Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-25
'GEh. NILES Is H PORI0RQ'0.
Coutinucd from Sirst Page.


and exposure, he asserts that the
plans laid down In advance for the
movement were carried out with
absolute exactness.
With the week just closed the
United States saw the
END OF THE THIRD MONTH
of the war with Spain and the re-
sponsible officials, from the Presi-
cent down to the lowest employe
who has had to do with shaping
the course OF events, feel nothing
but satisfaction at the progress
made. An army of quarter OF
million men has been modified,
armed and equipped, and much OF
it has seen service. The battles
preceding the capture of Santiago
have been remarkable in many re-
spects, and in the opinion of mill
tary experts have covered the
United States army engaged with
imperishable glory. Modern war
fare of type developed in these
engagements was absolutely new
and untried not only to the United
States army, but to the world. No
such charge is recorded-in history
as that made upon the stone fort
III
hills of Ell Caney. There have been
engagements between trained
troops and savage races in the jun
giles of India and on the hills OF
South Africa of late years that
conveyed in a slight manner the
possibilities Of modern weapons.
But these battles fought by the
Fifth army corps have been the
first in which large bodies Of troops
of civilized nations on both sides
have been engaged with all the
IMPLEMENTS OF MODERN
WARFARE,
and the result is bound to be high
ly instructive to the military stu
dent, and to extract admiration for
splendid fighting qualities Of the
United States soldiers from the
most unwilling critics. Few Off
GERS in our army have had more
hard fighting, especially in rough
country, than that of the 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 in the following personal let
ter, addressed by him to Adjutant-
General Corbin, dated in front Of
Santiago, July II:
1--WE had a pleasant sail down,
but, having to row the men ashore,
took some time to get Off In COM
pany with Gen. Breckenridge, we
rode to the front, to General
Wheelers headquarters, and, a
flag of truce being up, had an OPP
--rA-*>---;I-~ to SEQ the lines We are
almost on top of them, in front
of Wheeler it being about 500
yards to them; but the country is
rough, either falling or as
cending, all covered by their fire.
The country all the way is the
toughest l ever saw. You have to
follow roads or trails, and come
under heavy fire, their position
COMMANDING EVERY APPROACH
"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 accomplish
ed by Shafter, his pertinacity and
go aheadiveness' under adverse
circumstances and discomforts is a
revelation to me. ] doubt if there
is another officer who would have
gotten there as he did. Our loss
was most unfortunate, but from
the=character of country could not
have been avoided If we had to get
there Last night the Eighth Ohio
was almost drowned out, and it
pours to-day; that's the climate:
and to get out of it, it would be
cheaper to lose more by fighting
and success than by sickness.
which is sure to come by staying.
We have about thirty cases of yell
low fever and many of malaria, but
the men are cheerful. Gen. Duff
field and Capt. Wilcox have yellow
fever; they say mild form: got
ten from sleeping in infected build
ings, which are now to be burned.
Miss Clara Barton and Mrs. Addi-
son Porter rode to the front yester-
day in an army wagon, over rough
road and raining; they are unset
fish women. Too much credit can
not be given the 'heroism. pertin-
aclty, pluck, patience and endur-
aHce Of the men who have borne
the brunt of this work.
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