ed to "leave the
government and control of the island to its people." The resolutions
were approved by the President April 20th, and in themselves had
the effect of a declaration of war. The Spanish Minister at once
demanded his passports and departed from Washington. The American
Minister at Madrid was handed his passports on the morning of April
21, 1898, without being permitted to present the resolutions to
the Spanish authorities. Congress, April 25th, by law, declared
that war existed between the United States and Spain since and
including April 21, 1898.

Thus, after a long peace of thirty-three years, our country was
again to engage in war, and with and old and once powerful and war-
like nation, which must be waged both by sea and land.

I do not intend to write a history of the one hundred and fourteen
days' war that ensued. I merely summarize the conditions which
caused me to turn from civil pursuits and a quiet home to again
take up the activities of a military life in war.

The President called for volunteers (125,000 April 23d, and 75,000
May 25th), and, June 9th, I was, by him, appointed, and, June 14th,
1898, unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate, a Major-
General of Volunteers. I was the only person in civil life from
a northern State, or who had served in the Union Army in the Civil
War but never in the regular Army, on whom was originally conferred
that high rank in the Spanish-American War.

This rank was conferred on Fitzhugh Lee of Virginia, Joseph Wheeler
of Alabama, and Matthew C. Butler of South Carolina, each of whom
had served as a general officer in the Confederate Army; and on
James H. Wilson of Delaware, who had served as a Major-General in
the Union Army in the Civil War. These four were from civil life,
but, save Butler, each was a graduate of West Point and had served
in the United States Army.

Hon. William J. Sewell of New Jersey declined an appointment to
that rank, and Francis V. Greene of New York was appointed after
the protocol was signed. He was a graduate of West Point, and had
served in the United States Army. No other Major-General was
appointed from civil life before the treaty of peace.

A feature of the Spanish War was the alacrity with which ex-
Confederates and Southern men tendered their services to sustain
it. It was worth the cost of the war, to demonstrate the patriotism
of the whole people, and their readiness to unite under one flag
and