The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-08-04
JOE WHEELER
HELD TIE AMERIJANLI FIRM.
f" Spanish Are More Uncomfortable
Than We = Pass That Word
Down the Line.

Down the Line.
AS time passes and more detailed ac'
counts of the fighting before Santiago
are received, the public learns more Of
the debt it owes to the brave boys il
blue who fought through those three
hot days and is better enabled to place
credit for Individual merit where it be,
longs. A copyrighted letter of the AS
sociated Press from Santiago just re-
ceived contains the following evidence
of Major General Wheeler's great dis
play of ability and strength in those
trying times which must be an infinite
source of qualification to his personal
friends, as it is a thing for the whole
nation to be proud of.
No finer exhibition of nerve could be
required OF soldier than that of charg'
ing across several hundred yards OF
open territory against an enemy en-
trenched on the crest of hill. But oul
men never flinched AS q matter ol
fact, it is one of the unwritten secrets
of the battle of July /, that the plans
made the night previous did net con-
template an assault upon the works OF
the enemy before Santiago, Two divi'
sions, those of Gen. Wheeler and Gen.
Kent, were to remain in column on the
main road to Santiago to reinforce
Gen. Lawton, whose division was tC
assault Ell Caney on the extreme right,
while Grimes's battery made diver
sion on the left. But when the Spanish
guns began to drop shrapnel shells oven
the road on which our column rested
and when word came that Gen. Lawton
had been successful at Ell Caney, it be.
came necessary for Wheeler's and
Kent's divisions either to advance, re.
treat or remain quiet under the storm
of shells that was bursting over their
heads. In the circumstances it was less
dangerous to charge the enemy's works
than to stay where they were, and with
general impulse to get where they
could return the enemy's fire, the ad-
vance regiments, the Sixth and Six
teenth Infantry, moved out. The others
followed.
There is a question whether any spe-
cific general command to charge was
ever given. Regimental and company
commanders simply led their way hero
icalIy forward up the hill. The hill was
taken, the American flag planted on its
crest and the enemy driven pell-mell
into his inner line OF entrenchments
beyond. Our men were too much ex'
hausted to follow up their victory, tho
it has since been asserted that had the
pursuit been continued that afternoon,
the demoralized Spanish would have
surrendered that night.
But the men, who had left 2 per cent
of their officers and per cent. of theil
companions behind them on the field,
could not go ahead Courage and
strength have their limitations.
SO terrific had been the slaughter Of
our men-nine-t tenths Of them were un
der fire for the first time that the fac
is, although comparatively few knew
it, on the night of July 1, officers 0.
high rank, brave soldiers, too, went tC
Gen. Wheeler, who was in command a
the front, General Shafter being still
aboard his ship, and appealed to him tt
withdraw. They predicted an awfu
disaster to our arms if we attempted t.
hold the position we had earned 81
dearly.
But the intrepid old cavalry leader
of the Confederacy said: emo" HI
spoke re-assuring words to those whC
came with dire forebodings.
eve are in an uncomfortable posi-
tion,' he said, 'but the Spanish arr
more uncomfortable than we; pass tina
word down the line.
General Wheeler even sent back {
dispatch to Gen. Shafter telling of tn,
pressure that was being brought t.
bear upon him.
II presume the same influences arr
being brought to bear on you" HI
wrote in effect, "but it will not do
American prestige would suffer ire
trievably if we gave in an inch. w
must stand firm.