The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-07-09
Mismanagement CT the War.

According to the press dispatches there has
not only been gross mismanagement OF the
war. particularly as to the invasion OF Cuba,
Int it seems. too, that the army and navy are
at loggerheads. Sampson and Shatter cannot
agree. Sampson wants Shatter to take Santl-
ago and Shafter wants Sampson to do so.
Richard Harding Davis, the we'll known
newspaper correspondent, with our army IN
Cuba, draws horrible picture of the condi-
lion of the men, how they are unprotected
and unsupplied, and he is severe on Shatter.
Below we give a considerable part of his let
ter, of July q:
have been writing about this campaign since it
opened and certainly have not been an alarmlst
Mistakes have been made, yet the present does not
seem to be the time to comment upon tneIn anu
thus cause needless anxiety; The situation mere Is
now critical-alarming- it would be false TO
make it otherwise. ,..,
The troops should never have been sent here with,
ont the entire force of artillery at Tampa and until
itarryes they neither advance nor retreat 1ney
can only lie on their faces be shot at If they rise
with freouent showers for three days They are I'M
able to move about They are uhuer an uiice''Si"s
fire. . 1900. .,o,,1
such strain long Lack of speech. of exercise, OF
food and tobacco, and the lncessant tre OF Dullets
I went along the trenches this morning and saw
men lying in the high grass which was as wet as
sponge The dew had not been out OF the clothes
they wore since June 80. They had not even hau
time to take them off for bath. Some had been
without food for As hours. When food dld come IL
was hard tack and cohee: i, .-.,
Those who smoke-and they are in the majority
were suffering agonies from the lack of tobacco
Their nerves were so unstrung in consequence that
as substitute they were smoking grass, tea leaves
overhead the fire was incessant Ten men OF
each company manned the rifle pits by turns, ana
were relieved every hour. The remainder lay
lower down the crest trying to sleep.
Shrapnel burst over the men, killing ana wound,
ing some of them. They were under uninterrupted
fire from sharp shooters.
| do not see how men not made OF iron can stand
such state of affairs much longer. 1t is not q
question of weeks, but hours. This may SOUND
hystercal, yet it is written with the most serious
We are in the face of possible disaster. Nothing
has been done by this expedition beyond proving
the heroic courage of American s9ldlerS. dru1c
fully the expedition was prepared III ignorance
and conducted in series OF plumbers us com
manding general has not yet been within TWO
miles of the scene of operations Ihat oihceT roae
to hill about two miles from San Juan the day be
fore the battle He was overcome by neat, ana ma
been lying on his back the greater part OF the tnt
since
General Wheeler who refused to remain in bed
with his fever is here beside me asleep on rubbe
blanket, bullets passing over him Near the SAINT
locality are Generals summer, Kent, la"toh AM
Chaffee and Colonel Wood. Never before have 81
many commanding officers lived so constantly OF
the firing line, yet the man who Is supposed u
direct the expedition is in Il tent at the rear
If he is i'll he should be relieved; II not the pres
ence of some man with absolute authority Is neces
sary at the front. l am quoting what brigade com
manderS demand. >. ,,
The commanding generals orders are dlsobeyet
without moments hesitation. have heard tmeH
countermanded in my presence by co!9hels. / IN u
is written with the sole purpose that the press o
the country will force instant action at washington
TO relieve the strained situation