The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-28
DIFFICULTIES OF
THE CAMP Align.
The Miserable Roads Made Advance
Almost an Impossibility.
WANTEDWHEELERTO WITHDRAW
But the Intrepid old Ey-confcdcratc
Would Not Agrcc-Thc Spaniards
Mere a. Uncomfortable as We're
the Americans.


CORRESPONDENCE OF THE Asso-
GATED PRESS. BEFORE SANTIAGO
DE CUBA July H-Probabiy few Eu-
ropean military critics viii appreciate the
ar8nous nature of The campaign so suc-
cessfuly terminated to-day by the SUR
render Of aH the spanish forces cast Of
Santiago and the virtual abandonment OF
this province hy spain.
one word tolls the story-roads. The
roads here arc simply paths through The
dcnse tropical forest paths. along "hicn
halfa dozen ordinary oN-toams haul ium-
berng carts once "a day BOZ comparatively
dry weather. There are no bridges ana
in wet weather when The streams arc
raeug torrents. these paths arc almost
impossible 90 men ON horseback aoso-
lltcly so t0 vehicles OF AN Description
Thus 30 was that an these ROADS aionb
which thc troops were moved had i'dl!
a. be- b1ilt before Cd single wagon train
could got through The bridges thrown
across inc streams. were repeatedly swept
away hv high water Several times com
municatlOn was almost chiIt,9 ",''
ruptcd and tho army had 90 fan back ON
pack trains. Indeed the base oi sup3"e9
was seriously threatened. .....,.
COULD NOT HANDLE THEM
III has been a fact that during the -FOUR
DAYS before the surrender 10 was possihle
10 get only one light battery OF lhe SIX
brought by General Randolph 90 the
front. while not "a single one ~ the siege
guns brought bv General Shaftor got be-
yond Siboney.
There is another vital difference in the
nature of the country itself. over the
fields OF operation in the Austro- Prusslan
war OF 1886 and the Franco-Prusslan war
Of 1870. 10 was possible BOO almost every on
gagemcnt 90 manocuvrc an army corps
hy platoons and hattalions.
Here the men were Obliged 70 advance
in single flc into the open. and al the
famous assault on San Juan bin one
column marched 0ut Of the road isto the
open Boo the face Of Che murderous ariil-
Jerry and rife fire from the Spanish
trenches. and dcp.oyed Tor the charge on
open ground.
REQUIRED NERVE.
No finer exhibition of nerve could be
required of "a soldier than that charge
across GOO yards OBJ open territory against
an enemy cntrcnched upon the crest Of
q him. But our men never finched. As
matter of fact DO is one Of the unwrit-
ten secrets of the battle of july list that
tho plans made the night previous did not
contemplate au assault upou the works
Of the enemy before Santiago. Two divis-
sons those of General Wheeler and Cen
eral Kent were to remain foo column
ON Tho main road to Santiago 90 reinforce
g. neral L1Wt0n whose division was TO
assault El Cluey on tno extreme right
while Grimes Battery made a. diversion
On the left
But when the Spanish gunsc began TO
drop shrapnel shells over the ROAD ON
which our column rested and Wh'n W"rH
came chat General Lawton was success
fH4ulN Do EllHmn necessary for
Wheeler and konts divisions either
80 advance. retreat or remain quiet under
the storm of shell that was bursting
over their heads. ln these circums tances
So was less dangerous FOO advance ana
charge the cnemys works than TO stay
whore they were and with general
impulse tc get whore they could return
The enemy me- lhr advance regiments.
The sixth ana sixteenth infantry moved
out Ihe others followed.
no oIt'if l' ''MMAND
There ia 90 question whether any spe-
cine general command io charge was
ever given Nesimental and company
commanders simply Ted thc way heroical-
ly forward nap the hin
The hil was taken the American flag
planted on It's crest ana the enemy
oI.N'n peH-ineI ln'' DTS inner line OF
'"'i'N. "lh'H'3 ''t"hd. CUT men were
.' il''u 'NH.''.'' 'o lo"'" UP ther
victory Ih'uth Dr. mas since oeen as
l'g ,ta, "'" l"' pursuit o''h con,
l'""e" I'I '.I moon lhc dem"raIlleu
0panldIla "'ui" nave surrendered mat
Hlshi So iefi'Nc hid been the slaugh-
fer OF our men-" per cent Of whom
were thon under fire for The first time
thdi inc Tact is though comparatively
rev knew d. on tine nieht of July lst
officers of hIeh rank. brave soldiers. too,
went to General wheeler who was IN
command aI me 'front.' l1cnefa smarter
D InA s'Hl aboard hIs Snip ana appealed
i' nim I' Withdraw. IheF expected am
a"IM disaster Oh our arms IT We at
tempted io ho'd Inc position we had
earned eo dearly.
VAS NoI THAT KIND.
But the intrepid old cavalry leader Of
the Conicderacv said. NO. lie spoke
resssurne words to those who came with
Dire foreuodnes we are in am nncom-
Portable position. De said. "hut the
Spaniarle ave more uncomfortable tran
we. Pass chat word down the line"
General Wheeler even sent back e. dis
patch to General Shaftcr. telling him Of
the pressure that was being brought to
hear upon him. "l presume the same
influence are being brought 10 bear en-
YOU" he wrote Boo effect. "but 10 viii not
do American prestige would suffer ire
trlovahlv ID We gave ln an inch. We
rnusf ba firm
rrrpAN-e AppcrNT,NffrNf