The times., 1898-10-09
Thrilling Personal Expert
ences i'm the War.
CAMPAIGN OF BLUNDERS
How the Regulars Went Into Their
First Actfon-The First Cavalry at
Las Guasimas-UnreNard He
rees-Thc Carrying of Ell Caney.
The Military MfsmanaRement.


for such adventure should stay at home;
il is not pleasuring outing. But the
deprivations that come as the natural
result of things may be greatly and un-
necessarily increased through unlearled.
stupid management, and of this there
was much in the Santiago campaign.
1T might not inappropriately be called
a campaign of blunders. First OF all was
the infirmity of purpose at Washington:
then the choice of Tampa, utterly uasIIE-
ed to be either a point of mobili zation OF
departments one railroad track was
blocked for miles and for days with the
supplies for which the troops were wait
ing at Tampa. The quarterm.-ster def
ciencies alone would I'LL booh-1eficien-
cies so glaring as TO make one stare-the
lack of system in loading transports.
which made confusion in the unloading;
separation of articles that should be to-
gether; mixing of hospital supplies with
general merchandise; and the storing
deep in the holds of the transports
things wanted first, while things not
wanted were heaped on top"
lie finds many things to excite his won
der. He says: 1.-The days following the
fering and work and wonderment-suf-
fering by the wounded, hauled TO the rear
in great, numbering, six-mule wagons;
work by the troops, who continued indus
triously TO strengthen trenches and build
bomb-proofs TO protect the reserves from
Spanish shrapnel: wonderment by all
that now with transportation facilities
increased by wagons. no other rations
than bacon. hardtack, and coffee were
brought up for the wounded-not to mem
non the well; wonderment that hospital
supplies were so limited and arrange
Taents so wreIched; that wounded and
feyer-stricken men were permitted to
sleep on the rain-soaked ground. with
abundant brush and bamboo all around,
and unemployed soldiers enough to build
beds for all; that, lnasmuch as bonn
bardment of Santiago was proposed, the
siege-guns remained on the transports
wonderment that the refugees at Caqey
were permitted to come about the camps,
with the excellent chance of spreading
fever.
Il do not remember all that caused
Wonderment."
The Regulars In AcllOh-
From Mr. whitney's account of the
fighting, in which he participated, these
extracts are taken;
when we had advanced probably one
and a half miles sudden quiet spread
throughout the troops. Not that there
appeared any apprehension; for, as the
road narrowed, and l fell into the ranks
s.F.a zofy cd
by the gOod-natured jesting which ran up
and down the line, without thought
that perhaps in a little while they would
be facing death. Yet the tone of voice
was always Quiet-lest mayhap we dis
turb the meditation of the enemy. But We
were moving cautiously all the time, and
through some of the best suited country
for ambush I ever beheld; though atten-
tion was jokingly called to such spots as
we passed; every approach was thor
oushly scrutinized by the pickets well In
advance of the command. In another
half hour we had come TO halt in
little opening on a slight elevation, and
here the click of the rifles, obedient to the
order of Load magazines, Gent re-
sponsive quiver up my back, and down
my arms to set my fingers twitching-
We moved forward now with one trooI
somewhat in advance Of the others, an6
a strong line of pickets reconnoiterint
every step of the way 100 yards In th'
lead Aside from the soft cooling Of doves
beyond in the trees we could not see, M
sound broke upon the still morning air
save the squash of feet in the mud, anC
the occasional rattle of a canteen as Il
swung against the metal bayonet-scab
bard at the soldiers hip. There was NJ
talking in ranks now; every man wa!
alert and silent.
when the two Hotchkiss guns had
been put in position, as near the bend o.
the road as we dared go without reveal
ing our presenceNt was o'clock. and W.
sat down 10 wait little while, that th'
Rough Riders, who had started over thei
shorter road half an hour later than we
might be within touch of the enemy
when we opened fire As we discussed
the situation, I noted our guns We're jus
10 one side Of the tumbling walls of al
old church and a small graveyard. AnC
above our conversation sounded again tn,
peaceful and persistent cooling of doves.
1T is probable the Spaniards had dis
covered u.s. for when the Hotchkiss gui
uttered the first challenge of Las Quasi
mas. al 7:20, ii was answered by wolfe!
that came so quickly and with such &C
curate direction, | had scarcely time {
replace my watch ere one of the mel
who had served the gun fell, within al
arms length of his piece. Three troop
OF the First Cavalry had already bee
de-loved out in the brush in front of tn
guns. with Instructions to work towar
the Spanish position and save their fir
until they saw something to shoot, an
up the little creek TO the left, deployinl
as il went had advanced the remaining
troop Of the First under Galbraith. W
had been aware only of the Spaniards il
our immediate front but with that open
ing volley of the enemy began such
rapid successions of flashes you coul
hardly tell where one ended and anothe
began; and yet, above all, could be dis
tinguished the demoniacal sing of a ma
chine gun that later was to be turne
with such deadly effect on the advanc
ing Rough Riders.
we had evidently stirred up hornet
nest of a persistent kind not in accor
with the then popular conception of Spar
ish quality in battle. and the bullet
rained about US in so furious storm a
10 cause us surprise so few were hit ratf
or than fear we should be. Not that III
feeling was created by poor marksmar
shin of the Spaniards, but that curiou
and inconsistent impressions often com
IN one under conditions of great DANCE
For instance with the cry OF Hospit'
man sounding in my ears. and while
went to offer my canteeen TO Capt Rno'
Just badly hit, I found myself observin
one of the battery mules scratching j
neck against a small tree, and nottn
how Indifferent it appeared to the frigh
ful racket.
After the Fight.
THAT afternoon / walked over the ba'
tlefela of the morning, over the rifle pit
and the country across which the regu
lars and the Rough Riders had advance