The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-16
EAGAN TAKES 1T BACK.
Submits Revised Statement to the
War Investigation Commission.

Washington, Jan. 16.-Commissary
General Eagan today sent to the war
investigating commission a revised
statement in place of that originally
made in response to General Miles
charges. The revised statement is about
35 per cent shorter than that which
was ordered withdrawn because of its
violent and abusive character. The
commission after ats receipt went into
secret session to read the document and
decide whether in its present form it
had been expurged sufficiently to per-
nit it to be made part of the COM
missions records.
Following is the text of the letter sent
by General Eagan to the war investi-
eating commission with an amended
statement in reply to the charges made
by General Miles concerning the beef
furnished the army:
EAGAN'S LETTER.
"Office of Commissary of Subsistence,
Washington, Jan IA, 1898.
''To the commission appointed by the
president to investigate the conduct
of the war with Spain.
Gentlemen: have the honor to
hand you herewith my testimony which
is now resubmitted and revised in ac-
cOrdance with the views expressed by
you in your letter to me on January IA.
The Objectionable and what is consid
cred irrelevant matter by you, in which
opinion I entirely agree, are eliminated.
In connection I desire to state that
there never was a thought or intention
on my part of any disrespect whatso-
ever to your commission, but in eX-
PLANTATION of language used by me here
tofore I beg to invite the attention of
the commission to the fact that 1 have
been accused practically of feeding the
soldiers with poisoned beef which made
them SICK 'embalmed beef So-called;
that I have furnished meat to the army
under the 'pretenSe of an experiment.
which charge in effect is corruption and
worse, for it jeopardized the lives of
climates and who were dependent on
such food as was sent them; that these
statements have gone to the whole
country -uncontradicted; that they have
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 I have kept silent for the
reason that 1 was debarred, after talk
ing with the honorable secretary of war,
from preparing charges, because of the
authority granted by the president to
witnesses before your commission, not
withstanding the gravity of the accusa-
tions; that it is unreasonable to believe
that such mOnStrOuS charges could have
any other effect than to work upon an
honorable man in such g, way as to gOad
him to a species of desperation, and
that it was but natural when the
proper opportunity was given him to
meet and refute the charges that he
should characterize them in harsh Ian
guage and in terms that are deemed
improper, no matter what the provoca-
ton. I therefore withdraw the language
and matter so Objectionable and resub-
NIT to you now my sworn statement
with the abiding faith that your COM
mission, having all the facts before you,
viii decide the points at issue justly.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) CHARLES P. EAGAN,
"Commissary General of Subsistence"
The commission, after a brief secret
session, decided for the present to make
public only General Eagan's letter and
not the statement accompanying it.