The record-union., 1898-09-15
General Shafter Reports on the
Movements Of the Army
From the Time II Embarked at Tampa
Until Fall Of Cuban City.
Briefly Recounts the Organiza-
tion of the Expedition and It's
EmbarkatiOn, and Then De-
scribes at Length the Active
Operations on Landing on
Cuban Soil.

| Skaters report of the campaign,
which terminated in the fall of Santi-
| ago, has been made public He briefly
recounts the organization of the ex-
| pedition and it's embarkation, and then
| devotes the main body Of the report
to the active operations about Santiago.
| General Shafter says the expedition
was undertaken in compliance with
| telegraphic instructions on May Both
! from headquarters of the army, in
i which it was stated: Admiral Schley
reports that two cruisers and two tor
pedo boats have been seen in the har-
! Dor of Santiago. Go with your force
| to capture garrison at Santiago; assist
in capturing harbor and fleet"
After reciting delay at Tampa due
to inadequate facilities, General Shafter
says that on June 1st he received orders
to sail without delay, but not with less
than 10000 men.
After some transports had already
reached the lower bay, telegraphic in
| structions We're received from the Sec
retary of War directing that the sail
| ing of the expedition had been de-
delay was occasioned by the navy re-
/ porting that a Spanish war vessel had
been sighted in the Nicholas channel.
! The ships in the lower bay were i'm
nediately recalled. The expedition
and 1902 men.
! General Shafter briefly covers the
! trip and landing and his first meeting
4 with adinu.
! During the interview General Gar
cia offered the services of his troops,
comprising about 1000 men in the vi
cinity of Asseradores, and about 5000
under General Castillo at the little town
of Cuja babo, a few miles east of Bal
| Quiri 1 accepted his offer, impressing
it upon him that I could exercise no
military control over him, except such
as he would concede, and as long as he
served under me 1 could furnish him
rations and ammunition.
After comforting with Admiral Samp-
son and General Garcia, the plan of
campaign was outlined by General
| Shafter The Decentralization was to
commence on the 22d at BaiQuiri, with
feints by the Cubans on Cabanas, and
by the navy at various shore points, in
order to mislead the enemy as to the
place of landing.
General Shafter says: "These move
ments permitted me to approach San
tiaeo from the east over a narrow
road, at first in some places not better
! than a trail, running from Baiquiri
through Siboney and Sevilla, and max
| ing attack from that quarter This in
my opinion was the only feasible plan,
and subsequent information and results
confirmed my judgment"
Of the early operations and the
slkirmish in which the Rough Riders
! participated, he says: General
! Young's brigade passed beyond Law
| ton in the night of the Odd, 24th, thus
! taking the advance, and on the morn
| ing of the latter date became engaged
| with a Spanish force intrenched in a
| strong position at La Guasima, a point
! on the Santiago road about thirty
! miles from Siboney. General Young 8
! force consisted of one squadron of the
First Cavalry, one of the Tenth Cav
/ airy and two of the First United States
| Volunteer Cavalry, in all about 964
| officers and men. The enemy made an
/ obstinate resistance, but were driven
] from the field with considerable loss.
| Our own loss was one officer and fifteen
men killed, six officers and fifty-six men
wounded. The reported loss of the
| Spaniards was nine killed and twenty
! seven wounded.
! THE engagement had an inspiring
| effect on our men, and doubtless, cor
| respondingly depressed the enemy as. it
was plainly demonstrated to them that
| they had to face foe who would adj
vance upon them under a heavy fire
| delivered from intrenchments. General
/ Wheeler, division commander, was pres
| ent during the engagement, and re-
ports that our troops, officers and men
| fought with the greatest gallantry. This
! engagement gave us a we'll watered
country farther to the front on which to
encamp our troops"
| The report continues: TT was not
| until nearly two weeks after the army
| landed that it was possible to place on
| shore three days rations in excess of
| those required for the daily consump-
| ton. On June Both I reconnoitered the
country about Santiago, and made my
! plan of attack. From high hill from
which the city was in plain view I could
| see the San Juan hin and the country
about El Caney. The roads We're very
! poor, and, in fact, little better than
bride paths, until the San Juan River
| and FL Caney We're reached"
General Shafter explained at a meet
| ing of Generals his plan of battle, which.
| follows:
"Lawton's division, assisted by Cap
ron's light battery, was ordered to move
| out during the afternoon toward FL Ca
ney, to begin the attack there early the
next morning. After carrying Ell Ca
ney, Lawton was to move by the Caney
| road toward Santiago, and take posi-
| tion on the right of the line. Wheelers
| division of dismounted cavalry and
| Kent's division of infantry were direct
ed on the Santiago road, the head OF
the column resting near Ell Poso to-
ward which nights Grimes battery NOV
| ed on the afternoon of the 30th with
orders to take position there early on
| the next morning, and at the proper
| time prepare the way for the advance
| of Wheeler and Kent on San Juan HILL
| The attack at this point was to be de-
| layed until Lawton's guns were heard
at Ell Caney and his infantry firing
showed that he had become well en-
gagged.