The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-09-09
gen shat TER IS HAPPY.
Result Achieved il Eastern Cuba
Speak for Themselves
A GOOD c CAMPAIGN
Accom- plished Much With an Inferioz
Force-End Justi6es the
4. Means. VS. -

New. York. Aug. 26.--A. dispate to the
Herald from Santiago says: Prior to
emba rking on the steameE Mexico, Maj.
Gen. Shafter consented to be. interviewed
During the interview he discussed in gen:
eral terms the campaign that has jusi
ended. The bare prospect Of returning t.
the United States caused him to be
brighter, more cheerful and less harassed.
looking than at any period since he EN-.
barked at Tampa. 5 :::. s.. ). g. s.
Gen. shafter said: Il look upon the
campaign just closed as successful one
!! n e! tne highest degree. not only in regard
20 tne military operations, but more espe.
cially in regard to the great results
achieved. When we decided to attack
santiago We looked for nothing more ns
the immediate fruit of victory than the
capture Of. the city. What has been
achieved is the capitulation of the eastern
part OF the province from a line ut Gil
bara to the south coast, together with the
e enemy forces, amounting to almost a..
w men. Surely this was the most nota-
PIE achleyement Of the campaign, bearing
IN mind the fierce opposition we encoun.
tered and the: comparative smnllness OF
q From military, point Of I view / ne per.
maps took steps which. might not be
deemed justifiable under other circum.
stances. but knew the temper and the
capabilities Of my soldiers and the moral
effect of our gradually 5eooping. up the
enemy within his own lines.
My engineers were very apprehensive
that the Spaniardsvmight break, through
on my left and cut off Siboney. This,
1tom a military standpoint, might have
been correct, but personally I had not for
moment any fear on that score. The
result has,, ], think, proved the. correct
ness OF my conclusions: @Es;ys<A (: j.
vera out and next to fake the town. We
mad gradually driven the Spaniard back
on his lines, circing the city and slowly
advancing day by day. The enemy began
losing spirit as soon as our guns had
Deen placed in "a position to cover the
town.
"When Cervera left the situation was
changed. The town. was at my mercy
and, had given, the order for direct as
sault it would have been taken within
four hours. l believe that with the forces
then at my command, reinforced as they
had been, L.was in a position to take. the
city by force. - = - 49,;
.'But if 1 had taken a step of such a
character what would have been the re-
suit? l. estimate that our: casualties
would have been 5000 men and the ac-
ton 1. took has more brilliant real re-
suits without heavy loss of, lives.
The town itself is admirably situated
for defense and the fight would have been
strongly constructed of stone and entire
" different from. the ordinary frame
buildings. Every house was little for
tress itself. Had the Spaniards, forced
by desperation, fought the battle ont in
the streets our loss, would have been
enormous. But from the moment Gen.
Toral made preparation for a conference
| knew he was determined to give up and
L acted accordingly. 80 = .:.t e. /:
. Personal. reflections. have been cast
upon me because I was not on the fight
ing line. That was not the place for a
general in command of an army. 1t must
be remembered that I was connected by
telephone with, the officers at the front and
was better able to direct oprations from
the position | had taken. Save for two
days when ill was in direct command of
this campaign, which consider unique in
American history, for it was really the
first time the. United States had fought
with its regular army. The Civil war
paign was fought and won by our regular
did not notice the fact at first, but
there were only three volunteer regiments
engaged against Spaniafds. ~ While the
highest credit is to be given them and
they fought braveiy and well, there was
the moral support Of the regulars back Of
Dur volunteers lacked that unity, CO
hesion and Individual support noticea BILE
in our trained troops, but at the same
time no disparagement should be made of
the volunteer regiments in the campaign.
What they lacked otherwise they made up
for in: enthusiasm and patriotic spirit, and
I desire to command no better army than
the one composed of the class of volun-
teers under me in the Santiago cam
paign:''