The San Francisco call., 1898-07-25
REVIEWING THE V AR SITUATION Progress Made Highly
 Satisfactory. MODERN ARMS WONDERFUL BRAVERY OF OUR SOLDIERS
 MAGNIFICENT. General Henry Praises Shafter and the Officers and Men Under
 Him in the Santiago
 Campaign.
OF OUR SOLDIERS
 MAGNIFICENT.

WASHINGTON, July 24-With the week just closed the United States saw the end of the third month of the war with Spain, and the responsible offt- cials, from the President down to the lowest employe who has had to do with shaping the course of events, feel nothing but satisfaction at the prog ress made. An army of quarter of 8 million men has been mobilized, armed and equipped and much of it has seen service.
 The battles preceding the capture of Santiago have been remarkable in many respects, and in the opinion of military experts have covered the United States army engaged with in- effaceable glory. Modern warfare of a type developed in these engagements was absolutely new and untried. not only to the United States but to the world. No such charge is recorded in history as that made upon the fort and blockhousese crowning the hills of Fl Caney There have been engagements between trained troops and savage races in the jungles of India and on the hills of South Africa of late years that conveyed in a slight manner the possi- bilities of modern weapons, but these battles fought by the Fifth Army Corps have been the first in which large bodies of troops of civilized na- tions on both sides have been engaged with all the implements of modern warfare. and the result is bound to be highly instructive to the military stu dent and to extort admiration for the splendid fighting qualities of the United States soldiers from the most unwilling critics.
 Few officers in any army have had more experience in hard fighting, es- pecially in rough country, than that old Indian fighter, General Henry, so that some weight must be attached to the opinion of the merits of our officers and troops expressed by him to Adjutant General Corbin, in a letter dated in front of Santiago, Ju.. 12:
 We had pleasant sail down, but, hav- ing to row the men ashore, it took some time to get off. We left Siboney at 2 p. m. yesterday with the Eighth Ohio, and came into camp here about three miles from the front. In company with General Breckinridge, I rode to the front to General Wheeler's headquarters. and a flag of truce being up, had an oppor- tunity to see the lines. We are almost on top or them-the front of Wheeler be- ing about 500 yards to them-but the country Is rough, going down to a fall- ing and ascending all covered by their fire. The country all the way Is the toughest 1 ever saw. We have to follow roads or trails andscome under heavy hre their position commanding every ap- proach. The work done by these troops since landing, their heroism and patience under discomforts, heat and rain, calls for the highest praise, and the work ac- complished by Shafter, his pertinacty and "goaheadedness" under adverse cir cumstances and discomforts is a revela- ton to me I doubt if there is another officer who would have gotten there" as he did.
 Our loss was most unfortunate, but from the character of the country could not be avoided. If we had to get there" Last night the Eighth Ohio were all most drowned out, and 1t pours to-day; that's the climate, and to get out of it 1t would be cheaper to lose more by fight ing and success than by illness which is sure to come by staying We have about thirty cases of yellow fever and many of malaria. but the men are cheerful. Gen eral Dufield and Captain Wilcox have yellow fever-they say in a mild form got from sleeping In the infected build ings which are now to be burned.
 Miss Clara Barton and Mrs. Addison Porter rode to the front yesterday in an army wagon over rough roads and rain ing; they are unself1sh women. Too much credit cannot be given the hero ism, pluck and patience of those who have borne the brunt of this work.