Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-30

feeling for General Garcia, and sincerely
regret that he found cause for COM
plant. 1t is idle, however, to argue the
point, for. no matter how warmly one
may sympathize with the Cubans, the
proposition to install them in power i'm
mediately after the surrender of the
Spanish is untenable and lacks support
among the Cubans themselves"
There is a question whether a general
command to charge was ever given.
Regimental and company commanders
simply led their way heroically forward
up the hill. The hill was taken, the
American flag planted on its crest and
the enemy driven pellmell into his inner
line of entertainments beyond. Our men
were too much exhausted to follow up
their victory, though it has since been
asserted that had the pursuit been con-
tinued that afternoon the demoralized
Spanish would have surrendered that
night Men who had left third Of their
officers and Il percent of their comrades
upon the field behind them could not go
on. Physical strength and courage have
their limitations. European critics will,
perhaps. seize upon this for condemna-
tion. just as they frequently condemned
the failure of the northern armies during
the civil war to follow up their victories;
but just as the northern generals had
to build their roads through the
south, so our generals in Sam
tiago have had to build their roads
and the men, exhausted by travel over
hard roads and hard fighting, of neces-
sity finally reached the limit of en-
durance.
So terrific had been the slaughter of
our men. 90 percent of whom were then
under fire for the first time, that the
fact is, though comparatively few know
it, that on the night of July 1 officers of
high rank, brave soldiers, too, went to
General Wheeler, who was In command
at the front General Shafter being still
aboard his ship, and appealed to him to
withdraw. They predicted an awful
disaster to our arms If we attempted to
hold the position we had earned SO
dearly; but the intrepid old leader of the
Confederacy said: No" He spoke re-
NplNiS W tllVSt WIN CdIllc Will
dire forebodings. I'VE are in an I'M
comfortable position but the Spaniards
are more uncomfortable than we. Pass
that word down the line" General
Wheeler even sent back dispatch to
General Shaftcr, telling of the pressure
that was ! ng brought to bear upon
him. Il pl cSume the same influences
are being brought to bear on you" he
wrote in effect, but it will not do.
american prestige would suffer ire
trievably If we gave in an inch. We
must stand firm
When Dr. Goodfellow and Captain
stuart Brice. son of ex-senator Calvin
Brice, took wounded Spanish into the
enemy's lines few days ago, one of the
Spanish officers who met them speaking
of the storming of San Juan hill, OK
pressed keen curiosity to know what
command the American officers gave
as they came on. We could hear them"
said he, shouting at the head of their
men something which sounded like
'JOhnsons breechcs.' We looked in our
dictionaries afterwards, but could make
nothing out of it," Captain Brice and
DR.. Goodfellow professed ignorance of
what it could have been, whereupon one
of the troopers who were in the escort
explained that the command given was
Charge by rushcs,' command invent
ed since the deadly fire of modern rifles
has made open order formation neces-
Sary.
The Cubans have proved a sorry dis
appointment throughout this campaign,
even to their warmest friends. They
have been everywhere except where the
battle ragged, but their chief and favorte
station has been near the commissary.
So pcrsistehtly have they hung about
the supply stations that they have come
to be known and described, in language
more forcible than elegant, as the
mango belied degencrates" During
he val ious actions since the army landed
only seven Cubans, SO far as is known,
have been wounded. At Ell Caney. when
1he pack train brought up supplies for
the starving refugees, the Cubahs crowd
cd out women and children and de-
mandcd rations, not as IA privilege but
as Il right. Captain Brice, who was in
charge, was compelled to knock down
two Cuban officers. They were highly
indignant but when they looked at the
captains stalwart frame ana saw the
flash of determination in his eye, they
did not seek to assuage their wounded
vanity by trying conclusions with him.
Even as sources of information the
Cubans have proved unreliable. They
could not be trusted. One of the Off
I'm m ION hof ORG, OF
is authority for this illustration of their
untrustworthiness. Several times he
desired certain Information from San
tiago. In each instance the Cuban Of
ticers. with much profusion, assured him
that the Information would be promptly
procured, and they scorned to accept
money for the spies who were to be sent
into the city. On one occasion Cuban
officer promised to procure him San
tiaGo paper and deliver it the following
day. The day came, but brought neither
the paper nor the officer. In 80 cases out
Of 100 the Cuban, officer or man, dis
creetly keeps out of the way when the
time comes for redceming pledge. Such
information as they do procure or voun-
teer usually proves unreliable.
The more our commanding officers see
of the Cubans the less they appear to
think of them. either as soldiers or as
men. Among the officers there are noble
hearted individuals. notably General
Garcia, who stands head and shoulders
above the rest: hut the rank and file are
without discipline or any idea of mill
tary duty. The vast majority seem al
ready to believe that this land of milk
and honey is theirs to enjoy, not to fight
for They are willing to let us feed them
and achieve the liberty for which they
ahpcsr to he ill-fittod and ill-equipped
mentally and morally. Poll the United
States troops in the province of San
tiagu today. and 30 out of every 100 will
say in almost so many words, we have
bought gold brick in Cuba libre.' I"
The Cuban leaders are vain and Jealous,
and if they were given the government,
the odds are that those who failed to
get places of prominence and profit
would in the course of a month start a
revolution against those who had Jared
better than they.