The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-01-19
couRT-MARTlAL FOR EAGAN.
Tho Presidents Decision Announced-Gen en-
Miles Attitude.


Washington, ID. c., Jan. 16--It has
been decided by the president and the
secretary of war that BHgadier Cen
eral Charles =. Eagan, commssary
general of subsistence, will be court
martialled without delay for his de-
famation of Major General Miles.
Before the trial of General Eagan
occurs that officer will be relieved
from duty as commissary general and
placed under arrest.
This decision is the result Of the
careful consideration given of the mat
ter by the president and secretary of
war, who foresaw Immediately after
the submission of the statement that
there could be no other course than
to direct the court martial of the Off
Ger who so fagrantly violated the
principles of a gentleman and an Off
Ger of the United States army.
1t has developed that, rather than
prefer thu charges against Gen. Miles
which General Eagan proposed to
make in his statement before the COM
mission, the chief clerk of the com
missary and subsistence department
threatened to resign.
The chief clerk is William A. De-
caindry, member Of the Cosmos Club
of this city and well known in liter
ary and scientific circles. Mr.. Decain-
dry and the commissary general have
not been enjoying cordial relations, and
the trouble eliminated when General
Eagan desired the chief clerk to pre-
pare the charges against General
Miles.
The clerk refused to obey his chief.
and wrote out his resignation, but by
the advice of friends he has not pre-
sented it.
The determination to court martial
General Eagan was formally reached
Saturday, after the president had been
in conference with several public men
and had consulted with Secretary AL
ger, who was at the White House for
more than an hour.
1t is not intended to let the beet con-
troversy creep into the trial. So far
a sthe president is concerned, he has
no desire to permit the controversy to
continue, and he will accept the re-
port of the war commission as final.
General Eagan will be tried on char
ges arising out Of the violent language
he employed in attacking Gen. Miles
The most important charge will be
conduct unbecoming an officer and a
gentleman in violation Of the sixty
first article Of war;" the penalty for
violation of which is dismissal
He will probably be also tried for
conduct to the prejudice OF good order
and military discipline. in violation Of
the army regulations"
There is every reason to believe that
the president and secretary of war
have given serious consideration to the
character of the charges which will
be preferred against General Eagan,
and 1t is understood orders will be
given to Judge Advocate General Lie
ber early this week to prepare the
necessary specifications to support the
charges.
Secretary Alger, after returning
from the White House, sent for Gem
eral Eagan, and it is said informed
that officer Of the condemnation by the
administration of his action in uttering
such vituperative language.
General Eagan has been engaged in
carefully revising the statement he
read befort the commission and elm
mating the remarks to which the COM
mission took exception. The revised
paper will be transmitted to-day and
will contain an apology to the COM
mission for the language he employed,
but General Eagan will explain that he
was led to 1t by the seriousness of the
charges preferred against him by Gen
eral Miles and the officers Of his Porto
Rican command.
There is no reason to believe that
General Eagan will apologize to Gen
eral Miles, and II he should do so the
commanding general will not accept
the apology.
General Miles makes no secret of his
belief that General Eagan should be
dismissed from the army for his I'M
disciplined, unmilitary and ungentle-
manly conduct, but for the present he
is determined to leave his vindication
in the hands of the president and the
secretary of war;