The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-17
EAGAM CUTS OUT THE ABUSE.
VITUPERATIVE LANGUAGE RE-
MOVED FROM TESTIMONY.

Document Then Returned to the
War Investigating Commission for
It's COnsideration-Gonde to Des-
DeratiOn, He Says His Former
Statement Was the Only Recourse
He Had-Was Under Terrible
Charge.
Washington, Jan. 16.-The following Is
the text of the letter sent by Gen. Eagan
to the war commission to-day with an
amended statement. in reply to the
charges made by Gen. Miles concerning
the beef furnished the army:
Office of Commissary General of subsist-
ence. Washington, Jan. ID, 1899
To the Commission Appointed by the
President TO Investigate the Conduct of
the War Department in the War with
Spain
Gentlemen-I have the honor 10 hand
you herewith my testimony, which is now
re-submitted and revised in accordance
with the views expressed by you in your
letter to me of Jan. 13, 1899 The objec-
uonal features aud what Is considered Ir-
relevant matter by you. in which opinion
| entirely agree, are eliminated.
IN this connection l desire to state
that there was never a thought or inten-
tion on my part of any disrespect whatso-
ever to your commission, but In explana-
ton and in extenuation of the language
used by me heretofore, beg to invite the
attention OF the commission to the fact
that | have been accused practically OF
feeding the soldiers with poisoned beef
which made them slck-"embalmed
beer" so-called, that / have furnished
meat to the army under the "pretense
of experiment" which charge in effect IS
corruption ana worse, because It teopar-
dlzes the lives Of soldiers sent to the
'front.' IN tropical climates and who were
dependent on such food as was sent them:
that these statements have gone 10 the
Whole country uncontradicted; that they
nave been published and / have been
pilloried in the press of the country as a
man who had fed the army on poisoned
meat and corruptly So that for about
three weeks time l have kept silent for
the reason that / was debarred, after
talking with the honorable Secretary of
War, from preparing charges because of
the immunity granted by the President to
witnesses before your commission not
withstanding the gravity of the accussa-
such monstrous charges could have any
other effect than to work upon an honor
able man in such a way as to goad him
90 species of desperation, and that It
was but natural when the proper oppor-
tunity was given him to meet and refute
the charges, that he should characterize
them in harsh language and In terms that
are deemed improper no matter what the
provocation. /, therefore. withdraw the
language and matter so Objectionable, and
resubmit to you now my sworn statement
with the abiding faith that your commis-
sion, having all the facts before you, will
decide the points at issue Justly, Very re-
spectfully, Charles p. Eagan,
Commissary General of Subsistence.
The revised statement Is about 80 per
cent. shorter than that which was ordered
withdrawn because of its violent and abu-
sive character. The commission, after its
receipt, went into secret session to read
the document, and decide whether In Its
present form II had been corrected suffi-
GENTLY to permit II to be made a part OF
the commissions records.
EaGan May BE Reprimanded.
In answer to a direct question Secretary
Alger at the close Of the official 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 to his in
tentions in the matter. 1t was apparent
during the day that this matter was re-
ceiving attention, and in fact the commis-
sary general spent some time closeted
with the secretary. Three distinct lines of
action were talked of as within the line of
probability.
The first was a strong letter of reprim-
mand to be addressed by the President
himself TO Gen. Eagan, stating that but
for the immunity he had promised all wit
nesses before the commission, he would
have court-martialed him.
The second line was actual court
martial, while the third was "a court OF
inquiry The purpose of the latter would
be- 1t was said, 10 place upon a military
tribunal the responsibility for deciding
whether or not Gen. Eagan should be tried
by court-martial OF course, the court
of inquiry might go long way into the
matters which led up to the attack con-
tanned in Gen. Eagans statement possi-
bly, involving a determination as to the
correctness of the charges touching the
character of che army beef preferred by
Cen Miles, though this would appear to
be appointing a second tribunal to inves-
tgate the methods and results of the first
already engaged on that work