The age-herald., 1898-08-12
WHEELER'S RECORD
 AT SANTIAGO
Special Dispatch to the Age-Herald. BY ARCHIBALD W. BUTT

"aSnlngton, Aug. H-''Of all the geners als with the army in front of Santiago. Major-General Wheeler now promises to come out of the campaign with the high est reputation for courage, strength of pur- pose, military foresight, and soldierly dis cretion."
 This was the opinion advanced by prominent officer of the war department today when the Round Robin and Roose- Welt controversy were under discussion. There is no doubt that the conduct of Gen. eral Wheeler in the Santiago campaign has won golden opinions from leading off, ffcers in the army. In private conversa- tion they assert the belief that the princi- pal credit of the victory belongs to Gen. eral Wheeler more than to any other gen. eral who took part in the campaign. Strong reasons are advanced for this opinion. It has been made clear that If it had not been for General Wheeler's determination the army would have retreated from the ad- vanced position which it captured in the fight before San Juan. The telegram sent by General Wheeler to General Shaf- ter on the night of July 1 clearly indicates this YH
 In this telegram General Wheeler says that many of the officers had appealed to him to have the line withdrawn and the army take up position further back but that he positively discountenanced this as it would lose the American army much prestige. He urged General Shafter not to pay any attention to similar requests If made of him. That General Wheeler un. derstood perfectly the conditions which confronted the army when he took this stand against a retreat is shown by his telegrams to General Shafter. In it he said:
 'The lines are thin, as so many men have gone to the rear with wounded and many are exhausted; but I hope these men can get up tonight and with our line entrenched and Lawton on our right, we ought to hold tomorrow, but I fear it will be a severe day. If we can get through tomorrow all right we can make our breastworks strong the next night"
 'He realized thoroughly" said this of- ficer above quoted. that his forces were in bad shape and that they had hot work before them. But he saw also that they could win out if they held their ground, and believing that he counted not the cost. He at once set the whole army to work strengthening its position, and we learn from officers who have returned from the front that it was his intelligent direct tion which not only made the American position tenable, but enabled our army later on to drive the Spaniards into San- tiago. Some of the officers who took part in the battle even go so far as to say that if it had not been for General Wheeler the victory of Santiago might have been lost and the American forces routed. Even while he was so sick that he had to be carried around in a litter his knowledge of what ought to be done and his directions as to how to do 1t were of incalculable ad4 vantage.
 You will take notice that General Wheeler is the only one of the comman anding generals at the front whose name is not signed to the Round Robin. Just as he refused to listen to the generals who urged a retreat, so also did he refuse to take part in any complaint. He was not unS sympathetic to the sufferings of his men. His telegrams to General Shafter show how deeply he was affected by the hardships which they endured. You can hardly real- ize the exhausted condition. of the troops,' he said in speaking of the situation at the front on the night of the battle of San Juan. But he had himself stuck to his duty like a man when wracked with pain, and he looked to the men under him to show a similar undaunted grit.
 "A southern man and democrat, one might have looked for criticism from him of the conditions which Colonel Roosevelt so forciby set forth. None came. General Wheeler stood out against retreat, he stood out against complaint. We give all our gen. erals at the front praise for gallantry in action, but General Wheeler has shown himself to be the abest and the truest sol- dier of them all."
 Much more did this officer say, setting forth all sides and illustrating his argu- ments with parts of the various reports. The report that a courtmartial may likely be the outcome of the Round Robin is dis credited at the war department. high authority in military law said that all the generals from General Shafter who called the meeting, down to the least who signed it. were amenable to courtmartial, but that no such proceeding was likely under the circumstances. As it was explained by this authority, the Round Robin is recognized in military law as a form of mutiny. It is an attempt to get at the people over the war authorities The only authorized form of procedure in such state of affairs as existed at Santiago is for each brigade com mander to report the condition of his brig ade to the division commander, and for the division commander to present the facts to the commanding general, who, if he sees fit can report with recommendation to the department. If the war department acts, all we'll and good, but if 1t does not, the commanding general and his subordinate officers must not carry the matter further. They must grin and bear. That is military law. Any other course of action is regarded as prejudcial to good order and discipline and lays the offenders liable to a court martial. General Shafters action in calling a meeting of his officers to consider a pro- test is considered gross breach of mili- tary discipline. and was so looked upon by General Wheeler. The fact that the de-