. 1t was the purpose of
the conspirators to delay General Miles
at Charleston, no matter what disaster
might come to the army nor how many
human lives might be sacrificed as a
result of that act of treason"
That is very severe talk but the mar
rator is informed as to the identity of
the officer who makes the statements,
and who. of course, would be court
martialed il his name were revealed.
Q1It If IL ion od thnpo &c or
a man or boy among you who would
NIT IOff HE, bot