Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-07
santlass's Rell n Manor.


wounded in the recent desperate light
ing around Santiago is q long and
glorious one. Full details have not
been received. and accurate lists will
not reach us for many days. More
over. the hghting Is not AL over there
yet. But we know already that our
first series Of land battles In the war
with Spain have resulted in q very
serious loss Of life. Hundreds have
been killed and many hundreds more
have been wounded. so that the loss
in Gen. Skaters army up to date IL
variously estimated from 1000 to 1000
men. No doubt the loss Of the enemy
has been as great or greater but this
does not lessen the sharpness of our
sorrow at the awful sacrifice.
Our army was placed in a most diff
cult and trying position. It was In a
strange and hostile country opposing
an acclimated and strongly entrenched
enemy who fought with the energy Of
despair. The battles by which the outer
works were so valiantly taken and the
enemy driven from all sides into the
city itself were a series Of charges
where our troops were terribly exposed.
The conditions of the climate as well
as the surface of the land gave help
to the Spaniards. and their fleet in the
harbor shelled our advancing troops
with deadly effect. Under such cir
cumstances and in the face Of such
odds our little army showed bravery
and endurance never excelled on any
and its victories have added
laurels to American
arms. It's dash and spirit were
Irresistible; it never fell back from
position once won. and it took. the
most desperate chances with an en-
thusiasm that overcame all odds.
There is much glorious history yet I'M
told in our army movements at Santi-
ago, and all the future will ring with
the valor of Skaters men.
1t was inevitable that our loss should
be heavy, but there was work to be
done and there were no better men in
the world to do it than the American
soldiers who landed on Cuban soil.
The hundreds who fell were glad OF
the proud privilege of dying for the
flag they loved. Well may the nation
mourn the loss of such heroes and for
ever honor their memories. The vol
unteers from Massachusetts, and New
York and in the regiment of Rough
Riders We're not out done by the regu-
lars in their courage, skill or endurance,
and the long list of their dead and
wounded is the most eloquent tribute
to their work.
"a marked feature in the lists of
those Killed or wounded at Santiago is
the large proport{ohT 81 officers of high
rank. One general. several colonies,
numerous lieutenant colonies and
majolps-and many scores Of captains
and NAutenants are with the hundreds
of privates on the honor roll of Santi-
ago. What this means is that Ameri-
can officers lead their men-not follow
them. According to the dispatches the
loss of officers was heaviest in the
actual charge on the Spanish entrench-
ments where the fighting was desper-
ate and handto-hand. This is the
ordeal which tests discipline to the
utmost. 1t is there that troops look
most closely to their officers for leader
ship. 1t is there that their personal
example is the most important. 1t is
a pathetic fact that in the roll of the
dead and hopelessly wounded there ap-
pear the names of veteran officers who
fought through the Civil War and
through years of arduous Indian cam
paigning since then to fall on foreign
soil. far from the land they loved and
served so long and faithfully. Some of
these older officers were on the verge
of retirement. They were all accom-
plished soldiers and most gallant gen.
tlemen. The country can i'll spare
them now. but they have died as they
would have wished, in cause as
noble. as chivalrous and as holy as
any for which warriors ever drew blade
in the very van of battle, face to face
with the enemy. ~.
The list of our casualties at Santiago
is appalling, and carries a heart-brsak-
ing sorrow to thousands Of homes.
But such is ever war: and in COM
parison with some of the great battles
where American armies have shown
themselves bodies of heroes our loss
at Santiago seems almost trifiing. Just
35 years before Santiago the Union
army at Gettysburg lost 300 killed and
1850 wounded. In those years our
people had become wonted to hear Of
10000 or more killed or wounded on
each side, both contending armies be-