Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-11-02

n g. nau ! cen exhausted ! l& A@ SC1l before landing in ! I S To U ba. T b 8 -[W Jcramped position ] lS1kE~E&ZSof the troops in 6krtthe ships, the ] l--. :. S,6xJS long and tedious
 voyage under tropical sun. sapped the vitality and energy of the soldiers and
 they were not by any means in a condi | tion to do their best immediately oD reaching the field of action. This is no discredit to the mettle of the soldiers | Human nature has limits Had 1t been
 possible for the army to disembark and
 spread itself out over good camping grounds with good supply of water and facilities for bathing, cooking, ex' ! ercising and drilling, with good air, for [ two or three days even, then the effects of the voyage might have cut no figure
 in the condition of the troops But the camping grounds where they landed at Siboney and Daiquiri were very unfit
 Troops began spreading out toward the heads of the streams passing through
 the camps near the shore. In short ! time the water became foul. The whole region was congested with troops and
 the impedimenta, and the situation was | such, in brief, that the army had no time to take breath, or. as the saying is, pull itself together" for the hustling
 campaign which followed
 Ali of this has most important bear ! ing upon the conduct of the soldiers al. their efficiency at the time of extreme trial in front of the Spanish blockhouses and trenches around Santiago. Any ac- | count of the Santiago campaign which starts with the assumption that Shaf- ter's army was in the normal condition of an army when it set out along blind trails and through the dense jungles which intervened between the seashOre and the heights about the city will con- vey no adequate idea of the sufferings the hardships, the persistency under difficulties, as we'll as of the glorious achievements and unparalleled courage of tke heroes of Santiago. As is already known, General Shafter went on shore and conferred with General Garcia, the Cuban, at a point held by the insur- gents, IS miles west of Morro Castle. From Garcia and from former residents of Santiago, who were with him On
 board the transports, he learned the situ- ation east of Santiago harbor and city and decided to land the army for opera tions in that region. To mislead the enemy with regard to his intentions be secured the cooperation of our navy in bombarding several points at once.
 It was of prime necessity to keep the army under cover of gunbOat fire while it was landing and for some time after ward, or at least until the forces were we'll in hand on land and outposts os- tablished for defense. There is but one road running into Santiago from the east which communicates with good landing places on the coast. Accounts of the condition of this road vary. Gen eral Shafter says that it was very mar row and in many places not better than trail. Other officers, particularly those connected with the artillery and trans port department, speak, of it as an ex- ecrable roadway. Statements to the con trary have been published, claiming that it is fair country road over which T farmer would run no risk with full load of hay, that some one in authority had a hobby for pack mules, and for that reason wagon transportation was neglected.
 The landing was effected at Daiquiri and Siboney between June 22 and 25. As rule the troops disembarked while the transports were from one mile and a half to two miles offshore. SOms idea of the confusion attending the landing may be gained from the experience of Lieutenant Parker with his Gatling bat tery. Parker had an order from Shafter to land at once and get his outfit to the front That was on the evening of June 22 The Cherokee, upon which the bat tery made the trip from Tampa, was warped along the iron pier at Daiquiri, and Parker seized government pontoO1 to use in transferring his outfit to shore. He was stopped by young officer, who claimed to control the pontoons, and who said that in spite of Shafter's order that the Gatlings get to the front at once his pontoon should mot be smash ed in doing it." While this barley was going on a general officer rode up and ordered the Cherokee to put tO sea again so that some other ships might come up to the pier. For another day the Chero- kee, with Parker's guns on board, lay in the offing. It is said that at that time the steamer Alamo had on board an en- tire cargo of pontoons, which had not been landed. On the 25th the Gatlings were taken of the Cherokee by light draft steamer and were put upon the shore where Lieutenant Parker was warned by the engineers that the roads to the front were impossible. A little later it was demonstrated that Parker's Gatlings were as effective as anything in the whole fighting outfit
 As the cavalry brigade of General Young took the lead of the real advance on Santiago and first felt the teeth of the Spanish tiger 8 clear view of the opening events of the actual campaign is best gained by following its move merts. The brigade landed at Daiquiri nn the evening or Nlt ( SN anu bnC AlOAH- ,.,S uI tue z5d CT June. It was composer of two squadrons each of the First and Tenth (coloretl) regular cavalry and First volunteers. or rough riders, all dismounted.
 General Young's orders were to take position on the left of LawtOn's infantry division, which had already landed. The troopers had no rations. During the voyage they had exhausted the three days travel raiions supplied them. Soon after landing part of the command received ordinary rations, which the men placed in their blanket rolls, as the cavalrymen carried no haversacks. After landing his command General
 Young sent an aid on board the steamer where General Wheeler was for further orders and received instructions to move out five or six miles and select camp for his own brigade, screen and cover the landing and relieve the jam there
 The cavalry bivouac was near the mouth of a stream, the water of which was al- ready polluted by the infantry camps above. After getting rations for one squadron each of the First and Tenth and all of the rough riders. also ammu.