equence."

The conditions at Tampa provided material for a spirited exchange of
letters and telegrams between General Miles, who had taken command,
and Secretary of War Alger.

On June 4th, General Miles filed by telegraph the following report to
the Secretary of War:

"Several of the volunteer regiments came here without uniforms;
several came without arms, and some without blankets, tents, or camp
equipage. {88} The 32d Michigan, which is among the best, came without
arms. General Guy V. Henry reports that five regiments under his
command are not fit to go into the field. There are over three hundred
cars loaded with war material along the roads about Tampa. Stores are
sent to the Quartermaster at Tampa, but the invoices and bills of
lading have not been received, so that the officers are obliged to
break open seals and hunt from car to car to ascertain whether they
contain clothing, grain, balloon material, horse equipments,
ammunition, siege guns, commissary stores, etc. Every effort is being
made to bring order out of confusion. I request that rigid orders be
given requiring the shipping officers to forward in advance complete
invoices and bills of lading, with descriptive marks of every package,
and the number and description of car in which shipped. To illustrate
the embarrassment caused by present conditions, fifteen cars loaded
with uniforms were sidetracked twenty-five miles from Tampa, and
remained there for weeks while the troops were suffering for clothing.
Five thousand rifles, which were discovered yesterday, were needed by
{89} several regiments. Also the different parts of the siege train
and ammunition for same, which will be required immediately on
landing, are scattered through hundreds of cars on the sidetracks of
the railroads. Notwithstanding these difficulties, this expedition
will soon be ready to sail."

In answer to this dispatch was sent the following reply from Secretary
Alger:

"Twenty thousand men ought to unload any number of cars and assort
contents. There is much criticism about delay of expedition. Better
leave a fast ship to bring balance of material needed, than delay
longer."

This slight difference of opinion which a shrewd observer can discover
between the lines was characteristic of the whole preparation of the
United States army that undertook to carry on the war with Spain. As
one remembers those days, or reads of them in detail, it seems as if
every one did something