General Miles, U.S. Army.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2103, 12 May 1898, Page 2

General Miles , U.S. Army.

• (By Phtlamerican.) I LANDEDmt the port of Savannah* in 'the State of Georgia, in the-fall of 11886, after a rough trip in a coaster from New York; Gape Hatteras. j. maintaining its reputation as* the mqst 'storm lashed point on the south-east ; coast. At the hotel at which I put !up the gossips in the house were ac- r mustomed to spend the hours between. the 6 “ o’clock supper—an institutionpeculiar to hotels run on the American style—and’ bed time, on. the front, verandah yarning about the good- 1 times before “ the war’’—they werealL“ Secesh ’’ men —and nothing underia- eolonel.. Lee, Stonewall Jackson,. Johnston,, and Beauregard; were* the ’•names most frequently on their lips,, land of course these are well-kuoyn to* every student of general history, but one night I remember particularly, be--1 cause it was associated with a curiousincident which has nothing to do ] however, with the reminiscence, or -night, a stranger hailing fro Massaschusetts began to talk abo General Miles, who had; just given-1 Apaches a whipping in Arizona, a .’was going to transport a number * chiefs and young “bucks” to- th old Spanish fort of St, Augustine, in Florida, the second oldest city in the States by the way. The general b« entered the volunteer service during the war of the rebellion, and displayed, conspicuous-bravery and gallantry in« > a number of splendidly fought’out engagements.. But it was. as a modern; Indian, fighter that he had no equal; I have an-attentive memory for* such- , things*, and if I had time I could spin, a yarn or two about the brilliant;, - soldier, whom, the Massaschusetts mam seem never weary of extolling. Hehad a son, he told me, who ha& beem with Miles on the Great Plains when he defeated the Gheyenne, and Comanche Indians, and-subsequently when that dauntless warrior broke up the; power of the- Sioux (pronounced Soo); in Montana, I guess most boys in. TeAroha have heard of the famous redskins Sitting? Bull, Crazy Horse,, andSpotted Eagle* and of.' the ways in which they used to torture United States cavalrymen, when they fell into, their hands.. This- by the way, however. Some-tinie after I, found myself: in Florida, the most, southern of the* United- States*..and,of course- resolved! to Visit the famous old settlement, founded- by the Spanish adventurer,, Ponce de Leon,, who died in his search for the fabled springs;of eternal youth, some where in the interior. The peopleresiding there are a mixtrmi of r , Spaniards and Minorcans,, the latter- ( from-the Mediterranean islands of: Minorca and Majorica—sent out thereto? work on ths r indigo* plantations. , during the Spanish occupation. L passed a. year'in the 'quaint old place,, which is protected frdm/encroachmsnts; of the Atlantic by a magnificent sea wall costing-'-millions ot dollars and, terminating i a the famous, f- r,t ofUau. Marco, built by the Spaniards ages agoof Coquina, (cem- nt and| : sea sh J s}> which is practically everlasting. la, the forts, Subject to.- martial law,, were-, confined; some 7 9’red skins, with, theirI sqpaws- and papooses. The ‘ braves,7 I remember, looked; robust enough*, i but the children were dying; like flies.. They used to take the little dead bodies-, across the Matanzas river- and. bury A them on a long low sandy spit, run- , ning; parallel with; the sea-wall.. The? •- ceremony, a; simple one, was conducted; by torch* light. It was a-difficult matter[for the soldiers to get the dead babies, [away from their poor, half - savages; [mothers. L happened to-notice one: :|.f ! poor creature crouched in the shadow .: silently* and with a tearless-face, trying; to keep- the- flies, off the-stark. little* ; brownbodyof her dead, child; /.-The - orderly who. accompanied- me hurried* ? .me along.. “ The woman is-half-" . demented and* if she saw you looking; at her baby she would- tear your eyes* i out,” he said; She was- one of Nana’s* wives. That old scoundrel who had,perhaps the most fiefidish face lever lookeds on, wore a belt composed of the-hair off -some eighty whites whom, he had [scalped in his long and evil life. I*- , noticed one day a woman’s red hair- * i amongst the black, brown and grisly’ ; locks* and the- old villian laughed* when* 7 ; I pointed to it.. I wondered, they allowed him to wear it y but as theYanks used to* say the captives were? ‘■Dollar a day Government pets,’and. . i enjoyed*, barring the confinement, at night, & rare- old time of it.. *An American friend of mine pointed out to- me- one day a distinguished; ! looking man. crossing the Plaza—-ik w-as General Miles. X have seeni ; several famous British generals— Lord Roberts of CandaharA Y.C.',. among them “Little Bobir’!’ As the, soldiers affectionately call* him*! but;" not one of them, ever impressed ids as. Miles did. Not only has ha, a great; reputation, but id appearance he fulfills one’s ideal of* a soldier.. With* the Rupert like dash of: a cavalry- officer; when -.occasion, demands, he eombinds the high intellectual qualities so. necessary- iu themodern soldier-. I hoped to meet the General at the St. Augustine Club, but he was off by the Florida southern railway to. Tampa en route to-inspect the Hey West fortifications that day,, and though I never saw him again If. have never forgotten the impression his martia’, figure made upon my mind ever ten years ago. !