Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-10-06
Stories OF General Wheeler,

Stories OF General Wheeler.
The stories which have clustered
about Wheeler's career in this war.
writes correspondent of the New York
Mail and Express, would make an in
teresting book all by themselves. He
not only climbed tree to reconnoiter
the enemy's camp-and it wasn't a
cactus or cocoanut palm, as some Of
the etnerprising artists tried to make
us believe-but it is reported that he
climbed a tree under which the cap
1tulatlon was signed at Santiago, and
sent leaf thereof to each of his con-
stituents. I am inclined to doubt this
yarn. Of course, it is a picturesque
thing to think of-the slender, active
little general sitting in the crotch of a
limb busily picking leaves enough to
fill barrels, and leaving the tree as
bare as a BARRIERS pole, but it is my
belief that if there really was barrel
full Of leaves picked off that tree Wheel
er sent some small Cuban boy up to do
it. He never does an odd thing for
the sake of being odd. 1t is certain,
however, that he did send good many
of his friends leaves from that there
tree" and that they prize them most
highly.
Wheeler's behavior at Santiago has
furnished the subject for almost the
only real war poem which has appear
ed during this war. You have all read
it. 1t is called "Wheeler at Santiago"
and is by James Lindsay Gordon. The
poem has been copied all over the Unit
ed States, and the story of that day
has been told everywhere, but l am
going to tell it over again. Wheeler,
not being any more acclimated than
the rest Of the army were, was, like his
men, attacked by the fever of the coun-
try, and was not able to move his head
for several days. He was carried here
and there, and directed operations from
his cot, but when the time came to at
tack Santiago he was so ill that it was
not thought best to inform him just
when the attack would take place. But
he heard the roar of the guns from afar,
and he was not to be let or hindered.
He told them to put him into an am
bulance and take him to the front, and
there is more power in the little ma
jor-general's say-so, even when he is
helpless with fever, than there is in
the blatant roaring of big six-foot
bully. They put him into that ambu-
lance and started for the front. On
the way they met the filters with the
wounded, and the newspaper CORE
spondents bear witness as to the mis-
cradle inadequacy with which these un-
fortunates were provided for. Wheeler
was out of that ambulance and in the
saddle in about minute and a half,
and though almost any man in his ar
my could have picked him up and car
ried him, nobody ventured to oppose
his determination to go to the front.
And then he rode to the front, and the
sight of him put new life into the whole
army. Gordon tells it in words which
thrill one like the sound of drum and
fife.
From end to END Of the long blue
ranks rose up the ringing cheers,
And many powderb face
was furrowed with sudden tears
AS with flashing eye and cleaning
sword and hair and beard of
snow,
Into the hell of shot and shell rode
little old Fighting joe"
There is nothing in the whole his
tory of warfare more dramatic than
that incident. 1t will live as long as
there is an American to be thrilled by
the sight of the starry flag. 1t will be
bond of union forever between North
and South-that day at Santiago. From
Machias Bay to Puget Sound, from
Lake and the Adrondacks to
Key West. and then again from Manila
and Honolulu round the world to Por-
to Rico. Wherever Americans live and
die under the flag, nobody will refuse
to cheer the name of Joseph Wheeler.