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PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF
                                    FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, April 3,1886.
GENERAL GEOxRGE CROOK, Fort Bowie, A. T.
   The order was a perfect surprise to me. I do not expect to leave here
for several
days, possibly, one week.                    N. A. MILES, Brigadier-General.
                                      HEADQUARTERS OF THlE ARMY,
                                          WASHINGTON, D. C., April 3, 1886.
9
GENERAL NELSON A. MILES, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
   The Lieutenant-General directs that on assuming command of the Department
of
Arizona, you fix your headquarters temporarily at or near some point on the
Southern
Pacific R. H.
   He directs that the greatest care be taken to prevent the spread of hostilities
among
friendly Indians in your command, and that the most vigorous operations looking
to the
destruction or capture of the hostiles be ceaselessly carried on. He does
not wish to
embarrass you by undertaking at this distance to give specific instructions
in relation to
operations against the hostiles, but it is deemed advisable to suggest the
necessity of
making active and prominent use of the regular troops of your command. It
is desired
that you proceed to Arizona as soon as practicable.
                                              R. C. D)IzuAN, Adjutant-General.
   I never had any desire to go to this section of country or to engage
in a campaign of that character.    Still I was aware that such an event
might possibly occur.
   Therefore, perhaps, I should not have been surprised when, at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas, April 2, 1886, I received telegraphic orders to
proceed immediately to Arizona and take charge of that department.      
 I
did not welcome the order with any degree of satisfaction.         In fact
it
was a most undesirable duty.    Yet the order was imperative and required
innnediate action.
   By special act of Congress general officers are allowed certain staff
officers known as aides-de-camp. They are the personal staff of the general
officer, and are expected to go with him to any field or any part of the
country and be in constant readiness for any service that may be required
of them in organizing, disciplining, mobilizing and commanding any mili-
tary force. At that time I was entitled to twvo officers of that class though
I had but one, Lieutenant 0. F. Long. He having recently been relieved
under a rule that had been newly inaugurated, and I, not having been able
to name another to take his place, was compelled to leave Leavenworth
practically alone. Still I had at that time a very efficient and faithful
general service clerk, stenographer and secretary, Mr. J. Frank Brown, and
under the rules existing at that time I had authority to discharge him from
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